- My DNA Fragrance
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My DNA Fragrance
“Exclusive” Perfume & CologneType Private Industry Perfume & Fragrance Founded 2007 Headquarters Beverly Hills, CA Area served Worldwide, North America Key people Carlton Enoch, CEO
Dr. Diva Verdun, CDOProducts Perfume & Cologne produced from Human DNA Genetic Codes Website mydnafragrance.com My DNA Fragrance is the developer of DNA based perfumes and colognes. The company has created a process that combines the fields of genomics and chemistry to produce a bespoke, alcohol free fragrance that is specific to individual human DNA genetic codes.[1]
Each fragrance is individually formulated, not mass produced. The customer receives a DNA home collection kit, which consist of two cotton swabs and a consent form to collect their sample and return it to My DNA's Laboratory. Using Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) to analyze the nDNA sample, the perfumer creates a blueprint to mix the trade secret formulation.
Once the DNA sample is analyzed it is destroyed in accordance with U.S. Federal Regulations and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, while the fragrance formulation is kept on file for future orders.
Contents
Environment
Unlike commercially produced perfumes and colognes, the formulation does not follow traditional fragrance mixing guidelines in which the perfume concentrations consist of 78% to 85% alcohol[2] to increase sillage[3] for immediate evaporation of the fragrance. It is free of harsh chemicals and does not contain any alcohol. The product contains fragrance oil, Aloe Vera and Jojoba oil increasing its longevity, staying close to the skin without drying or irritation.
My DNA Fragrance also uses recyclable aluminum bottles, which are a good method to preserve perfume.[4]
Trends
The Internet has contributed to the customization trend as consumers seek personalized status products as a symbol of luxury and success in what U.S. News & World Report refers to as the “meconomy.”[5] DNA personalized products are a large part of this customization mega-trend, giving the consumer exclusively crafted items based on their DNA genetic code.[6]
Trend Hunter Magazine claims narcissism is driving products to indulge the ego through the personalization trend,[7] but narcissism or not, many business trend reports find the personalization of products a smart marketing move in the retail environment and My DNA Fragrance has been recognized for its role in the market.[8][9][10]
Trend Reports and branding professionals are focusing on consumer driven products and marketing trends and have noted My DNA Fragrance in their reports on Status Story Conversation Starter Brands.[11][12][13][14]
History
Carlton Enoch,[15][16] the company's CEO, is an American actor, director and entrepreneur. He envisioned the concept of a DNA-based fragrance in 1995. At the time DNA was used mostly for forensic identification and not readily available for the consumer. Enoch would wait 12 years to launch his exclusive perfume concept.
Dr. Diva Verdun[1][17] joined My DNA as Chief Development Officer in 2007 and assisted Enoch in the development of his online business model. The test market proved successful bringing with it a plethora of Global media exposure[6][7][9][14][18][19][20] beginning with a half-hour radio interview on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Breakfast Show, presented by Jeremy 'Jez' Sallis,[21] The New Paul O'Grady Show,[22] New Women Magazine,[23] and Max Ukraine Magazine.[24]
Considered one of the hottest new start-up companies, Andrew Ive, founder of the Million Dollar Start-up Game awarded My DNA Fragrance a virtual $250,000 investment.[25]
In 2008, the perfume line debuted at the TV Land Awards[26] presenting seventy-eight gift-certificates for 'Exclusive' Perfume and Cologne to TV and Film actors, which included Samuel L. Jackson, William Shatner, Vanessa Williams, and Bernie Kopell. Directly following, the company saw its first national TV exposure on the Today Show with Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb as fashion and style editor, Bobbie Thomas presented My DNA Fragrance amongst her top out-of-the-box fashion and beauty brands.[27]
Sitting in for Enoch on E! Entertainment's Chelsea Lately Show with Chelsea Handler; John Salley presented the perfume to viewers who originally thought he was jokingly referencing himself when he introduced the fragrance as “My DNA”, but quickly realized he was emphasizing the perfume concept while demonstrating how to collect a DNA cheek sample to begin the unique formulation process.[28]
