Cologne market drops as teens notice body sprays
Administrators concerned scent could affect others
Sept. 8, 2006
By JOSEPH M. DELEON News-Post Staff
jdeleon @ fredericknewspost . com
FREDERICK— When John Mercer, 13, started using Axe and BOD more than a year ago, he joined many other boys at Walkersville Middle School who he said prefer body sprays to colognes. “Colognes are for special occasions, but body spray is for everyday use,” his 12-yearold brother Jeremy said.
Their mother, Lora Mercer, likes the price tag — usually about $5. Colognes can cost as much as $100 or more, depending on the size and brand.
Teen boys are cutting down on their use of traditional colognes as less expensive body sprays catch their eye.
A study released last month by The NDP Group, a provider of consumer retail information, showed the number of teens wearing cologne dropped 18 percent since last year. The study was based on a nationwide survey of more than 1,400 boys age 13-17.
“Body spray products like AXE and Tag are attracting the younger market with their creative advertising and low price,” said Karen Grant, senior beauty industry analyst with The NDP Group. “These brands are using MTV, interactive Web sites and ads within video games to talk directly to teen boys about the universal theme of ‘boy meets girl.'”
The cologne industry usually relies on ads that look alike, which makes it difficult to grab teens' attention, she said.
“As these teens grow up, it's important to think about what they will graduate to and how to build fragrance brands that resonate with them as they get older,” Ms. Grant said.
South Carroll High School student Pat Seymour, 16, said he used body sprays in middle school, but switched to cologne when he entered high school. Boys his age often use body spray after a workout, but usually prefer cologne when they go on a date.
“It's a quick way to go back to class and smell decent,” Pat said. “But the smell of a good cologne will stay with you all day.”
His favorite cologne is Jake, a citrus fragrance by Hollister Co. Frederick High School graduate Cliff Blount, 18, prefers colognes, such as Liz Claiborne's Curve and Kenneth Cole's Black over body sprays. “Colognes are a good conversation starter, because girls will ask what I'm wearing,” he said. Mr. Blount estimated he spends about $50 every few months on colognes. “I used a body spray once because there was nothing else around,” he said. “But, they smell cheap, and if I don't think it smells good, the girls probably won't.”
Admins sound off
While the boys use the fragrances to attract girls, administrators are concerned the scents could have dangerous side effects.
When Paulette Shockey, principal at West Frederick Middle School , walks by a locker and smells a fragrance, it reminds her to make an announcement over the video public address system.
“I do it as a general reminder to students to be sensitive where body sprays and colognes are sprayed,” she said. “Students need to be careful because they may irritate people with asthma.”
Daniel Lippy, principal at New Market Middle School , said many middle school students focus on their appearance as they learn to groom themselves. Sometimes that affects students and teachers.
“On occasion you get that adolescent male who is just learning to apply cologne, and sometimes they overdo it,” he said. “It may be embarrassing to hear if an administrator pulls them aside, and it's more intimidating.”
Mr. Lippy's solution is to have the school nurse talk about hygiene and advise students on applying fragrances in moderation. He noticed a decline in students' use of cologne about two years ago.
“We used to find book bags that reeked, because a cologne bottle broke inside,” he said. “And it smelled bad.”
One thing he likes about body sprays is the container is metal — more durable than glass.
He doesn't like that some students use them during play. Several were disciplined last year for spraying each other while heading home on the school bus.
“They spray each other mostly to annoy each other,” he said. “It's not to be malicious, it's their idea of a joke.”
Mr. Lippy is concerned about where that spray could go — it's an eye irritant and it's flammable.
Tom Blair, vice principal at Ballenger Creek Middle School said some students spray each other with deodorants and hairspray as a prank.
“It's one thing if you spray your buddy to make him smell funny, but it's something else entirely if someone gets hurt,” he said. “If it's sprayed into the eyes, it would be treated more seriously.”
That could mean detention or suspension from school, but Mr. Blair deals with discipline on a case-by-case basis.
Pat remembered seeing some boys use body sprays as a flamethrower in middle school.
Mr. Blair said that behavior is dangerous and could be enough to expel a student.
“I have never seen that here,” he said. “But, I remember 35 years ago in college there were individuals who did that with hair spray, so it's certainly nothing new.” .
.