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Are you familiar with Charlie? That perfume that’s been collecting dust in your local pharmacy since 1973? Well, despite its relatively simple appearance, Charlie is an icon!
Charlie was created by the cosmetic house, Revlon, in the midst of women’s movement. With the androgynous name and sharp, green, floral aroma, it represented what women desired to be. The scent was marketed towards young women during an era of heightened feminist beliefs.
In the 1970s, Revlon wasn’t the only company utilising the changes in women’s lives and the popularised the image of the independent woman to sell perfumes. Elizabeth Arden, Coco Chanel also engaged in dramatically different styles of marketing. Instead of appealing to a life of pomp and grandeur, they appealed to the everyday woman. The Charlie perfume, particularly, featured a self-confident, independent women. Revlon also used Naomi Sims in the marketing of the fragrance, making Sims the first African American woman in history to be featured in a cosmetic company’s advertising campaign.
Captivating young women proved successful, as Charlie became the world’s top selling perfume within three years.
So next time you see a dusty Charlie on the bottom shelf, don’t overlook it, but consider all it represented for women in the 70s.
Charlie Revlon Fragrances – prices correct as of 20/03/15
Charlie is available at Perfume Clearance Centre. Click here to look at our range.