2008 also saw the launch of P.O.T.U.S. 1600,[29] a non DNA based commemorative cologne in honor of then Democratic Candidate, Barack Obama, for his unprecedented and historical victory in the 2008 United States Presidential Election. The same week Newsweek International published "The Good Life: Trends, The Stuff of Life" by Elisa Mala,[30] including My DNA Fragrance amongst its reference of DNA based product trends. People Magazine listed P.O.T.U.S. 1600 as one of 13 must have Obama collectibles in January 2009.[31]
Lolita Lopez, from PIX 11 News in New York aired a special report on My DNA Fragrance in November 2009,[32] documenting her experience through the perfume formulation process. The special report aired on the heels of Enoch's new deal with John Reznikoff, President of University Archives to extract DNA from his private collection of famous hair follicles for the creation of the limited collector's series of six celebrity DNA based colognes. The 'Antiquity' Fragrance collection drew tremendous media attention with luring headlines of “dead celebrity scents” designed from the mtDNA of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Joan Crawford, and Albert Einstein.[1][17][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][41] Although they are no longer in production, the six fragrances in the 'Antiquity' Collection; M for Michael Jackson, Blue Suede for Elvis Presley, Marilyn for Marilyn Monroe, Entrance for Joan Crawford, Monarch for Katharine Hepburn and iQ for Albert Einstein were listed in the British Perfume Encyclopedia by Perfume Intelligence in 2009.[42]
KTLA-TV News coverage gave a deeper insight into My DNA's perfume formulation process in December 2009, while even Psychology Today joined the media fascination over dead celebrity DNA scents for the holidays.[43][44][45]
Tyra Banks Show viewers briefly overloaded the company's webserver on April 13, 2010 in search of the perfume phenom after Tyra gave away 200 bottles of 'Exclusive' perfume to her audience.[46][47]
See also
- Williams, Stephanie (2009). "My DNA Fragrance - Biologically Seductive". Vitality Magazine. http://www.thevitalitymag.com/my-dna-fragrance-%E2%80%9Cbiologically-seductive%E2%80%9D. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- Woollard, Deidre (2009). "Smell Like Michael Jackson? My DNA Antiquity Fragrance Line". Luxist.com. http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/18/smell-like-michael-jackson-my-dna-antiquity-fragrance-line/. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- "Genes Shop - Cologne from the Great Beyond". Urban Daddy. 2009. http://www.urbandaddy.com/ntl/style/7982/MyDNA_Antiquity_Cologne_From_the_Great_Beyond_National_NTL_Product. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- "I Smell Dead People". BellaSugar.com. Sugar Inc.. 2009. http://www.bellasugar.com/6275109. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- Stewart, Dodai (2009). "Dead Celebrity Scents: The Latest In Star Worship". Jezebel. http://jezebel.com/5406632/dead-celebrity-scents-the-latest-in-star-worship. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- "Dead Celebrities In a Bottle: Perfumes Based On the DNA of Michael Jackson, Elvis, Marilyn and Others". Scent Signals. 2009. http://www.scentsignals.com/scentsignals/2009/11/dead-celebrities-in-a-bottle-perfumes-based-on-the-dna-of-michael-jackson-elvis-marilyn-and-others.html. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- Dawson, Alene (2010). "The Next Big Things in Cosmetics: Technology and Holistic Health". Chicago Tribune (Tribune Company). http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/style/la-ig-beautyside-20100307,0,7137767.story. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- "Smell of the Living Dead". SniffCode.com. 2009. http://www.sniffcode.com/biocurious.php?id=13. Retrieved 2010-05-01.[dead link]
- Berger, Eric (2007). "Personalized DNA Perfume: A Smelly Idea". SciGuy. http://blogs.chron.com/sciguy/archives/2007/09/personalized_dn.html. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
References
- ^ a b c Boyle, Alan (2009). "The Scent of a Dead Celeb?". Cosmiclog. MSNBC. http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/11/17/2129509.aspx. Retrieved 2010-05-01. "the venture does use the celebrities' DNA code, after a fashion, and it does translate that code into a customized sent recipe - so there's certainly no false advertising."
- ^ "Alcohol in Fragrance". Cosmoscents. http://www.cosmoscents.com/perfumes-scents/alchohol-in-fragrance.php. Retrieved 2010-05-09.
