unexpected(?): Jeremy wants his "army" to pay the production costs

[aj525]

I was part of the early bird promotion bunch as I got into the hype I must admit.

I've enjoyed Jeremy's top 10s and his general opinion on fragrances but I still usually want to test them first and then decide if I want to buy. And on the whole it's been a positive experience. I've liked and bought many that he has recommended and I also watch others like Gents Scents or Big Beard B who have some good recommendations. For this reason I thought that Jeremy's own fragrance will be a good quality one and ordered it. I wouldn't have done so at full price though. I thought $160 for 2 isn't that damaging especially if I could sell the second bottle immediately.

Most of his subscribers know him as an unbiased fragrance reviewer. He tests and gives his honest opinion. His recommendations are based on his experience and compliments. He has a reviewer "hat" and people trust his opinions. The problem now is that for his own fragrance, he has put a salesman "hat" on and hasn't distinguished himself away from his other "hat". He knows he hasn't, and this is where it's a very sneaky (morally unethical?) tactic from him. Most of his followers think he is giving his unbiased, honest, experienced based, compliment getting knowledge and opinion when in fact he is just hyping his own fragrance. It would be different if he started as a seller and is hyping a product but he started as a reviewer and then got everyone's trust and started saying "this is the best fragrance in the world" so people get hooked in. I don't like that, separate yourself from the reviewer stuff.

Then comes the gimmicks and antics. Smashing his samples (probably filled with water or actual perfume once he saw his pre-orders), telling everyone he will buy one at full price (IT'S GOING IN HIS OWN POCKET LOL), the usual hype and sales patter and very clearly staged reviews. Giving women an empty bottle to smell the cap (been empty for a while) and they're having IMMEDIATE "wow"s ?? Why doesn't he go in a public place for 10minutes in an unedited video and ask about 10 different women what they think? Be a little sincere and genuine with people.

I pre-ordered because I trusted it would be a good scent but these antics have made me question it all. My issue with the way this has been done is the marketing. I hate salesmen, I can see through techniques and sales patter. And it's bugging me. Questioning whether I should cancel my order or let it come through and try and flog one immediately when it comes - essentially getting one for a low price.

[Hobbes]

The problem now is that for his own fragrance, he has put a salesman "hat" on and hasn't distinguished himself away from his other "hat". He knows he hasn't, and this is where it's a very sneaky (morally unethical?) tactic from him. Most of his followers think he is giving his unbiased, honest, experienced based, compliment getting knowledge and opinion when in fact he is just hyping his own fragrance. It would be different if he started as a seller and is hyping a product but he started as a reviewer and then got everyone's trust and started saying "this is the best fragrance in the world" so people get hooked in. I don't like that, separate yourself from the reviewer stuff.

Then comes the gimmicks and antics. Smashing his samples (probably filled with water or actual perfume once he saw his pre-orders), telling everyone he will buy one at full price (IT'S GOING IN HIS OWN POCKET LOL), the usual hype and sales patter and very clearly staged reviews. Giving women an empty bottle to smell the cap (been empty for a while) and they're having IMMEDIATE "wow"s ?? Why doesn't he go in a public place for 10minutes in an unedited video and ask about 10 different women what they think? Be a little sincere and genuine with people.

I pre-ordered because I trusted it would be a good scent but these antics have made me question it all. My issue with the way this has been done is the marketing. I hate salesmen, I can see through techniques and sales patter. And it's bugging me. Questioning whether I should cancel my order or let it come through and try and flog one immediately when it comes - essentially getting one for a low price.

This is a good point. In other communities (for example, the pomade community), reviewers tend to not review their own collab products. They'll try to give you a little sales pitch about why it's good, but they leave the actual reviews up to others

[Oki-Ni]

Live and let live

JF is one of those who helped me appreciating fragrances when i started (i liked dracdoc too). Unlike many reviewers, I found he didn't make it boring. Although i ultimately started to find it quite redundant and stopped following him (+ my tastes had changed)

What I think is that his followers (that many are condescendingly calling fanboys) are for the most part beginners and a younger crowd. Many of them don't like fragrances for the same reasons that basenoters (generally speaking) do. And there is nothing wrong with it. Let them learn and make their own judgement, as we all have, instead of trying to prove a point, like you are able to see though Jeremy's mask while the others cannot.

