Show Notes The Wild West of men’s cologne: a brief in taste, controversy, and ad semantics. You have been on this video either out of curiosity, passion, or frustration, as it is impossible to shop for the best men’s clone weather for you or for someone else. Luckily, towards the middle of this video, a lot of talking about a brief introduction to controversies add semantics and the politics of taste. We will not just reveal the top five men’s clones of this season based on the daddy factor which is a .15 point scale that I have created. Further to do let’s get into it BT dubs my name is Mila. I’m a beauty, editor and culture writer on Substack and aspiring TV writer… I write content that’s supposed to be a op ed guide to becoming the next beauty guru or Internet icon. By decoding with the beauty industry and media is trying to tell us about us as a collective not just ask consumers. Without further than to do, let’s get straight into it Today’s thesis How does semantics of smell and advertisements in men’s cologne perpetuate toxic masculinity and abuse culture. That all those softening the aesthetic after six decades it’s still dresses the same torture. That she is the target never the subject. Well with women’s fragrance advertising having the opposite during as being selfish for yourself rather than for attracting/hunting. * In the 1960s and 70s there was a fragrance called HAI KARATE with an advertisement that started the trend of self-defense against women. With no context it is the absurdity and bluntness. Of a hunter pray dynamic treated as a joke sounds a lot like locker room talk. * Dubbed by deca old comments as the act body spray of the 1970s it seemed to be the beginning of a several decade long ruse. With a gag copy of be careful how you use it tagline framing sent itself as a hazard to women. Positioning as a joke for men when an actuality to the women’s perspective. It could be seen. As a threat not to their inhibitions but rather to the social junction of their safety. https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/vintage-men-cologne-ads/ Iconic Packaging: The trademark emerald-green glass bottle (often encased in molded green plastic later on) featuring a silver medallion logo was a mainstay in medicine cabinets worldwide. [1, 2, 3] Celebrity Endorsements: The brand was marketed as the “Essence of Man” and utilized massive sports stars of the era to sell the cologne. In the US, athletes like Joe Namath, Muhammad Ali, and Wilt Chamberlain fronted the ads. In the UK, heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper made the slogan “splash it all over” a national catchphrase. [1, 2, 3] The Scent Profile: It is an aggressive and complex blend. Top notes include Lavender, Anise, Bergamot, Lemon, and Basil, settling into heart notes of Geranium, Jasmine, and Ylang-Ylang with a heavy base of Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Musk, and Vetiver • ⁃ We are not here to critique the way it smells for what it sounds like I bet it would smell quite lovely. The problem is the positioning and the semantics of its advertisements. A multitude of studies/show multiple studies on media studies and sexual behavior are indicative of the fact that there is a direct link between the objectification of women and median advertising and violence against women being normalized in a collective or society. Is also goes for not just a regular body spray commercial where you have to fend off women it’s also when women are being associated with objects whether it’s a woman scan a cloud rubbing herself on a car or a woman wearing a T-shirt of a beer bottle it’s when we create a narrative cognitive shorthand for Women and consumable object ends up shaping attitudes and supportive of violence against Women. To continue your education on this I recommend the killing us softly series by Dr. Jean Kilbourne’s who pioneer media research demonstrating that advertising reduces women in body parts or sexual props creating a cultural climate that normalizes trivializes and ultimate justified violence against women. Over 40 years of working in advertising in the late 1960s and then working in research she discusses. * She talks about how back in the 60s limitations for women in the workplace and women careers were limited. It was either secretary waitress and even surprisingly being a model showing that sometimes women had no choice but to participate in these sex campaigns for their sake of their livelihood. National watchdog organization such as in the UK the ASA advertising standards authority force a strict codes against social irresponsibility and harmful gender stereotypes when an ad is found to breach these guidelines they’ll penalize the brand by initial formal bands ordering immediate removal imposing public rubber bands. This mainly happens with things in video games, clothing brands and so forth but rarely do we see this type of animosity with men’s cologne and their advertisements. Were there contemporary critiques (e.g. in Ms. Magazine) of these “supermom” fragrance ads? How did 1970s second-wave feminism directly respond to or target beauty/fragrance advertising? But we have to wonder do these advertisements actually work into selling men’s cologne? Here are some data points that come from Grandview research a reporting platform on companies services and industries Data from the global fragrance industry—which generates over $63 billion in revenue—proves that men’s perfume commercials are highly effective at driving sales, building brand equity, and establishing long-term customer loyalty. Because consumers cannot smell a product through a screen, brands rely heavily on aspirational and psychological marketing to sell an identity rather than just a scent. