Neil Katz |
What’s on Tap?
First up for Omni Scents is a line of Miss Universe branded fragrances. The launch, slated for Summer 2013, will include three scents inspired by Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA. Miss Universe is a global brand with pageants in nearly 90 countries, highlighted by the Miss Universe pageant in December, which attracts more than one billion viewers. For those who keep track of such things, the winner of the most recent Miss Universe pageant was USA’s Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island.
Miss Universe Olivia Culpo |
“There’s a great aspirational feeling when it comes to Miss Universe,” Katz explained. “If you go to certain parts of the US, girls as young as three years old are competing in beauty pageants. By 10, they aspire to be Miss Universe.”
The likes of Honey Boo Boo aside, that aspiration is evident in other countries as well, according to Katz.
“The public is very interested in Miss Universe. It breaks the mold of just celebrity and fashion scents. Regular people can be inspired by regular people.”
Distribution plans haven’t been finalized, but Katz expects the Miss Universe line, as well subsequent Omni Scents’ fragrances, to be distributed in department stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s, Belk and Bon-Ton, as well as Ulta. The brand will also be available internationally and in duty-free shops.
Regardless of distribution, however, Katz predicts moderate price points for the Miss Universe line.
With the fragrance industry dominated by multinationals, Katz is confident that Miss Universe is the kind of unique brand that can help Omni Scents cut through all the celebrity clutter.
“Miss Universe is big and pervasive in the US and around the world,” he insisted. “We don’t need to introduce the concept to the world—just the fragrance.”