- ^ "Perfume Glossary". Now Smell This - A Blog About Perfume. http://www.nstperfume.com/perfume-glossary/. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- ^ Gould, Dan (2009). "My DNA Fragrance". PSFK. http://www.psfk.com/2009/11/my-dna-fragrance.html. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ Palmer, Kimberly (2008). "The Store of YOU - Why buy off the rack when you can customize? Shoppers design clothes, candy, even credit cards". U.S. News & World Report. http://www.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2008/10/27/the-store-of-you.html?PageNr=2. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ a b Koehn, Josefine (2007). "Trend: DNA Personalization". CScout. http://www.cscout.com/blog/2007/09/10/trend-dna-personalization.html. Retrieved 2010-05-01.[dead link]
- ^ a b Bartz, Bianca (2007). "Narcissism: Top 8 Ways to Indulge Your Ego". Trend Hunter Magazine. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/narcissism-top-8-ways-to-indulge-your-ego. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ Martin, Dick (2009). Secrets of the Marketing Masters: What the Best Marketers do- and Why It Works. pp. 148. ISBN 978-0-8144-0943-5
- ^ a b Teo, Steven (2007). "New Business Ideas: Common Scents". Small Business Trends. http://smallbiztrends.com/2007/11/new-business-ideas-common-scent.html. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ Dawson, Arlene (2010-03-07). "The Next Big Things in Cosmetics: Technology and Holistic Health". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). http://www.latimes.com/la-ig-beautyside-20100307,0,2980941.story. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ "Status Stories". Trendwatching.com. 2008. http://trendwatching.com/trends/statusstories.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-01. "...goods and services that act as STATUS STORY conversation starters on behalf of their owners. Not surprisingly, they all revolve around the number one social trend of the last four decades: ME, MYSELF, AND I."
- ^ Silverstien, Barry (2008). "Customized Branding: Consumers Get Creative Control; Brand Channel". Brand Channel. http://www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=407. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Stewart-Allen, Allyson (2008). "Masstige Brands: the Democratization of Luxury" (pdf). Working with the World. Internationalist Magazine. http://www.intermarketingonline.com/pdf/www_5_2008.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ a b Dhaliwal, Simran (2007). "Stories of Sweet Seduction". India Today. India Today Group. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/2071/Stories+of+sweet+seduction.html?page=1. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
- ^ Dolley, Sheryl (2010). "My DNA Fragrance: Science Brings the Essence of You". Mateo Magazine, Inc. http://mateomagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=112:my-dna-fragrance-science-brings-the-essence-of-you&catid=15:beauty&Itemid=4. Retrieved 2010-04-28.[dead link]
- ^ Renner, Andreas (2010). "Bizarrer Starkult: DNA-Düfte von verstorbenen Promis (Bizarre Cult of Celebrity: DNA Smells of Dead Celebs)" (in German) (flv). Focus. http://www.focus.de/kultur/videos/renners-hollywood/dna-parfuems-riechen-wie-marilyn-monroe_vid_16022.html. Retrieved 2010-04-28.
- ^ a b Dillon, Nancy (2009-11-17). "Perfume's Heaven Scent: New 'Antiquity' fragrances based on DNA of Dead Celebs". New York Daily News (Zuckerman, Mortimer). http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/11/17/2009-11-17_perfumes_heaven_scent_new_fragrances_based_on_dna_of_dead_celebrities.html. Retrieved 2010-04-12.
- ^ Miller, Tao (2007). "Your DNA as a Fragrance - Smell Yourself Sexy". Trend Hunter Magazine. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smell-yourself-with-dna-fragrance. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ T3 Online (2007). "Eau de DNA". T3 The Gadget Website. http://www.t3.com/news/eau-de-dna?=34243. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ "Double-Helix Dabbing - Unique Cologne Created From Your DNA". Urban Daddy. 2007. http://www.urbandaddy.com/articles/820/my_dna_fragrance_cologne_gear. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- ^ Sallis, Jeremy “Jez” (2007) BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's Breakfast Show
- ^ O'Grady, Paul (2007) The New Paul O'Grady Show
- ^ Finally! A Reason to Get Excited About DNA. New Women Magazine. 2007. pp. 50.
- ^ My DNA Fragrance. Ukraine: Max Ukraine Magazine. 2007.
- ^ Ive, Andrew (2007). "My DNA Fragrance: A Virtual Investment of $250K". Million Dollar Startup Game. http://www.milliondollarstartupgame.com/my-dna-fragrance-a-virtual-investment-of-250k/. Retrieved 2010-05-10.