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Key sales and marketing data points highlight exactly why and how these commercials work: High ROI & Market Growth Major fragrance houses leverage extensive advertising campaigns and celebrity endorsements to elevate brand image and directly influence purchasing decisions, yielding a strong Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI). The men’s end-use segment in the fragrance market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of roughly 6.6%, largely fueled by the success of high-visibility commercials and social media. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Gen Z & Millennial Adoption Younger demographics are highly responsive to fragrance advertising. According to consumer data, 74% of male teens wear fragrance every day, and 35% of Gen Z men report spending over $200 annually on cologne. Commercials targeting this demographic utilize brand storytelling on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, effectively using influencer partnerships to turn cologne into a key marker of personal identity. [1, 2, 3] The Power of Aspirational Storytelling Because “smell-vision” does not exist, commercials compensate by depicting an elite, confident, or rugged lifestyle—such as a celebrity in the wilderness or a couple in the Mediterranean. This strategy builds an emotional connection. Research into advertising discourse shows that viewers connect the powerful, confident atmosphere of these commercials to the scent, leading them to believe that spraying the same perfume will help them embody that aspirational lifestyle. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] According to brand hopper: a deep dive into old spice advertisements Prior to the 2010s mainstream marketing campaigns revolving around men’s cologne advertisements whether it’s old spice or brought historically centered around the narrative of external validation and sexual conquest. As if in order to be seem as esteemed you must be seductive. Visually the campaigns promise that automatically attract women. Therefore inherently saying that one’s value only comes from how well like you are by a woman. Interesting. Brands only began pivoting towards self-care and authentic personal grooming narratives when brands like dove men and care launch in 2010 challenging the traditional stoic masculinity. The mass marketing brands before the 2010 treat fragrance strictly as a currency of tool. A mating tool rather than a vehicle for self expression or personal satisfaction It’s not just that that despite men’s advertising seeming to be anti-woman in a lot of ways. And seeming to also perpetuate harmful attitudes towards women it happens to be that according to the old spice internal research they actually found out that 60 to 85% of men’s body wash and grooming products are actually purchased by the women in their lives. According to the article RIFFON: old spices turn around succeeded by targeting female shoppers. As seen with advertisements depicting Women stealing men’s body washes design for them. Under the impression that Women get everything then get this one thing don’t take it.. Which is ironic since men basically run everything. Which shows that it’s not much men but the patriarchal context of toxic masculinity that is the controlling factor in men’s decision-making rather than them themselves. Also can you mind the majority of the purchasing power in the US is predominantly women because we’re not just buying for ourselves we’re also buying things for other people for the house etc. Flipping the transaction of the male gaze dynamic on its head is knowing this court thing. Academic & Peer-Reviewed Discourse on Fragrance and Masculinity Are there peer-reviewed studies linking fragrance/cologne advertising rhetoric to attitudes about consent or masculinity? * Synopsis: Academic inquiries utilizing Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) have systematically broken down how print and video advertisements construct modern masculinity. Studies analyzing men’s fragrance campaigns in major publications (such as Men’s Health and Cosmopolitan) demonstrate that visual and linguistic tropes consistently pair fragrance with traits of extreme dominance, emotional detachment, and intense
