Aesop spins new fables for fragrances

Aesop is giving its fragrance range a new chapter, introducing “Fragrant Fables”, a concept that pairs each eau de parfum with a story, a question and a new name. The launch deepens the brand’s literary connection with its fragrances, with the new concept taking cues from the brand’s namesake, the ancient Greek fabulist Aesop.

Under the concept, the ideas behind the existing fragrances are elaborated into fable-like poems that take readers into “storm-buffeted cliffs, serene forests and rewilded concrete landscapes”, as Aesop puts it. Each fable carries a question, inviting the reader to pause and ponder. Under this campaign, select Aesop stores such as its location in The Exchange, TRX have been transformed to feature suspended paper and books to reference the fables behind its fragrances.

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Each eau de parfum has also been renamed with a fable-like title that nods to the value it embodies. Tacit Truths, for example, explores trust as a source of connection, while Eternal Karst highlights the importance of resilience during times of change. 

The packaging has been updated to match. The amber glass bottles are taller and more slender with a domed base, and feature a new textured cap inspired by the basalt rock on which Aesop’s home city of Melbourne is built. Each box also includes a fable and an image that evoke the story of the scent.

The new concept is also paired with the launch of a new fragrance, Unforeseen Aer. The fable that inspired its creation follows the story of a gentle wind that feared the disruptions it might cause. The wind then learns to revel in the chaos its gusts and wild breezes bring about. The scent serves as a reminder to rethink what we view as "flaws" or "failures," finding value in imperfection.

For a brand known for its literary leanings, the approach feels like a natural extension. Aesop describes the concept as weaving together its long-held reverence for literature with its expertise in blending aromatic essential oils.

The Fragrant Fables follow Aesop’s push into reading culture in Malaysia. In September, the brand brought its Women’s Library back to Aesop Suria KLCC, handing out 1,700 free books across 25 titles in English, Chinese and Malay. The titles came from local independent bookshops and publishers, with visitors also receiving scented bookmarks. 

The initiative arrived as brands from fashion to luxury race to claim a stake in reading culture, while industry voices warn that books risk becoming props if brands only make them look good. Aesop’s approach, with real books in readers’ hands and local authors and publishers at its core, sits closer to what those marketers say works.

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