Fierce (A&F fragrance)
Encyclopedia
Fierce is a men's fragrance by Abercrombie & Fitch
. The cologne marked the first introduction of an A&F scent for men when it was launched in 2002. Today, Fierce is the signature scent of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand.
Abercrombie & Fitch has sold over $190 million USD of Fierce since 2002. Due to its rigorous marketing campaigns, A&F predict sales of Fierce to be at $90 million USD for fiscal 2009.
Originally packaged in red, the cologne in now encased in a gray box.
image for the fragrance is a "ripped male torso."
Fierce is the representative scent of A&F. The cologne is manually sprayed throughout the entire store and on clothing repeatedly. A&F has spent over $3 million USD for scent-spraying machines for its flagship stores. Increasingly, non-flagship stores are also being equipped with the ceiling installation fragrance distributors. Customers of Abercrombie & Fitch readily take notice of the lingering scent as part of their shopping experience. This is A&F's form of marketing the Fierce scent in stores.
Abercrombie & Fitch's Christmas 2009 fashion season was themed "FIERCE". In a new marketing move, the seasonal photography bore quotations from promiment historical writers (Arthur Conan Doyle
, Don Marquis
, Henry Ward Beecher
, and Gilbert K. Chesterton) all containing the word "FIERCE" in bold/red.
The fragrance has been marketed on highway billboards as well.
and male sexuality.
. A&F's reason being that Beyoncé would release a fragrance and clothing line called "Sasha Fierce". Beyoncé's possible scent was seen as highly unreasonable on the fact that "FIERCE" has been a profitable and widely recognized trademark of A&F since 2003, and her products would clearly benefit off of that. Abercrombie & Fitch took action by filing a lawsuit against her "asking a [Columbus, Ohio] judge to stop Knowles and accusing her of trademark infringement
, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices because it[A&F] already sells a men's cologne called Fierce." The company also cited a potential "likelihood of confusion" while sending Beyoncé a warning to "a cease-and-desist letter but she had not backed off."
In the end, Coty, Inc.
, the company Beyoncé hired for her fragrance, stated that the terms "Fierce" and "Sasha Fierce" will not be used for the fragrance.
, which can cause damage to male sex organs
. They are not cited by the company "due to protecting 'trade secrets'". Protests were held by the Teens Turning Green in late-September 2010 outside an Abercrombie & Fitch store (which momentarily closed), yet the company has not publicly made any comments.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for consumers aged 18 to 22. It has over 300 locations in the United States, and is expanding internationally....
. The cologne marked the first introduction of an A&F scent for men when it was launched in 2002. Today, Fierce is the signature scent of the Abercrombie & Fitch brand.
Abercrombie & Fitch has sold over $190 million USD of Fierce since 2002. Due to its rigorous marketing campaigns, A&F predict sales of Fierce to be at $90 million USD for fiscal 2009.
Originally packaged in red, the cologne in now encased in a gray box.
Marketing
The marketing grayscaleGrayscale
In photography and computing, a grayscale or greyscale digital image is an image in which the value of each pixel is a single sample, that is, it carries only intensity information...
image for the fragrance is a "ripped male torso."
Fierce is the representative scent of A&F. The cologne is manually sprayed throughout the entire store and on clothing repeatedly. A&F has spent over $3 million USD for scent-spraying machines for its flagship stores. Increasingly, non-flagship stores are also being equipped with the ceiling installation fragrance distributors. Customers of Abercrombie & Fitch readily take notice of the lingering scent as part of their shopping experience. This is A&F's form of marketing the Fierce scent in stores.
Abercrombie & Fitch's Christmas 2009 fashion season was themed "FIERCE". In a new marketing move, the seasonal photography bore quotations from promiment historical writers (Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, Don Marquis
Don Marquis
Donald Robert Perry Marquis was a humorist, journalist, and author. He was variously a novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright. He is remembered best for creating the characters "Archy" and "Mehitabel", supposed authors of humorous verse.-Life:...
, Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century...
, and Gilbert K. Chesterton) all containing the word "FIERCE" in bold/red.
The fragrance has been marketed on highway billboards as well.
In popular culture
A&F carefully markets the cologne to young consumers with associations with virilityVirility
Virility refers to any of a wide range of masculine characteristics viewed positively. It is not applicable to women or to negative characteristics. The Oxford English Dictionary says virile is "marked by strength or force." Virility is commonly associated with vigour, health, sturdiness, and...
and male sexuality.
Lawsuit against Beyoncé
On September 27, 2009, Abercrombie & Fitch filed a lawsuit against Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. A&F's reason being that Beyoncé would release a fragrance and clothing line called "Sasha Fierce". Beyoncé's possible scent was seen as highly unreasonable on the fact that "FIERCE" has been a profitable and widely recognized trademark of A&F since 2003, and her products would clearly benefit off of that. Abercrombie & Fitch took action by filing a lawsuit against her "asking a [Columbus, Ohio] judge to stop Knowles and accusing her of trademark infringement
Trademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees...
, unfair competition and deceptive trade practices because it[A&F] already sells a men's cologne called Fierce." The company also cited a potential "likelihood of confusion" while sending Beyoncé a warning to "a cease-and-desist letter but she had not backed off."
In the end, Coty, Inc.
Coty, Inc.
Coty, Inc. is the world's largest fragrance company, founded in 1904. It is also a beauty products manufacturer whose main businesses are fragrances , followed by color cosmetics , toiletries and skin care...
, the company Beyoncé hired for her fragrance, stated that the terms "Fierce" and "Sasha Fierce" will not be used for the fragrance.
Health-hazardous ingredients
Fierce was included in the 'Not So Sexy: The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrances' done by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The report states that 11 ingredients are health-hazardous: eight of which may call respiratory issues and one, diethyl phthalateDiethyl phthalate
Diethyl phthalate is a phthalate ester, namely the diethyl ester of phthalic acid. It is a clear substance that is liquid at room temperature and which does not occur in nature. It has a faint, disagreeable odor and can be transferred from the plastics that contain it...
, which can cause damage to male sex organs
Male reproductive system (human)
The human male reproductive system consists of a number of sex organs that are a part of the human reproductive process...
. They are not cited by the company "due to protecting 'trade secrets'". Protests were held by the Teens Turning Green in late-September 2010 outside an Abercrombie & Fitch store (which momentarily closed), yet the company has not publicly made any comments.
External links
- http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/FIERCE/39954831442?ref=sgmFIERCE on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.]