Attack of the Face People

Play and Play Intense, the Givenchy fragrances rolled out in Europe a year ago, will be launched in the U.S. this fall. Former boy band heart throb Justin Timberlake will spokespimp the scents for LVMH. Can you feel the excitement?

No? Well, LVMH’s Pamela Baxter can. Here’s what she told WWD’s Julie Naughton:

We were looking for a man who’s recognized all over the world, someone new to the world of perfumery, and with great seductive potential.

OK, so Givenchy wanted a famous, hot, fragrance virgin. (Just curious, but how much “seductive potential” does it really take to date Britney Spears?) Until LVMH popped his commercial cherry Justin had not been sullied by a scent promotion. (The money he got from MacDonald’s doesn’t count—he didn’t actually have to eat the meat and swallow for that.)

Speaking in Imagery Voice, Ms. Baxter goes on to say:

Most importantly, we needed to find a man who could embody the modern elegance specific to the Givenchy brand as well as all the facets of Play.

Would that be the modernity of Givenchy Gentleman or Monsieur de Givenchy or Pour Homme Blue Label? (Snooze.) Perhaps the super-elegant Very Irresistible Givenchy For Men Fresh Attitude? Or the high-concept Xeryus (xyerusly?) 

And what, exactly, are all the facets of Play?

Well, there’s play, fast forward, and reverse. Timberlake. Music. Play. Get. It? 

Finally, no launch promotion is complete without a formal reading from the Book of Psalms Ingredient Voice:

Play has top notes of bergamot, mandarin orange, bitter orange and grapefruit; a heart of Caribbean amyris wood, black pepper and coffee flower, and a drydown of vetiver and patchouli.

Amen.

The seductive potential is in the coffee flower and the modern elegance is in the amyris wood. No, wait. The modern elegance is in the vetiver and the seductive potential is in the black pepper. Oh, the hell with it . . . Ingredient Voice and Imagery Voice always talk right past each other.

Another day, another sadly banal, face-fueled fragrance launch.