ACADEMIA DE STUDII ECONOMICE BUCURESTI – MARKETING ID

MATEESCU ROXANA, ANUL III, GRUPA 1762

Kenzo - World

Eyes are among the most significant of all symbols in the history of mankind. Kenzo thought of
bringing a twist to the table with a new and innovative fragrance. It’s simply named “World” but it
has a lot of meaning to it. Launching in 2016, it has been a leader in the ever-growing perfume
industry ever since.

First of all, it’s simple and fresh. But that’s not the reason it got so much attention. The bottle
looks like an eye. Some people associated it with the Eye of Horus, but others went straight to
thinking it’s a hidden message from the Illuminati.

Kenzo represents a luxury house that was founded by Japanese designer Kenzo Takada in the
late 60`s. Japanese are well-known for their refined taste in almost all industries from cars to
perfumes. Kenzo Takada moved to Paris in 1964 to follow his dream of starting a fashion
career. His trademark was an instant hit - mixing a unique Asian influenced style with European
high fashion.
The heads in charge of the whole brand are Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. Their main focus is
to have an impact in the industry and break the barriers of fashion.
This perfume brings a new fragrance for women with amber and floral influences. Mesmerizing
Ambroxan sustains the note and adds voluptuousness and sensuality to a fragrance that goes
beyond the stereotyped femininity.

“My Mutant Brain” is the name of the add and was nominated at the Cannes Festival. It reveals
nearly four minutes of expressionist dancing. A woman escapes from a boring formal gala and
starts to chest-thump, eye-roll, and body-slam her way through the glamorous venue. Spike
Jonze is the director of the short movie and Margaret Qualley was in charge of putting on the
show.

Although the whole movement may seem frenetic, the branding is quite subtle. It actually comes
right at the end with Qualley jumping through a giant floral eyeball, which also happens to be the
perfume’s packaging.

The directors earlier declared that “The Kenzo girl represents the present, like right now. She's
not nostalgic at all. She likes movement and speed and the way things shift and slide and
collide in real time. She's never blasé, always enthusiastic. She stands out from the crowd."

The immense success of the euphoric choreographed video was not so much about technical
innovation, but about the perception of women in the marketing industry and how it has changed
throughout the past decade.
“For decades, our industry has treated women as mindless purchasing machines and not really
given them the respect of acknowledging them as fully formed human beings with hopes and
dreams,” said Jaime Robinson, a Titanium Lions juror and CCO of Joan. “This year, with
Fearless Girl and Kenzo, it was a watershed moment for how we portray women in advertising.”
John Mescall, global executive creative director for McCann and a Titanium juror, said the
Kenzo video proves to the advertising world that it’s OK to show women with emotional
complexity and physical intensity.
“You can see the conflict inside her,” he says of the ad’s character, played by Margaret Qualley.
“She was trying to be happy for everyone else, but inside she was going crazy, and that first 15
seconds showed that. Then it showed for the next 2 minutes a woman losing her mind. How
many ads have shown men doing that? A man is allowed to express himself, but women have
only been allowed to express themselves in a very narrow range of emotions.”

It’s rare for a piece of branded film to win over the innovation-minded Titanium Lions jury, but
perfume brand Kenzo achieved it this year. The visual design has made an impressive impact
on the audience, leaving a much needed taste for change.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABz2m0olmPg