When skin-care brand Clinique launched Happy in 1997, the citrus-floral scent helped define ’90s minimalism with its clean, silver-capped bottle and cheery campaigns. And better yet for Clinique, the refreshing aroma managed to translate the famously fragrance-free beauty brand’s ethos into perfume.
Now Clinique is hoping to reignite Happy with a new generation of fragrance consumers. On October 1, the Estée Lauder-owned beauty brand launched a body mist version of the ’90s scent to target Gen-Z fragrance buyers. A new campaign featuring Rosemary Clooney’s rendition of “Shine” recreates the nostalgic cheer of the original 1997 advert that used Judy Garland’s “Get Happy.”
“The younger consumer is saying that they wear fragrance more frequently,” said Christie Sclater, svp of global product marketing at Clinique. “We think it’s going to bring Happy to another generation who are wearing fragrance in this way and layering it.”
But the fragrance market has changed in the 27 years since Clinique Happy first hit shelves. The skin-safe ingredients and emotion-boosting promise of Happy are now commonplace among fragrance brands. And launching a body splash means competing with newer brands like Sol de Janeiro, Rare Beauty and Phlur, which have dominated the body mist category in 2024. But the category only appears to be growing: According to data from consumer research firm Circana, sales revenue for body mists and sprays more than doubled in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023.
Sclater believes Clinique’s longevity is a feature not a bug in standing out in a crowded market, however. And there is precedent for such confidence: Black Honey, the sheer lipstick first launched in 1971, has resurfaced again and again on social media as new consumers discover its adaptable color, leading Clinique to expand the shade to trendy products like lip oil and colored mascara.
“It truly is the intergenerational nature of this brand,” said Sclater. “So many people have stories where it’s like, ‘My mom introduced me to Clinique,’ or it was handed down.”
Estée Lauder, Clinique’s parent company, has taken strides to bring the brand to new beauty avenues. In March, Clinique became the first Estée Lauder brand to arrive on Amazon, an increasingly important channel for beauty brands as the e-commerce giant is expected to become the country’s top beauty retailer by 2025.
Hero products like Black Honey and Happy may prove more crucial for Clinique to connect with new consumers as its core product offering, skin care, struggles to maintain relevance. According to Estée Lauder’s earnings report for the fourth-quarter of 2024, net sales for skin care at Clinique declined while makeup increased.
“We’ve experienced some really great growth in the U.S. According to Circana, the last four months, we’ve gained share in both skin care and in makeup,” said Sclater. “The brand is kind of in a moment where it’s like, ‘Wow.’ People are gravitating toward the promise of the brand being dermatologist-guided, allergy-tested and, outside of our fragrances, 100% fragrance-free.”
Time will tell if Gen Zers will add the Happy body spritz to their bustling fragrance wardrobes. Or if they borrow the original Happy off of their mom’s perfume shelf.
