When niche perfume house Etat Libre d'Orange initially came to us, they wanted to create a ground-breaking perfume that would enable them to scale up their business. Usually, they release two new scents per year but in 2018, they decided to put all their efforts into one single launch. We had to come up with an innovative idea that would make noise in the industry and meet their business objectives. As a brand that doesn’t follow the rule, Etat Libre d’Orange appeals to iconoclasts who like to challenge conventions. So we decided to tackle a really conventional norm in the luxury industry: waste. With 92 million tons of waste each year, the luxury industry is one of the most polluting sectors of the economy. We engaged into this never-been-done-before journey to create the first scent made from the leftovers of the very process of producing perfume: I AM TRASH. Beyond the technical challenge, we had to come over psychological barriers towards the use of waste in such a symbolic icon of sensuality.

- The luxury industry generates 92 million of waste per year. We are facing huge environmental issues globally and we believe that luxury is not exempted from acting towards a more sustainable economy.

- 90% of consumers feel that brands have a responsibility to take care of the planet and its people. Brands are now accountable for the actions they take and there is no better way than embodying these initiatives into the products they offer. It is the most concrete proof of their efforts and it gives consumers an opportunity to engage into responsible consuming behavior.

- 58% consumers think sustainable products are not luxurious. Challenging the notion of a “fine fragrance”, we wanted to break this psychological frontier to develop a new type of luxury.

In a culture driven by overconsumption, we have the tendency to trash things and people very fast. Everything that doesn’t fit our perfection is immediately deleted. Luxury can’t ignore anymore the fact that our planet is not a bottomless pit. It’s a shift that our society needs to take and will. I AM TRASH shares the fact that the problem is not the trash but how you look at it.

The idea behind I AM TRASH was to reveal the beauty in waste. From the scent itself to all the communication around it, we wanted to show that waste can be aesthetic and delightful for all senses.

Luxury is deeply linked with the notion of timeless value, yet we tend to live more and more through ephemeral experiences, from social relations to consuming behaviors. The concept of renaissance was at the heart of our creative development since the prosperity of humankind will depend on our ability to manage waste.

For the first time in history, I AM TRASH reconciliated two opposite worlds: perfume and waste; to prove everyone that the same industry that produces 92M tons of waste per year can also change its paradigm.

Results were beyond our expectations. First, we met our business objective: only this launch made up for the usual annual two launches. In 3 weeks, the perfume sold out. And 3 months after release, demand from the 450 retailers was 4 times higher than previous bestseller. It became the most successful launch in the brand’s history. We signed a partnership with Ipsy to distribute 500K samples in the US, which is expected to boost the company’s annual revenues by up to 20% this year.

The media not only talked about the perfume but also celebrated the concept behind it. Vogue, Elle, GQ and even non-related media such as Le Figaro, Le Monde or Forbes recognized it as a step-forward for the entire industry. Givaudan, is now receiving similar requests from big luxury brands. A hopeful sign that the project will represent a global movement rather than just a perfume launch.

Etat Libre D’Orange is a niche perfume house based in Paris. They own one shop in Paris but the rest of their business comes from their network of 450 retailers throughout the world. When we initiated this project, stakeholders from both ends (fabricants and retailers) were reluctant towards the commercial appeal of such an unconventional concept. In order to convince them, we released a teaser film to prove that the market was ready, and people were willing to wear a perfume that reflect their convictions. This gave of the opportunity to onboard Givaudan and famous nose Daniela Andrier into the project. We worked hand in hand on all aspects of the product development: selection of the leftover, creation of the juice, packaging design, communication campaign, press release and so on.