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!
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Who the hell is DJ Steve Cassar?
[Daphne – Steve Caesar. He’s a Maltese DJ who plays the clubs here.]
Maybe he was inspired by Rachel Vella’s “My Secret”
Let’s just hope that his fragrance is better than his DJing!
(If you’re wondering, I’ve been listening to house since before he was born.)
He’s the best DJ in Malta and the most down to earth person I know…think you all don’t have a clue about LIVING!! LOL!!
I wonder where all this bitterness is coming from. I think it is great local people are stepping out of the stereotype… I mean every business-minded person should branch out to make their name bigger no matter what industry they work in… That is the difference between success and failure – those who dare take risks and to be different and this includes bitter criticism just like this review… and also includes that of the constructive type… I myself am a perfume addict and have about 50 bottles on my shelf. This includes the one by Rachel Vella (since you insist on also bashing her indirectly in this review) and that by Steve Ceaser… and yes I use them both… you are implying that because they are not in the fragrance business they got no right to do this… on the same grounds… why should JLo, Britney or the Beckhams introduce a perfume huh!!!??
Grow up….!
[Daphne – ‘Huh’, multiple interrogation and exclamation marks and other warning signs….never mind. By the way, the rule ‘a before e except after c’ does not apply to the name of the first Roman emperor. It’s Caesar. And we’re not in a New York gangster film starring Al Pacino, so it’s not ‘they got no right to do this.’ You’d get farther in life if you spent less on scent and more on learning how to write.]