Calvin Klein Euphoria, the sexy fragrance of the noughties, is getting a reboot.
The Calvin Klein Fragrance brand is revamping its Euphoria fragrance range with brand ambassador Rosalía, who has previously starred in Calvin Klein underwear campaigns and is now joining the beauty division as the face of its three new Euphoria Elixir fragrances: Solar, Magnetic, and Bold — each slated for release in March.
Coty, licensee of Calvin Klein beauty, is continuing to bet on fragrances and Gen Z. In its Q2 earnings, Coty revealed that the group’s net revenues declined 3% to $1.68 billion. By targeting Gen Z consumers and the fragrance category, the beauty group is aiming for a business rebound.
The fragrance market may have normalized following a period of explosive sales, but Coty has seen strong momentum from fragrances, including Boss Boss’s Bottled Beyond and Cosmic from Kylie Cosmetics. Markus Strobel, executive chair and interim CEO, said the group has “best-in-class fragrance capabilities”, priming it for further growth. The Euphoria relaunch, which is based on market research with Gen Z consumers, has been two years in the making.
Javier Zotes-Ciancas, global SVP at Calvin Klein Fragrances at Coty, told Vogue Business exclusively that Euphoria is the completion of the brand’s three pillars — the other two being the Eternity and CK One Essence fragrances, both relaunched in 2024.
Euphoria’s visual language is also changing, to better align with Calvin Klein’s underwear and jeans lines, the brand says. But some components of the perfume’s formula — such as its orchid notes and the curved, orchid-inspired bottle — will remain the same, says Zotes-Ciancas.
Collectively, the new fragrances embody femininity and confidence, washing off the fragrance’s sexier past branding, which was a reflection of the scent market 10 years ago. Past campaigns have included Natalia Vodianova and Margot Robbie in the company of topless, chiselled men.
The brand hopes that by making Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía central to the Euphoria campaign, it’ll replicate the success of its iconic underwear ads. “We have a lot of great talent such as Bad Bunny, Jennie, and Jeon Jungkook [as fashion ambassadors], who are respected creatives inviting a younger generation into the Calvin Klein universe,” says Zotes-Ciancas. “Our objective was really to create messages of synergies from fashion to fragrances. Rosalía was an organic choice because she’s been perfectly understood by a [female audience] in the [Calvin Klein] underwear campaigns and now expanding into fragrances.”
Calvin Klein Fragrances conducted a global survey of Gen Z consumers, revealing that this cohort agreed with the choice of Rosalía as the fragrance’s new face. “Euphoria has a lot of equity value for us, but it needed to be updated to appeal to the consumer of today. That’s why we have three fragrances — young people told us they don’t want to be [restricted] by one scent,” says Zotes-Ciancas.
According to market research firm Circana, Gen Z is the highest-ranking generation when it comes to fragrance use, spraying scents at least three times per week on average. Gen Zs are also the generation most likely to purchase fragrances for themselves, multiple times a year.
To appeal to a Gen Z consumer in the US and Europe — two of Calvin Klein’s strongest markets — the brand is introducing Euphoria to a more premium audience, through a higher concentration dosage of up to 28%, and with a more expensive price tag of $129 for 100ml. “We are not a niche brand, but we have space within our brand for a premium fragrance. Our mission is to bring on board a new generation of fans in the fragrance market. Making sure [Euphoria] was interesting to Gen Z was an objective and we want the fragrance to be a high ranker,” says Zotes-Ciancas.
Notes of vanilla are a new addition to the Euphoria collection, while a subtle layer of orchid nods to the original scent. In the Solar elixir, vanilla is mixed with mango for a fresh and fruity scent, while Magnetic is combined with musk for a soft romanticism, and Bold with oakwood for a smoky scent.
In the Calvin Klein Fragrance matrix, Zotes-Ciancas notes that Eternity is for millennials, while CK One Essence and Euphoria are both targeted to the Gen Z consumer. “CK One Essence is an everyday fragrance that’s the equivalent of the underwear, it’s comfortable and soft, but Euphoria is a stronger expression that’s mainly directed to a feminine target,” he says.
It’s clear from the Euphoria reboot that Coty is aligning the beauty category further with fashion, while perhaps shooting for the same level of success as the scent’s heyday.
