Perfume jargon explained: what are flankers?
30.8.2024
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Ever heard of the term flanker? No? Find out what it means and why there are so many of them on perfume shop shelves.
Do you ever wonder why successful fragrances keep releasing slightly modified versions of their bestsellers? Sometimes they’re fruitier, lighter or more aquatic, for example. There are numerous ways of modifying a fragrance. The name and design of the vial are only slightly changed, but different enough to make the connection to the original clearly recognisable. These perfumes, which are derived from others, are called flankers.
Here’s an example using Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent. By the way, this isn’t an endorsement of the perfume. I don’t even like it. But it illustrates the phenomenon quite well.
The original:
The flankers:
Flankers are primarily used to resell a popular fragrance – usually in a slightly modified version. This way, more money can be made after the work’s already been done: name registrations, existing vial designs, etc. In addition, one or more flankers also lead to a greater brand presence on store shelves. I suspect that they also open up new target groups. Why? Because if you find the original fragrance too heavy, woody or whatever it may be, you might like a fruity version of it, for example. Or a floral one. And so on. You get the idea. My coworker and perfume enthusiast Patrick Bardelli pointed out another flanker aspect to me during a conversation we had: «As a fan and collector, you obviously want to have all the variations of a fragrance.»
In a broader sense, you could also describe new intensity levels of a fragrance, such as an eau de toilette or an eau de parfum or extrait de parfum, as flankers.
Collectif Nez & Jeanne Doré, 2021: Parfum - Alles über die Welt der Düfte, Prestel Verlag (available in German)Header image: Yana Perelotova/Shutterstock
Natalie Hemengül
Senior Editor
Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.chAs a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.
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