Finally, a Cologne That Lets You Smell Like Bacon

The thick and musty playbook of marketing tactics contains a chapter that comparatively few brands have the nerve to consult. It concerns those gambits that, in the never-ending quest for the public’s attention, are—for lack of more tactful terminology—deliberately ridiculous. Case in point: the recent product reveal from the folks at Wright Brand, part of the mammoth Tyson Foods empire. With marks ranging from Ball Park Franks to Hillshire Farm, Tyson bills itself as “protein leaders.” And now Wright can claim the leadership spot in something else: the only bacon brand to introduce a men’s cologne that smells like bacon. In a statement, Wright—which is marking its 100th year in the meat business in 2022—explained the goal was to “expand the sensory experience of our bacon” with a fragrance that “pays homage to the quality and craftsmanship” of Wright's namesake product. (No stranger to bizarre, bacon-themed promotions, last year Wright appears to have caught the "oddly satisfying/ASMR trend" by dropping an LP featuring 22 minutes of the sound of bacon frying.) Why Brands Are Looking to the Stars to Connect With Consumers In fairness to the brand, this fragrance—called N°100—seems to be more inspired by bacon than it is a true facsimile of salt-cured pork. Its main ingredients include patchouli, applewood and bergamot, though there are in fact “notes of bacon” in the formula. So while you’ll doubtless smell "meatier" wearing this juice than, say, Dior Sauvage, N°100’s makers promise that it's “decadent and addictive like bacon, yet subtle enough to wear daily.” Who wants to smell like that stuff? In a sense, wearability is beside the point. Companies that have nothing to do with fragrance—yet still introduce fragrances—is not a new idea. In fact, there have been far more absurd examples than N°100. In 2008, for example, Burger King rolled out a fragrance called Flame that, to quote the communications people, smelled like “the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat.” At $3.99, Flame was evidently not destined for the glowing shelves of Sephora, though it did echo the brand differentiation the chain has been hurling at McDonald’s for decades now. To gin up publicity for its 2011 Handmade event, Wallpaper magazine worked with Geza Schön and Karl Lagerfeld to create Paper Passion, a limited-edition scent that smelled like the pages of a just-printed book. (At last check, a bottle of the stuff was listed on eBay for $298.) As recently as last year, Ford of Europe turned heads when it introduced a fragrance called Mach-Eau. Launched in conjunction with its all-electric Mustang Mach-E GT, the cologne smelled like gasoline, rubber and the almondy scent of new-car interiors. It even came in a bottle shaped like a gas pump. “The sensory appeal of petrol cars is still something drivers are reluctant to give up,” explained spokesperson Jay Ward in a statement. “The Mach Eau fragrance is designed to give them a hint of that fuel fragrance they still crave.” Smell Like a Fruity Hard Seltzer in Vizzy’s New Scented Line of Swimwear Getting noticed—one spritz at a time These brands are simply following a path that the internet—and a saturated marketplace—has put them on. “In an era where average is over, no one shares the ordinary,” observed branding expert Allen Adamson, co-founder of consultancy Metaforce. “In social media, it’s better [for the public to] be saying, ‘that’s ridiculous’ than being invisible.” Sometimes, he added, brands “have to go for the absurd, go with the extraordinary” to get noticed. It’s also worth pointing out that, in the $31 billion global fragrance industry, scents that smell bizarre are also nothing new—regardless of the brand producing them. Since 1996, the Demeter Fragrance Library has been producing unconventional bouquets that include Kitten Fur, Paperback (as in books), Pizza and Swimming Pool. Its oddest aroma is probably Funeral Home. The scent does not smell like embalming fluid. Rather, it carries a “blend of classic white flowers including lilies, carnations, gladiolus, chrysanthemums with stems and leaves, with a hint of mahogany and oriental carpet,” according to the company. Which actually makes smelling like bacon seem pretty tame by comparison. Reebok’s New Sneakers Are Inspired by Midcentury Modern Eames Furniture. Here’s Why.

Branding

Finally, a Cologne That Lets You Smell Like Bacon

Weird fragrances are actually a tried-and-true branding tactic

Robert Klara

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Robert Klara