Yahoo Finance EXCLUSIVE: Jake Gyllenhaal Fronts Prada Luna Rossa Ocean Men’s Scent
PARIS — Jake Gyllenhaal is helming the new men’s scent Prada Luna Rossa Ocean, which is due out starting in early August and marks the brand’s first fragrance launched under license with L’Oréal.
Luna Rossa is the name of an Italian sailing team, which sprung from Prada Group chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli’s passion for the sport and the sea. He owns that team that’s sponsored by Prada.
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The actor is also passionate about sailing.
“I have a very personal connection to sailing,” explained Gyllenhaal. “I grew up around the ocean. My uncle was a really incredible sailor, and I sailed with him when I was younger. I love sailing, and I love the metaphor of it, of feeling free and finding that space where you give in to the power of nature. I think in some way it helps to deepen your connection with the world around you.”
Gyllenhaal said he loves what Prada represents.
Courtesy of Andrew Whelan/Prada Beauty/L'Oréal
“They are sophisticated but also avant-garde,” he said. “They push the limits, not only in style and fashion, but technologically. They’re always on the edge of technology, merging both art and science, which for me is the apex at which wonderful things are created. Bringing together fashion and technology creates new ideas, new possibilities and progress.”
Gyllenhaal said he enjoyed the possibility of combining the physical world and a creative, artistic dimension for the Prada Luna Rossa Ocean project. “For the campaign shoot, I was able to be active. I love sailing and am in awe of the athletes who sail the Luna Rossa,” he said.
Johan Renck directed the spot for the new scent.
“I am a fan of Johan,” said Gyllenhaal. “He made one of my favorite series in ‘Chernobyl.’ He’s not just a beautiful visualist, he’s a real storyteller. He looks for behavior that is real, natural. It was nice to work with him on the fragrance campaign, because in moments where things could be overdone or overplayed, he always wanted to bring a real humanity to it. I loved working with him.”
“Jake is really for us the perfect embodiment of this fragrance,” said Yann Andrea, international general manager of Prada Beauty, who called Gyllenhaal a “modern adventurer, who makes daring choices in the fields he works in, always pushing the limits of emotional expression and focusing on new horizons in storytelling. What we also like is [his] combination of physical and intellectual strength.”
Prada’s beauty license with L’Oréal, announced in mid-December 2019, went into effect on Jan. 1. The brand was previously under license to Puig.
“Having the chance to develop Prada’s fragrance and the beauty business is for us such a fantastic opportunity, as the brand is a worldwide reference of intelligent and meaningful luxury with incredible global awareness,” said Andrea.
Prada has a strong social media presence, with 27 million Instagram followers and more than 40 million fans on all social channels combined.
Andrea described the brand as being sophisticated and avant-garde, with a touch of fantasy, and said L’Oréal will capitalize on such brand values to strengthen, activate and develop the Prada fragrance business.
“Our global, long-term mission is very clear: To build a global beauty brand,” said Andrea.
That begins with Luna Rossa Ocean, which he said was a “fantastic playground to really reinvent the iconic fragrance territory of freshness but in a very elegant and sophisticated way.”
IFF master perfumers Anne Flipo and Carlos Benaim created the scent while based in France and New York, respectively. They set out to reinvent a classic fougère fragrance. Ocean’s top notes include bergamot, pink pepper and armoise; in the middle there are iris and lavender notes and a saffron accord, while in the base are notes of vetiver, sustainably sourced from Haiti, musks and patchouli.
“Our brief was to work on a very innovative olfactory signature,” said Andrea.
The first Luna Rossa scent, Prada Luna Rossa Eau de Toilette, launched in 2012. That was followed by Carbon Eau de Toilette, Sport Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum.
The new scent’s bottle takes the shape of the former Luna Rossa fragrance, but in a deep blue with Prada’s signature red line and a red dot on the spray nozzle. The idea was to express the balance between the technical excellence of the Luna Rossa boat and nature’s intensity, according to Andrea.
The hope is that Luna Rossa Ocean will become a new pillar fragrance for Prada.
Prada executives would not discuss sales figures, but industry sources estimate that the new scent will generate between $60 million and $70 million in first-year retail sales.
The scent will launch in early August in North America and Western Europe, including travel retail. In September, it will be introduced in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Oceania, followed by Asia at the end of the fourth quarter of this year, and Latin America in 2022.
Suggested retail prices range from $75 for the 50-ml. eau de toilette to $95 for the 100-ml. edt.
“We have inherited a very rich and balanced portfolio that enables us to really address all the fragrance categories,” said Andrea. “Our strategy is really first to capitalize on this existing portfolio and reactivate the fragrance business. We are also reinventing the online and offline Prada beauty experience to offer a more engaging and holistic journey to consumers.”
Currently, the biggest market for Prada fragrances is the U.S.
“Today, our two strategic visions are United States on one side and Europe on the other side,” said Andrea. “We will keep on developing and strengthening the business in Asia.
“Our key strategic direction is to reinforce and strengthen Prada fragrances’ visibility [and desirability] worldwide,” he said. “We really would like with Prada beauty also to embrace the new vision of luxury [that’s] already more essential, meaningful and is driven by tech, but always at the service of progress.”
For more, see:
Prada Swings to Profit, Reports Strong Growth in First Half of 2021
Prada’s Patrizio Bertelli on Luna Rossa Challenging Next America’s Cup
Prada, L’Oréal Sign Beauty License
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