The Scent of the Century
My first job as a young designer in Los Angeles was with Giorgio Beverly Hills on Rodeo Drive. I was hired to develop graphics for packaging and advertising, and to art direct product photography.
Serendipitously, right after I was hired this rich, heady, American floral became a staggering international success — dubbed "The Scent of the Century."
Serendipitously, right after I was hired this rich, heady, American floral became a staggering international success — dubbed "The Scent of the Century."
Like many cultural juggernauts, Giorgio Beverly Hills perfume has been subject to enormous backlash, lurid imitations and knockoffs in every category. But at the pinnacle of its fame and for countless women, this carefully crafted brand deftly captured the California dream of fun, celebrity and glamour, winning a spot in the Fragrance Hall of Fame.
The following are a few little-seen bits n' bobs that I especially liked, from the design studio at GBH.
Giorgio Beverly Hills featured product-as-hero advertising, and I learned a great deal about art directing product photography at top photo studios around Beverly Hills. Seasonal gift sets, special editions and gifts-with-purchase are extravagantly presented as the epitome of California luxury. Images are used for advertising, marketing and packaging.
Rough ad layout for a presentation aimed at repositioning Giorgio™ as a "classic". Simplicity of the layout immediately conflates the perfume bottle with the feminine figure and the California lifestyle.
Rough ad layout. Thanks to Giorgio's ascendent position in popular culture, an uncompromising "The Fragrance" delivered the right punch for copy. No descriptors necessary.
An evening iteration of Giorgio classic. Brand equity included terms like California, Rodeo Drive, Glamour and Approachable — giving women everywhere an opportunity to "Live the Life".
Greeting card series for corporate gift-giving, revised later for sale at the boutique on Rodeo Drive.
Folio for CALIFORNIA: The Cultural Edge, an exhibition benefitting AIDS Project Los Angeles, The Venice Family Clinic, Project Angel Food, Phoenix House, Share and Heal The Bay. Presented by Giorgio Beverly Hills.
