Hilarious

The Times, Friday, 19th December 2008

The scent of sweat is in the house

Fiona Galea Debono

Fancy a perfume called Sweat this Christmas? And endorsed by none other than… wait for it… DJ Steve Caesar? You may be hesitant to choose his bottle of “body odour” over that of French designer Jean Paul Gaultier, to quote Steve Caesar, and he may not exactly be JLo, Britney Spears, or even Paris Hilton.

But the DJ is totally convinced that the customer’s eye would settle on his product when scanning a shelf of branded fragrance flacons. Watch out Kate Moss! Your Velvet Hour may just turn into your final!

What’s special about Sweat is that “it represents my personality and I believe that can attract”. So what’s special about his personality and how is it reflected in his Sweat? “I’m nice,” he answers, adding, after a pause, that he is also down to earth.

In fact, the DJ is not lacking in the confidence department. Asked if he considers himself important enough to launch his own perfume – a somewhat narcissistic move – he does not really respond. “My aim is to market my name. To grow in life you cannot stick to one line, you have to branch out.”

So what is his potential market? Steve Caesar’s ambition spreads beyond his “fans” (although he then admits he has already sold loads to them). In fact, he is specifically targeting those who “do not” like his music! But why would they buy his perfume? “To see what Steve Caesar can offer outside that sphere.”

Calling perfumes after themselves seems to be the latest fad among local “personalities”. “But I was one of the first,” Steve Caesar is quick to add. He is certain others will follow suit but that is what usually happens to the pioneers. He is resigned.

The DJ denies the marketing ploy was hatched when a foreign entrepreneur approached local candidates with the idea to launch their own perfume. “A French perfume factory – one of the biggest in the world (although he does not have the name) – approached me, asking if they could make a perfume for me.” They approached you? “Yes!”

So how does it work? “They sent me a few samples and I chose one… and then they created a tailor-made perfume for me.” Did they offer samples to choose from or did they create a perfume specifically for him? The story gets a bit confusing but Steve Caesar clarifies that the recipe presented was based on his description. However, he does not go into the base, middle and top notes used in the fragrance. Maybe it is a Secret, like Rachel Vella’s…

So why Sweat, which is not exactly synonymous with a pleasant smell? “To be different from the normal names of perfumes; to make an impact; and to be talked about.” He absolutely does not see any negative aspect to it.

Steve Caesar’s perfume comes in the pour homme and pour femme version – vaguely reminiscent of the David and Victoria “Posh” Beckham his-and-hers fragrances? The poster features the DJ, with his girlfriend Dawn Frendo, wrapped around him. But what if their relationship were to go sour, leaving them locked in embrace for eternity (not Calvin Klein’s)? “Business is business,” says the half-Scottish model, zapping any romance out of the seductive pose.

And there’s another reason behind the “power-duo” marketing campaign: Who’s going to buy his girlfriend a present that has the image of a guy like Steve Caesar? “They wouldn’t be comfortable doing that,” he maintains. “It’s a question of jealousy!” But the DJ promises to be no threat!