Chanel No. 5 - perfect perfume?

by Ana Paula Palombo Terzi

September 7, 2009 issue

Symbols of innocence, virginity and virtue, the early 20th century perfumes were inspired
and composed around single flower themes. Before the First World War, women felt no
need to compete with men; softness, tenderness and femininity were their signature, and
“flowery” fragrances were natural extensions of their personality.
The war changed everything. Women were forced to wear the trousers while their men
were away. The experience challenged and toughened them. After the war, women
embodied a more forceful character in every way they expressed themselves, including
their fragrances. But then couturier Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel broke the rules by
revolutionizing and democratizing fashion in its various forms—from clothing to
accessories, including perfume.

The Chanel No. 5 Juice

“I want to give women…a scent that smells like a woman, not like a flower,” Chanel said.

In 1921, Coco commissioned Russian perfumer Ernest Beaux to create what would
become the ultimate Chanel masterpiece and greatest classic perfume of all time—an
abstract floral overdosed and overpowered with sparkling yet heavy synthetic chemicals
called aldehydes.

Chanel No. 5 was ahead of its time as a composition. It was impactful, long lasting,
unique and libertarian in its essence. The juice’s signature hasn’t changed since its
creation, yet its attributes have evolved to become aspirational in a more classic and
feminine way as opposed to being the edgy, abstract rule breaker it was in its early years.

For decades, Chanel No. 5 has remained a bestseller around the globe. Interestingly, the
juice doesn’t test well blind, but when women experience it within the context of the
Chanel brand, a certain je ne sais quoi happens just like magic, and women just embrace
it.

The Chanel No. 5 Experience

Its flacon is a simple square bottle with a rectangular top. It has been altered only
minimally since first designed by Coco Chanel. Black and white colors and straight lines
convey simplicity and purity. The black is not just black; it is the blackest possibly
attainable. The famous double-C logo created in the early 1920s embodies all elements
Chanel and remains strategically unchanged. The glass feels heavy, conveying quality.
The simple style of the overall package holds classic stylistic codes that have become
intrinsic to the brand’s DNA over the years.

The Chanel No. 5 experience is highly regarded, and the brand pays a great deal of
attention to detail, juice quality and components durability. The label, colors and coatings
must be durable so the consumer can keep the flacon impeccably intact for years, even
when it is empty. Branding the experience is quite important for Chanel. Repeated
consumer interactions with the product are meant to result in an accumulation of pleasant
multi-sensorial moments that ultimately reaffirm Chanel’s quality and render awareness,
recognition and loyalty to the brand.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

Perhaps consistency is the main reason Chanel No. 5 remains successful, aside from
being true to its heritage. From Marilyn Monroe accidentally endorsing Chanel No. 5 in the
1950s to Audrey Tautou and all her “Frenchness” as the new face of the fragrance, the
brand has been consistently linking popular cinematic figures to appeal to a younger
generation with every passing decade.
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