Disney Says 4-Year Old Boys Should Wear Perfume
July 25, 2007 by Susan Gunelius
Filed under Marketing
Earlier this month, I published a post called Disney Expands Its Brand Presence Everywhere and talked about the upcoming launch of a Disney wine. It looks like that was just the beginning of Disney’s unusual brand extension plans. Up next: a cologne targeted to boys between the ages of 4-11 within the Hispanic market.
My first reaction when I saw the age bracket for the target audience was to ask, “Is this a joke?” Sadly, it’s all to real. In an article from Brandweek, Disney (NYSE: DIS) is cited as claiming the male fragrance market is getting younger and references the 18-24 male market that made Axe body spray so popular recently. Disney’s first colognes for small boys have either a Pirates of the Carribean themed bottle or a Buzz Lightyear theme. As an aside, the company behind Axe, Unilever, is quick to point out that they have no plans to target males under the age of 12 as Disney will do with their colognes.
Is it just me or is Disney reaching here? What are they thinking? First, the number one brand associated with children throughout the world puts its name on an alcoholic beverage, and now, they’re pushing cologne on young boys. It’s just weird. Isn’t there something better they could be doing with their time and money? Someone, please, help me understand the bizarre inner workings of Disney.
Perhaps some four year old lingerie to go with that wine? Or maybe a nice nose ring? I mean, this sounds like a comedian’s wet dream — think of all the possibilities. I mean, it’s only when they get to be around four that they start smelling good in the first place. Why stop at four? Why not just spray them in the eyes with it as they are leaving the womb? It’s as though the Disney folks have been watching too much of Stewie from Family Guy.
In all honesty, though, there’s marketing, and then there’s marketing gone amok. I mean, personally I think Barbies are a little too pushy, but if you’ve got to market cologne to four year olds, then maybe you should reconsider your business plan. Beyond any other considerations, the notion of trying to get a child into the system of ads and commercials is really pretty sick.
Now that made me laugh! You are so right. I always say one of the most important aspects of marketing is common sense. Cologne for 4-11 years olds does not make sense. Disney’s attempts at comparing their preschooler cologne to Axe is laughable. And their assertion that cologne customers are getting younger and the 4-11 market is a natural progression is absurd. However, that last statement is me speaking more as a shocked parent than a marketer.
Perhaps memory fails us; this has been going on for years. I have a powder mitt and aerosol perfume bottle with Snow White on it that I received in 1966 as a 6-year-old after a visit to Disneyland.
Little girls and boys will always want to do what their parents and bigger siblings do. My car seat had a steering wheel and I turned it while puffing candy cigarettes. Were the vehicle mfgs and tobacco lobbies trying to make me a future driver/smoker? Or was I just mimicking what I saw?
The difference is that companies, run by people who enjoyed these treats as children, are now seeing that as an untapped market. Will it work? Since parents should control the purchasing power of their elementary age children, its really about how the product appeals to us.
Good point, Wendy. As a parent, there is no way I’d buy my boys cologne. I don’t remember any boys wearing cologne when I was a kid. I can think of lots of things my preschool boys would like, but cologne is definitely not at the top of the list. Perhaps you’re right and there are some parents out there who have been looking for cologne for their boys.
This was really a good laugh.
Alot of the things we had when we were younger that made us feel older were not always the best thing.
It also seems to me that Disney must be really desperate to have a cologne for small boys.
Here’s a common sense suggestion, why not try lowering the price tag on t-shirts? I bet they would see alot more profit.
Carol, “desperate” definitely seems like an appropriate word for this new product. I’ve been part of so many new product development programs and launches where the CEO was just grasping at straws to try to boost revenue, but common sense was left behind. Guess what? Those products did not bring in the numbers the execs so desperately hoped for. I think something similar is going on at Disney. It’s just such a strange way to spend time and money. I don’t see the chance for incremental volume from this product.
Disney is definitely reaching on this one. I can’t imagine a child of that age asking for some cologne; a new baseball glove, bike or puppy maybe, but not cologne.
I think you’re right, Scott.
I can’t believe it…
I saw a bottle of “Marvel Superheroes” cologne in a store a while ago, and I thought that it was just a collector’s item, or something as a gag gift.
Sadly, I was wrong. I had to read this article twice before it sank in exactly how screwed up this is.
I don’t even think that anybody under tha age of seventeen or eighteen … let’s just say pre-college … should be wearing artificial fragrances. What’s even worse is that these young- or very-very-young adults probably won’t understand how much to wear. We do not need a bunch of seven-year-olds reeking of cheap Disney cologne/perfume, and probably developing allergies or worsening their asthma because of it.
There is not a single positive thing I can say about this.
