The Piaggio Group has signed an exclusive licensing deal with big-league fragrance and toiletries manufacturer Coty to launch a Vespa-branded perfume range.
Evidently leveraging any potential parallel marketing opportunity in the face of falling scooter sales, Piaggio will hopefully begin to cash in during May, when Coty will launch Vespa scents aimed at both male and female consumers. No doubt hard-pressed Piaggio dealers won’t sniff at the chance of an additional income stream either.
Announcing the agreement, Coty chief executive Michele Scannavini said: “No gasoline, no diesel, just the smell of freedom — what you smell when you ride a Vespa in the beautiful Italian countryside or along the Riviera. Vespa is not just a motorbike but the icon of a specific lifestyle, the Italian lifestyle of La Dolce Vita. It stands for fun and optimism.”
Leaving aside Scannavini’s confusion about the nature of Vespa powered two-wheeler products, which are neither motorbikes nor feature diesel engine options, he is clearly following a fashionable avenue in Italy. Ducati already offers a branded fragrance range — as does its partner in the VW marque stable, sports car maker Lamborghini.
However, perhaps he should heed a cautionary tale about one notable past olfaction-oriented venture. Harley-Davidson branched out into perfumery during the 1990s with disastrous consequences for its brand image. Harley enthusiasts shunned this effort to sweeten their stench and it was quietly withdrawn in an atmosphere of acute corporate embarrassment.