Boy Smells: What does your new life smell like?

Why it is interesting:

The pandemic has brought with it a multitude of changes in our motivations, needs, attitudes and behaviours. One of the most notable is the redefinition of the role of the home in marketing and innovation strategies.

The world of the home scent, which includes all types of home fragrance proposals (from candles to incense, to air freshener sprays and a multitude of new innovations and formats) has experienced a true revolution. It is a fast, personal and aspirational way to quickly change sensations in spaces that have never been so used for so many different things as now.

The pandemic was the beginning. Being confined to the home and turning the living room a multifunctional space in which to study, work, talk, eat, read, watch TV, listen to music and play video games has fuelled the need to signal the transition from one use to another. Now that we are beginning to emerge into new realities, we will doubtless spend less time at home, but some of the lessons we have acquired as consumers will not be forgotten.

This need to punctuate, elevate or distinguish moods within spaces has led to candles and incense becoming a quick and easy resource. Alongside rituals, imagery and stories borrowed from perfumes, luxury or wellness, they elevate the experience without demanding great care or dedication.

Boy Smells is one of the most interesting examples in this category. What began as a near-domestic proposal by two entrepreneurs in Los Angeles (USA) has become one of the major phenomena to learn from, which go far beyond the category of products in which they operate.

The brand has defined its target with surgical precision, it has a clear value proposition, an identity perfectly constructed for the social networks, a DTC business model and a masterful understanding of today’s premium(collaborations, commitment, empathy, honesty and openness).

Nowadays, it is essential to consider these proposals, as a result of a phenomenon that strikes at the root of our strategies and proposals for innovation in the present and immediate future: the home has changed, and consumers demand solutions that help them change the sensations they experience there.