Etat Libre d’Orange, whose name translates to The Free State of Orange, is more of a mindset than a perfume house. Defiance is rooted deep in the Brand’s DNA. So, getting behind the creation of a fragrance made from waste and agreeing with the agency’s idea to name the signature scent, I AM TRASH, was boldly embraced as a true reflection of the perfumer’s brand values.

There’s something to be said for the relationship between waste and luxury and combining them so flagrantly. There’s also an ecologically responsible element to I AM TRASH that condemns the waste luxury so often represents.

I AM TRASH was courageous in that it had not been done before and the final fragrance needed to have commercial appeal in order to achieve the company’s year-end sales goals and business objectives of product launch.

The idea behind I AM TRASH was to reveal the beauty in waste. From the scent itself to all the communication around it, we wanted to show that waste can be aesthetic and delightful for all senses.

Luxury is deeply linked with the notion of timeless value, yet we tend to live more and more through ephemeral experiences, from social relations to consuming behaviors. The concept of renaissance was at the heart of our creative development since the prosperity of humankind will depend on our ability to manage waste.

For the first time in history, I AM TRASH reconciliated two opposite worlds: perfume and waste; to prove everyone that the same industry that produces 92M tons of waste per year can also change its paradigm.

Combining trash and perfume is so atypical and unexpected that we knew it would appeal to press specialists. In order to trigger their interest, we presented I AM TRASH as the first perfume made from trash. Our ambition was clearly set; we wanted to reveal the beauty in trash with a powerful baseline that said: "I AM TRASH; the most wanted scent made from the unwanted".

We targeted fashion magazines and perfume specialists to convince as many retailers as possible to order the scent. The PR kit included the scent (an essential part to prove that waste could turn into a delicate and refined scent), a teaser film and key visuals that also capitalized on the aesthetic of organic trash.

It took us 10 months from conception to commercialization. As an end-to-end partnership, the agency not only came up with the idea but also got involved in the brief for the nose, the packaging design, the name of the scent and all the campaign assets.

- We launched a teaser film in April 2018 to fuel excitement and get fabricators interested.

- From April to September, we worked with Givaudan and Daniela Andrier -who is known for her creations for Prada, Gucci and Kenzo among others- to create the scent.

- In October, I AM TRASH was officially launched in the brand’s boutique in Paris, online and via 450 retailers throughout the world.

- In the UK, the perfume was distributed exclusively by Selfridges for the first month.

- In April 2019, the brand did a partnership with Epsy to distribute 500K samples in the US.

Results were beyond our expectations. First, we met our business objective: only this launch made up for the usual annual two launches. In 3 weeks, the perfume sold out. And 3 months after release, demand from the 450 retailers was 4 times higher than previous bestseller. It became the most successful launch in the brand’s history. We signed a partnership with Ipsy to distribute 500K samples in the US, which is expected to boost the company’s annual revenues by up to 20% this year.

The media not only talked about the perfume but also celebrated the concept behind it. Vogue, Elle, GQ and even non-related media such as Le Figaro, Le Monde or Forbes recognized it as a step-forward for the entire industry. Givaudan, is now receiving similar requests from big luxury brands. A hopeful sign that the project will represent a global movement rather than just a perfume launch.