YSL is the latest brand to tap a collective of creatives, for its new fragrance campaign.
After announcing Austin Butler as a global ambassador in early August, the brand has tapped five more celebrities, for its latest male scent, Myslf. The five men featured in the statewide ads are “Stranger Things” actor Finn Wolfhard (24 million Instagram followers), rapper Lil Yachty (11.2 million Instagram followers), “Wednesday” actor Hunter Doohan (3.8 million Instagram followers), musician Steve Lacy (3.4 million Instagram followers) and TikTok star Noah Beck (33 million TikTok followers).
The diverse group is meant to represent different facets of masculinity, said Juliette Ferret, svp of marketing at YSL Beauty U.S. “They [have] strong personalities, with all the imperfections, or the sensitiveness, or the vulnerability to create something bigger … and inspire the next generation,” she said. And they’re meant to be a departure from more “stereotypical masculine personas” according to the press release for the campaign.
Though the men were selected in tandem and announced together, the campaign does not show them as a group. “We didn’t want to shoot them together, because what we wanted to celebrate their individuality,” Ferret said.
The campaign is about “what it means to be a man today, in the new contemporary definition of progressive, free masculinity,” and to show that there are “different ways of being,” Ferret said. The tagline for the fragrance is, “Myslf, no matter what.”
Staying on theme, the notes of the fragrance also reflect the ethos of nontraditional masculinity. Ferret described the scent as a “modern woody floral,” noting that it’s uncommon for male scents. And, “olfactively, the target consumer is Gen Z, particularly Gen-Z American consumers,” she said.
The campaign will live on YSL Beauty’s Instagram and will also be promoted on Twitch. Regarding the use of Twitch, Ferret said, “We wanted to test a new platform where we know young Gen-Z American men are gaming.” Paid posts on TikTok will make up the majority of the brand’s campaign investment. “We wanted to be where Gen Zers are,” Ferret said, calling a TikTok presence a non-negotiable, considering that Gen Z often discovers new products on the app.
According to Circana data, YSL Men’s is the No. 3 men’s fragrance brand in sales year-to-date, growing 24% year-over-year. The 100-milliliter size of the Myslf eau de parfum has been the No. 1 ranked men’s fragrance product since the second week of August.
