Fragrance is notorious for being difficult to translate visually. Viktor&Rolf hopes to bring its new Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid perfume to life with the help of drag royalty and Pinterest, using the social media giant’s new “Idea ads” format: a paid partnership featuring creator-produced content, which is then promoted by the business. “Our new formats, currently in beta, put advertisers in the driver seat with a completely new way to create on Pinterest. And not only is it a new way to create, it’s a new way to engage, a new way to inspire, a new way to reach, and a new way to get noticed on Pinterest.” explains Rachel Goodman, Head of Beauty & Luxury Partnerships at Pinterest. “Idea Pins also make it easier for brands to reach audiences on Pinterest since they aren’t ephemeral and don’t disappear after 24 hours.”
It’s the fashion brand’s second collaboration with the site, following a successful campaign of the original Flowerbomb fragrance (of which one bottle was sold every minute in the US in 2021). It’s certainly an effective strategy if Pinterest statistics are anything to go by: 89% of weekly Pinners use the site for shopping inspiration, with 8 in 10 shoppers discovering new products via the medium. Considering the over 67 million beauty content-focused users, that promises substantial numbers, especially since Pinners are 50% more likely to purchase fragrance online than non-Pinners.
Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid contains notes of the synonymous flower alongside vine peach and bourbon vanilla. “I like to think of Ruby Orchid as our iconic Flowerbomb fragrance after dark, and working with creators like Nicky Doll helped us bring that to life,” states Viktor&Rolf Fragrances VP of Marketing, Catie Cambria. The Marseille-born Nicky Doll (aka Karl Sanchez), best known as a contestant on Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, counts Parisian nightlife and J-Pop among her influences. The resulting video campaign sees Sanchez transform from wearing a black hoodie and baseball cap into a fantastical goddess, donning a strapless shimmering corset gown and matching opera gloves in ruby red (naturally) and a platinum blonde, and sporting a finger wave bob—a glamorous reverie as embodied in Viktor&Rolf’s fashion aesthetic.
“We wanted to work with Nicky as she effortlessly embodies the new Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid fragrance: she's avant-garde, she's real, and she has that seductive, burlesque edge,” Cambria comments. “Storytelling, especially with creators, helps us encapsulate the fragrance virtually.” Fantasy as embodied through fragrance has always had a compelling pull. Viktor&Rolf, Nicky Doll, and Pinterest are now drenching those visions in a sumptuous shade of ruby red.
