Olivier & Erwin Creed Reveal The Inspiration Behind Their Latest Creation, Aventus Cologne
In 2010, Creed launched Aventus, which is now the number one luxury men's fragrance in the UK*, marking the way for the next chapter in perfumery for Creed. Celebrating strength, power and success, Aventus blends rich fruity and woody notes - a sophisticated scent, perfect for the modern discerning gentleman.
Nearly a decade on, the House of Creed debuts its new companion, Aventus Cologne. A fresher take on the legendary scent, Aventus Cologne is the daring and urban-spirited counterpart to Aventus. We sat down with Olivier Creed and his son, Erwin Creed, to give Creed followers an exclusive insight into the story behind Aventus Cologne, Olivier’s inspiration, their approach to trying a new perfume and what’s next on the cards for the House of Creed.
Aventus Cologne is your latest addition to the House of Creed. What was the inspiration behind this new fragrance?
Olivier Creed: "Aventus is such a legendary scent within our collection – the best-selling scent in the history of Creed. For that creation, I was inspired by the dramatic life of a historic emperor. In 2016, we launched Aventus for Her as the counterpart to the legendary Aventus.
It took three years to create something befitting of its male counterpart that truly embodies powerful women – past, present and future. With Aventus Cologne I was inspired to create a universal scent – a fresher, modern take to complement these two iconic fragrances but that would provide an olfactive experience entirely of its own".
Some of your fragrances have taken many years to perfect – how long were you working on Aventus Cologne for before you perfected the formula?
Erwin Creed: "Honestly? More than one year. Before the perfume was launched, I was a little bit tentative as only when we are confident with the smell of our fragrances will we launch. I believe in the fragrance wholly and to me, it is more important than the packaging and ultimately our popularity.
Our priority as a family is that the perfume is perfect above everything else. It was almost ready last summer, but my father felt some modifications were needed to the formula last minute. We would never release something we were not happy with".
What do you feel sets Aventus Cologne apart from the classic Aventus?
Erwin Creed: "My father set out to create a fragrance inspired by Aventus. We needed to have a link between Aventus & Aventus Cologne and we got that through using some of the same family of ingredients for both fragrances, blended with some new, more refreshing ingredients. We wanted people to say oh it smells like Aventus, but it’s not".
Olivier Creed: "We wanted the Aventus Cologne wearer to be a true individual and a risk-taker; they don’t follow the status quo. They are the ones setting the trends vs. just wearing them. I see this as a contemporary, expressive and more youthful scent".
Whilst we use the word cologne in the product name, Aventus Cologne is a Millésime composition. What does this mean?
Olivier Creed: "It’s very important for our customer to know that Aventus Cologne is not a flanker or a “watered-down” version of Aventus. It has a completely different scent profile and personality. The term Millésime is from the wine terminology, meaning the ‘best of the crop’. Much like fine wine, perfume making mirrors that labour-intensive process. Our Millésime perfumes are blends of the highest concentration of infused oils and the best ingredients chosen".
Erwin Creed: “Whilst Aventus Cologne is an Eau de Parfum in strength, it is a much lighter and more refreshing fragrance, which we have tried to capture in the name by using the word Cologne. We used ingredients like vetiver and pink peppercorn and played with different concentrations of the ingredients found in our classic Aventus to create the freshness in Aventus Cologne. Like a traditional cologne, it is fresh, but stronger and longer-lasting, with a concentration of an Eau de Parfum”.
Can you elaborate on the top, middle and base notes for this scent?
Olivier Creed: "The fragrance lives in the woody fresh category; it complements Aventus and Aventus for Her, but it’s completely unique. Aventus Cologne opens with bright ginger, mandarin and pink peppercorn. The earthy heart notes include patchouli, Indian sandalwood and vetiver. Base notes include styrax, birch, musk and tonka bean. I recommend trying Aventus Cologne on skin as it dries down beautifully".
What does this new fragrance mean to the Creed portfolio?
Olivier Creed: "I love the diversity of our men’s and women’s portfolio. Aventus Cologne will add another dimension to our currently line-up and given the success of Aventus and Aventus for Her, I have a feeling it will do extremely well".
In keeping with your latest launch, do you have any tips when it comes to trying a new fragrance?
Erwin Creed: “Take time. If you have a store nearby, go in to try the fragrance. Go back several times and apply it to your skin to see what it really smells like on you over a longer period of time. You have two arms – pick two fragrances and spray on each arm. Go outside and really take your time to understand which one smells best on you”.
What do you think will be next for Creed?
Erwin Creed: “It is always difficult to share what is next for Creed as we like to keep complete freedom in the House of Creed. We like to be driven purely by the fragrance rather than the pressure to release new products, just because. It’s always nice to keep a little secret for our customers but I’ll give you a clue – we have been working on Creed ambience for the home, but I can’t tell you when it will be released”.
*Stats provided by NPD Group
