‘Scent rituals’: Consumer interest in fragrance expanding beyond perfume – Amorepacific

It is no secret that the past 18 months or so have created a climate of negative feelings among people who have endured the stress of coping with the difficulties a global pandemic.

Despite the progress nations have made, worries of the new Delta variant is pushing some people back into the safety of their homes.

This is increasing consumer desire to make their personal spaces more pleasant and Amorepacific believes this is pushing consumers to find mental and emotional refuge among fragrances.

Speaking to CosmeticsDesign-Asia​, the company said that consumer interest in fragrances was expanding, moving from traditional perfumes to other items such as body care products.

This new idea of having a ‘scent ritual’ is led by millennials and gen-Z consumers, who are seeking to create a healthy beauty routine that encompasses not just physical care of their bodies, but also mental and emotional care.

As a response, the company has launched onhope, a new lifestyle brand launched in its home market at the end of July.

The brand was developed to “support relaxation rituals”​ with fragranced personal care products including hand creams and body lotions as well as body and hand soap.

These products are available in three different scents so consumers can choose from to suit their preferences and moods.

The three fragrances include a rich floral, an aromatic citrus and a powdery floral. They were designed to be used at the end of the day to help unwind and relax in the comfort of home.

The formulas were also designed to give comfort. The liquid soaps for instance, claims to help maintain healthy skin condition with mildly acidic pH cleansing.

They all also contain Amorepacific’s Relaxing Complex System, which is composed of evening primrose oil and vitamin E, which it claims to have a soothing effect on sensitive skin.

Furthermore, the aesthetics of the product were intentionally designed to be simple and delicate in order to ‘lighten’​ up a space, said the company.

Celebrity endorsement

To reach the millennials and gen-Zs the company decided to collaborate with Ahn So-hee, an actor and former member of the K-Pop girl group Wonder Girls, better known by the mononym Sohee.

Amorepacific believed that Ahn was the perfect brand ambassador for onhope, given her interest in fragrances, and more importantly, her popularity among the brand’s target consumer.

Ahn was appointed creative director of the brand and began working with the firm in September 2020 on the brand concept, scent development, product design and the commercial shoots.

The new brand debuted in Korea through Amorepacific’s official website at the end of July and the NAVER Smart Store the following week. It subsequently expanded offline through the Amore Store.

While the brand is currently a Korea-exclusive, Amorepacific said it will consider expanding the brand to other countries in the future.