If only all London car park lifts could smell as good as the one we were encased in for the launch of Spicebomb by Dutch duo Viktor&Rolf.
The first bomb went off in 2005 with the women’s Flowerbomb and now comes the imminent explosion of the men’s Spicebomb in a powerful, bold grenade.
Imagine the fun the Press Team from L’Oreal and Handpicked Media had with this one. They whispered about bombs, grenades and dynamite on their way through the back mews of Fitzrovia, worried their murky talk might attract the security services. The detail of the launch was impeccable – we were hostages led into an underground car park, loaded in a huge elevator and hoisted up into darkness punctuated only by a flickering grey screen at the end of long, concrete bunker. A countdown. And then the explosion. A huge grenade detonated with scented shards of glittering paper. Revealing the glass scuplture bottle. Showering us in an extravagant combustion of powerful and opposing scents. A weapon of mass seduction. A perfect mood for a pink peppercorn martini.
Olivier Polge, is the parfumier who also created Flowerbomb and Dior Homme, F by Ferragamo Black and YSL’s L’Homme Libre. The nose runs in the family as his father, Jacques Polge, created Chanel’s Coco and Allure.
As it says on the silver, black-banded pack, it is spicy. Chilli and saffron give it heat; fragrant resin elemi and pink pepper appear cold – giving it incandescence and froideur at the same time. Other contradictions are the zesty notes of bergamot and grapefruit which offer freshness but leather, tobacco and vetiver give it a brutish masculinity. It’s as powerful as you’d imagine. They’ll either run for you or away from you when this one blows up.
The advertising campaign was shot by photographers Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, and features US model Sean O’Pry on a grey background ready to detonate the Fabien Baron designed bottle before it shatters into fragments.
A glossy black bag, the 50ml natural spray and a scented press release. We were blown away.
Prices
90ml: £60
50ml: £45
UK Launch Date: 7th March 2012
Pre-launch available at Harrods from 23rd February.
Follow Viktor&Rolf on twitter @Viktor_and_Rolf
This is how we felt!
so excited to try this, i wear flowerbomb and it’s divine!