6 April
We heard that a new fragrance touched down on counters this week, but not on conventional perfumery counters – no, this one could be found at Argos from 1 April, having been developed by renowned perfumer Avril Imbecile to evoke the scent of the Argos catalogue. Eau de Catalogue is a USB-powered scent diffuser created to give customers a nostalgic sense of the famous print catalogue smell when they are shopping online. In tests, Argos found that shopping satisfaction and sales increased when customers had the fragrance plugged into their computers. Of the creative alchemy, nose Imbecile said “it was difficult at first because unlike lavender or bergamot, the catalogue doesn’t produce an essential oil. To access the essence of the iconic catalogue, I sank deep into the recesses of my childhood: the joy of my mother bringing the catalogue home; the potent magic of its vast pagination; the tears as my siblings snatched it from me to circle their Christmas presents”.
