"You'll Still Have To Smell It" - Le Labo Concept.
The Observation
Fragrance advertising spends a lot of time trying to show us what something smells like. But it can't.
From windswept beaches to slow-motion horses, the fragrance category relies on visual metaphor to communicate something inherently invisible.
Every campaign promises to capture a scent through imagery, despite the fact that smell is the one sense advertising can't reproduce.
Strategic Shift
Stop pretending people can smell the advert.
Instead of disguising this limitation, embrace it. By acknowledging the impossibility of communicating scent through visuals, Le Labo can subvert one of the category's oldest conventions.
The result is advertising that feels more honest, more confident, and ultimately more memorable.
The Platform
"But You'll Still Have To Smell It" is a campaign built around the one thing fragrance advertising can't do.
Each execution presents another familiar perfume advertising cliché; beautiful people, cinematic locations, evocative descriptions, before reminding the audience that none of it can replace actually smelling the fragrance.
Why This Matters
Honesty has always been one of Le Labo's greatest assets.
The brand's products, stores and philosophy already reject many of the conventions associated with luxury fragrance. Extending that honesty into its communications creates a natural strategic advantage. Rather than pretending advertising can replace smell, Le Labo becomes the first brand to openly admit that it can't.
Beyond all else, it's fun; and advertising thrives on that these days.
Home
Projects
Contact
07464704912