“It’s fog. A London fog in which nothing is defined, everything is blurred, and you can see only the shapes of things. It’s unexpected, an energy that embraces the skin of the man who wears it.”
These are the words of Francis Kurkdjian, fragrance connoisseur and creator of Burberry’s newest scent for men, the eponymous Mr. Burberry. The fragrance is inspired by the company’s classic black trench coat, and by the misty and charismatic streets of London, the iconic city that Burberry calls home.
Mr. Burberry has something of a timeless quality, marketing itself as classic yet contemporary. It features zesty grapefruit with earthy vetiver and smokey guaiac wood. The simple bottle and logo reflects the unassuming yet alluring nature of the fragrance. Mr. Burberry might be categorized as subtly masculine, but its foggy boundaries and refinement lend it a certain androgyny, which has increasingly become a component of the brand. “I don’t really ever think of what’s specific to a gender,” says Christopher Bailey, Burberry’s chief creative and executive officer. “We often have women buying men’s pieces. Everything just feels a little bit more blurred.”
The new fragrance is also benefitting from a well-thought-out marketing campaign which includes a short commercial film shot by award-winning director Steve McQueen. The commercial features the willowy young musician Josh Whitehouse as the face of Mr. Burberry.