Ok, so I am new to this blog. Believe it or not, I found this blog while doing a search for a boy’s cologne for my son to wear to church on Sundays. He sees his dad putting on cologne and he wants to be like his dad. We actually had bought him Versace’s Baby Blue Jeans, which is a version of the Blue Jeans cologne, but is geared toward younger people. If memory serves, Versace has a version of a cologne that they have done for younger girls also. He has had this cologne for quite some time and, to be honest, he is almost “outgrowing” the smell (it is almost too babyish).
So, then, Disney is not necessarily doing anything new. I know for a fact that Versace has had this cologne for children for at least 10 years (that’s how old my son is and that is when we started looking at this fragrance for him, but did not buy it until a year ago).
As a society, we give our children “grown up toys”. I wonder how many people who object to children having cologne have bought their children cell phones, IPODS, etc., their own personal computers, etc. It could be argued that those things would suggest more “maturity” than cologne.
As for the “stench” aspect, if we as a society do not object to Sponge Bob farting or the numerous poop jokes, etc. (”My Gym Partner is a Monkey” and “Ed, Edd and Eddy” come to mind), then marketing cologne using the “stench” factor should come as no surprise to us.
Just a thought!
Ommi,
I couldn’t have said it any better. THANK YOU!
Thank you Ommi, Matti, & Wendy Johnson! Winsome Fragrance manufactures “children’s fragrance with a mother’s touch”. I have four children and learned that they do like to emulate their parents, but there was nothing on the market that smelled good. I have four fragrances that smell terrific for boys, girls, and babies and are safe to use. Winsome, Little Champ, All Star, and Sweet & Soft are available online at http://www.kidsfragrance.com Please visit my website, read the customer comments, look at the packaging, and send me your feedback. Thanks!
….Well…from my personal opinion as a high school senior, most people my age and some adults are big Pirates of the Carribean fans, not to say myself…being that I’ve never stayed awake through the first….
And with Buzz Lightyear and Marvel…its probally the 35 year old guy working in your local comics shop buying it.
Why NOT? Hello???? I was walking thru Target when I heard a little girl crying “Daddy, I NEED my Barbie purfume”, there is worse things in the world than teaching hygiene you know…My grandsons see Daddy putting on cologne every morning, they say “Daddy, me too”, I’d rather spray a $8 dollar cologne on them than a $75 bottle! Pleeeze people, get them off the TV and video games, they are getting fat & lazy by the minute, no one is out there worried about the big picture…their health! Cologne is the least of our child generation problems!
Sharon Rose, you make some good points, but since this blog is about branding, I go back to my original question regarding how this brand extension fits in the Disney marketing strategy and will it deliver the ROI necessary to make it a worthwhile investment? It still seems to me that Disney is choosing unorthodox brand extensions that may appeal to niche audiences but often run counter to the brand promise overall (i.e., Disney branded alcohol – a brand extension that was luckily abandoned).
I don’t think cologne for little boys is that much of a big deal. My son is 5 and is always wanting to put cologne on just like his father. This Christmas I would actually like to buy some for him just for special occasions. Something that isn’t super over powering like Daddy’s but light so he can be just like Daddy when he puts his cologne on. If they make it in a way so they can copy daddy and it’s all innocent, that’s one thing, but if they are making it to encourage them to “seduce” girls or to grow up fast and act like adults then that is not right.
Disney has boy colognes out there already and I had to search for them, it is a product I wanted for my grandsons. I want Disney to handle this product, and I want it done with taste. I have already purchased several Disney colognes for boys…Spongebob Squarepants, Mickey Mouse, Spiderman along with Disney Princess cologne for my neice. I bought it on a website called “Scentiments” kids. They are all a “soap” clean smell not a sex magnet type of cologne. Girls have been using mommy’s make up and cologne since the beginning of time, little boys have been watching daddy shave and use aftershave as long as they made these products, why shouldn’t they make an age appropriate product…the $8 bottle of Spiderman is more reasonable than using Daddy’s $75 bottle of Obsession!!!
I was researching fragrances and deo for boys as my 10yo grandson has requested both for Christmas. He says “all” the other boys in his class have deo and use cologne. To me, there are worse things to ask for as a gift. I just want it to be age appropriate and not overwhelming. If Disney has something out, I’ll certainly give it a look-see as well as the other suggestions from early.
I also remember having ‘perfume’ when i was a very little girl, as Wendy suggested it was just cool to mimick the adults. When my family is getting ready to go out, my almost-5 yr old son loves to go in the bathroom while my hubby is putting his cologne on and begs for a squirt. In fact, i stumbled across this forum while i was on-line looking for “kids cologne”. Don’t think there’s anything wierd about it. Not like he’s going trolling for hookers after his party at Chuck E Cheese or anything :) Let’s lighten up a little.