- ^ Cuadrado. Catherine (2008). "Distinctive Assets Pampers TV Legends at the 6th Annual TV Land Awards". LAs The Place Magazine. http://lastheplace.com/2008/06/13/distinctive-assets-pampers-tv-legends-at-the-6th-annual-tv-land-awards/. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ Thomas, Bobbie (2008). "Latest Out-of-the-Box Fashion and Beauty Trends". Today Show. MSNBC. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25884255/ns/today-today_fashion_and_beauty/. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ^ (2008) E! Entertainment Chelsea Handler Show
- ^ Wagner, Marie-Helene (2008). "My DNA Fragrance POTUS 1600". The Scented Salamander. mimifroufrou.com. http://www.mimifroufrou.com/scentedsalamander/2008/11/my_dna_fragrance_limitededitio.html. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ Mala, Elisa (2008). "The Good Life: Trends - The Stuff of Life". Newsweek. The Washington Post Company. http://www.newsweek.com/id/165782. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ "Sneakers, Skateboards & More: It's Obamarama!". People Magazine. Time Inc.. 2009. http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20252016_5,00.html#20564649. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ Lopez, Lolita (2009). "WPIX-TV Lolita's Lo Down Covers My DNA Fragrance, Perfume from Your DNA" (FLV). PIX 11 News. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2zzVCIcqXU. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
- ^ "New Company Creates Fragrances from Dead Celebrities' Hair". The Independent UK (London). 2009-11-18. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/new-company-creates-fragrances-from-dead-celebrities-hair-1823007.html. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ Wells, Jane (2009). "Elvis Has Left the Building, But His Scent Remains". CNBC. http://www.cnbc.com/id/34019084. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ "Eau de Jackson?: New Cologne Uses King of Pop's DNA". KTLA-TV News, Los Angeles. 2009. http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-michael-jackson-cologne,0,7002444.story. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ^ "'DNA Fragrance' Intrigues, Befuddles Holiday Shoppers". WRTV 6 News - The Indy Channel. 2009. http://www.theindychannel.com/entertainment/21786737/detail.html. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ "Now, a Perfume made Using MJ's DNA!". The Economic Times. 2009-11-28. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/Now-a-perfume-made-using-MJs-DNA/articleshow/5279092.cms. Retrieved 2010-05-03.
- ^ Romero, Dennis (2009). "The Smell of Michael Jackson, Hair and Now: Company Formulates Cologne Based on MJ DNA". LA Weekly. Village Voice Media. http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/city-news/the-smell-of-mj----hair-and-no/. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ "Celebrity 'DNA perfume' Goes on Sale". China Daily. 2009. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2009-11/30/content_9077263.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ "Whiff of Wacko". The Sun (London). 2009-11-28. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2749971/Try-the-whiff-of-Whacko.html. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ a b Eskridge, Sonya (2009). "Smells Like Michael Jackson". Sister 2 Sister Magazine. Jamie Foster Brown. http://www.s2smagazine.com/node/2140. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ "Perfume Encyclopedia". Perfume Encyclopedia. 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-05-10. http://www.webcitation.org/5paQNycPp. Retrieved 2010-05-09.
- ^ Reynolds, Jesse (2009). "This Holiday Season's Genetic and Reproductive Gifts". Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers, LLC. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genetic-crossroads/200912/holiday-seasons-genetic-and-reproductive-gifts. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
- ^ Manuel-Logan, Ruth (2009). "Michael Jackson DNA Cologne? Just in Time for Christmas!". Black Voices. AOL, Inc. http://www.bvonbeauty.com/2009/12/02/michael-jackson-dna-cologne. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ Livia (2009). "Shopping: Celebrity Scents...with a Twist". Perfume Critic. http://www.perfumecritic.com/joomla2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=735&Itemid=180. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
- ^ "Special Thanks Week of April 12, 2010". Tyra Banks Show. Warner Brothers. 2010. http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/special_thanks/archives/041210.php. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ^ "Home Fashion and Beauty Gone Wrong (Comments)". Tyra Banks Show. Warner Brothers. 2010. http://tyrashow.warnerbros.com/2010/04/home_fashion_and_beauty_gone_wrong.php?page=2#comments#ixzz0o8RpxeOc. Retrieved 2010-05-14. "...Hey Tyra!, I enjoy watching your show & I wanted to find out how to get that DNA fragrance that you were talking about. I am one of those people who have a hard time finding the right perfume that smells nice on me. Can you please help me? Thanks!"
External links
Categories:- Fragrance companies
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