PARIS — Cacharel is launching its first new fragrance in seven years.
Called Ella Ella, the scent follows Yes I Am, from 2018.
“We wanted to come back with a new vision of femininity for today,” explained Sandrine Groslier, global president, luxe fragrance brands at L’Oréal.
She said Cacharel is the only perfume brand in the beauty giant’s luxe portfolio speaking to young girls’ blooming femininity.
“There are new changes for this generation over the past years,” she said. “We really wanted to embody this new vision of freedom, of being [true to] yourself in the world today.”
Since the coronavirus pandemic, young people have dealt with more stressors and rising depression levels.
“Joy is really something that is important in this project,” said Groslier. “It is full of color.”
From the campaign for Cacharel’s Ella Ella.
Courtesy of L’Oréal
Ella Ella is also a tribute to the origins of Cacharel, which was born in the Camargue region of France and whose name comes from a bird found there. That is where the campaign images were shot by Florian Joye.
“All the Cacharel universe is linked to nature,” said Groslier, adding the yellow of the advertising’s color block channels assumed femininity, and the image’s sense of movement is key.
The campaign’s film, about self-discovery, was directed by India Sleem and set to Santa singing “Chanter le Monde.” There’s a kaleidoscope of butterflies and a spot where the starring model falls into her friends’ arms.
“We wanted to express this idea of sorority,” said Groslier. “Each time we launch a fragrance, we try to offer women of this generation a safe space to be free, to be themselves.”
Like prior Cacharel fragrances, such as Anaïs Anaïs from 1978, Ella Ella has a repeating name. Its peachy-pink, refillable bottle is capped with a sphere and emblazoned with a butterfly figurine.
“It’s a symbol of this transformation of a woman,” said Groslier. “It’s a process of revealing and assuming who you are.”
IFF perfumer Dominique Ropion, who created Cacharel’s Amor Amor scent, developed the new fragrance, which includes notes of vanilla, orange blossom and jasmine.
Its prices range from 59 euros for the 30-ml. eau de parfum to 118 euros for the 100-ml. edp. Ella Ella will first launch in France on Monday, followed by a rollout across Europe and the U.S. through the first half of 2025.
L’Oréal executives would not discuss forecasts, but industry sources estimate Ella Ella will generate 40 million euros in first-year retail sales.
Groslier called Cacharel the brand of “firsts.”
“With Amor Amor, we are the brand of first love,” she said. Ella Ella aims to represent the first time a woman launches herself into the world.
Cacharel’s largest countries are France and Spain, while other strong markets include Latin America and travel retail Europe.
“We’ve also got opportunities in new and emerging countries,” said Groslier. There are ambitions for the U.S., too.
Two years ago Groslier began elevating Cacharel’s positioning, while sticking to its DNA.
“We fully reworked the aesthetic of the brand,” she said.
