There is nothing subtle about naming a fragrance Bang. And there's certainly nothing subtle about the corresponding campaign, which features Marc Jacobs lying naked and lubricated on a sheet of crinkled Mylar, holding an oversized bottle of Bang across his privates. But perhaps the boldest aspect to this new men's scent - the designer's first in eight years - is the way it smells.
Surprisingly, it is not as testosterone-fuelled as the name would suggest. Nor is it predictably mainstream. Separate the fragrance from the maker and the marketing and the peppery scent is very much like a niche offering.
But here's the thing about Jacobs: His appeal has grown spectacularly wide because he can simultaneously appear rebellious while operating within the corporate machine. In this way, Bang has the potential to be a game changer for the fragrance industry, the equivalent of introducing arugula (incidentally also peppery) to American palates in the nineties.
The same could not be said of Jacobs' first and only other scent for men, which dates back to 2002, before his transformation from disheveled, bespectacled geek to super toned sexpot. In his book Perfumes: The Guide, respected fragrance critic Luca Turin gave Marc Jacobs Men one star and declares it a "cacophonic mix of salaryman aftershave and a failed fig note." I'd be inclined to add oily and asexual (the curious can smell for themselves at Sephora).
Maybe this helps explain why Jacobs waited so long before doing another, focusing instead on building his women's portfolio with Lola and Daisy, which proved instant darlings.
Holt Renfrew, the first Canadian retailer to carry Bang until this month when it becomes available at the Bay, Murale, Sephora and London Drugs, experienced an initial rush of shoppers eager to experience the fragrance, according to Jackie Charest, director of marketing, cosmetics and beauty services (Bang debuted at Bloomingdales in July).
"It's been strong right out of the gate. There's been an underlying buzz," she confirms, adding that Holt Renfrew has already placed a second order. "You always have one or two big scents each season, sometimes women's, sometimes men's. We placed bets on this and it was definitely the right one."
Bang is a whopper of a word. Whether as a sound effect or sexual code, it represents intense physical contact, the point of impact. As Marc Jacobs explains in a promotional interview, the name has been tweaked slightly; it was originally Bang Marc Jacobs (He also insists the name is inspired by the pepper, not by sex. Whatever).
The smoky square glass bottle is covered on both sides with a sheet of reflective plastic, meant to evoke stainless steel or aluminum. Most strikingly, the angular shape suggests that it has been smashed against someone's knee.
While the design scores points for originality, it's also a risky addition to a bathroom counter as the centre of gravity seems precariously in favour of the convex side.
Jacobs worked with perfumer Yann Vasnier and developer Ann Gotlieb to create a fragrance with kick. The result tempers the itchiness of peppercorns with seductive and warming hints of wood, vetiver, patchouli and white moss. The pepper moves high into the nostrils and awakens; the musky manly notes arouse. His influence is strong - this is not the result of focus groups.
"With the name, and that pepper, [it]is something that just sort of hits you and grabs you," Jacobs says in the interview. "And I like the dull, spicy, quality of pepper."
The launch is supported not only by a designated web site (www.marcjacobsbang.com) but also a Facebook game called Bang You're It that encourages users to "bang" peoples' photos, making them appear shattered like the bottle. Actually, the effect looks cool; too bad the concept feels like collegiate humour mixed with corporate marketing.
Aliki Mahshy, director of public relations and education for Coty Canada attributes the success to Jacobs' built-in following across so many categories. "When you look at his empire, it's cool, urban, a bit quirky, a bit humourous; he adds those touches to Bang."
Coty, the global perfume powerhouse, supported his gutsiness, Mahshy says. "I think [the company]makes agreement with someone like Marc because of the individual he is - and that's what gives the cool factor. You don't want to put them in a box and change them and be corporate. You want to let them have that self-expression."
That self-expression, however, is not exactly unprecedented. Bang unapologetically draws from the school of Hermès minus the finesse of the in-house nose Jean-Claude Ellena. And how's this for not subtle: Hermès even has a peppery scent called Poivre Samarcande (L'Artisan Parfumeur also pays homage to pepper with Poivre Piquant).
As for the risqué ads, the late, great Yves Saint Laurent did them first, posing nude for his Pour Homme cologne in 1971. When Tom Ford was still at the helm of the Yves Saint Laurent label, he oversaw full frontal nudity campaign for M7 (as in, a male model with no bottle to hide behind).
Still, no one is demanding that Jacobs chart new olfactory territory and Bang remains a decidedly ballsy proposition for a mainstream fragrance market. If Bang is a commercial hit - and it's too early to tell, says Mahshy - it might give other brands pause to consider that men are open to a wider range of scents than the glut of Cool Water wannabes.
Another obvious bonus is that men can score this niche-style scent at a drugstore price. The two sizes, 50 ml and 100 ml, retail for $69 and $95 (L'Artisan Parfumeur, by comparison, starts at $150).
And we all know what that means: good bang for your buck.
Amy Verner