[Alonewithcologne]

Is this fragrance likely to end up in a common store like Macy's, Sephora, or Ulta?

[YKem]

Office for Men is his new fragrance, look it up, if you dare

[Zealot Crusader]

Live and let live

JF is one of those who helped me appreciating fragrances when i started (i liked dracdoc too). Unlike many reviewers, I found he didn't make it boring. Although i ultimately started to find it quite redundant and stopped following him (+ my tastes had changed)

What I think is that his followers (that many are condescendingly calling fanboys) are for the most part beginners and a younger crowd. Many of them don't like fragrances for the same reasons that basenoters (generally speaking) do. And there is nothing wrong with it. Let them learn and make their own judgement, as we all have, instead of trying to prove a point, like you are able to see though Jeremy's mask while the others cannot.

Famous internet quote : arguing on the internet is like running at the special olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded.

There are clear differences between followers and the colloquial "fanboys" and the primary one is the complete and utter myopic zeal of the latter. They'll hear no opinions other than "beastmode, sick gains, slick moves, alpha, baller, get swole, compliments, top of my game", etc. It's a cult of personality that ranges from figures as minor and benign as Jeremy Fragrance, to those as malignant and deranged as the late Jim Jones. At least Jeremy isn't asking you to drink Kool-Aid from unmarked Dixie cups. Folks who just follow for entertainment and general advice from Jeremy aren't the ones getting banned from Basenotes for trolling, nor getting their comments deleted or every thread about the man locked. Nobody is worried about folks who just honestly like his content, because they get along just fine with the rest of us.

I'm not sure someone who uses this quote with this language is in a position to be calling others "condescending".

I couldn't have said it better if I wanted to.

My previous post still stands. I withold all further judgment until I sniff "Office One: The First Fragrance, Part 1: The Beginning"

[VanillaCloud]

I was part of the early bird promotion bunch as I got into the hype I must admit.

I've enjoyed Jeremy's top 10s and his general opinion on fragrances but I still usually want to test them first and then decide if I want to buy. And on the whole it's been a positive experience. I've liked and bought many that he has recommended and I also watch others like Gents Scents or Big Beard B who have some good recommendations. For this reason I thought that Jeremy's own fragrance will be a good quality one and ordered it. I wouldn't have done so at full price though. I thought $160 for 2 isn't that damaging especially if I could sell the second bottle immediately..

It's BOGO !?!! Already ?!

Or did I mean DOA ? Hhhmmmm...... Those dang acronyms !!!!!

[Suppressor]

So here we have the full official note list:

Bergamot, ambrox, orris
Pink pepper, cashalox (woody amber), paradisone (jasmine)
Musk, patchouli, "intense modern wood" (some new undisclosed captive)

Yep, this is the list.

This worries me as a backer of this project though.... lol
This is without a doubt run-of-the-mill stuff.

I will not be cancelling my pledge, but if this is truly some Sauvage-meets-Prada-l'Homme kinda thing....
Then this fragrance will not be better than any other designer fragrance out there, which is trying to mix up popular formulas.
I'm not expecting a miracle but I am expecting something slightly different than what's out there.

Let's wait and see...
Get ready for a destructive review I guess... I will not hold back.

[Buysblind]

I was part of the early bird promotion bunch as I got into the hype I must admit.

I've enjoyed Jeremy's top 10s and his general opinion on fragrances but I still usually want to test them first and then decide if I want to buy. And on the whole it's been a positive experience. I've liked and bought many that he has recommended and I also watch others like Gents Scents or Big Beard B who have some good recommendations. For this reason I thought that Jeremy's own fragrance will be a good quality one and ordered it. I wouldn't have done so at full price though. I thought $160 for 2 isn't that damaging especially if I could sell the second bottle immediately.

Most of his subscribers know him as an unbiased fragrance reviewer. He tests and gives his honest opinion. His recommendations are based on his experience and compliments. He has a reviewer "hat" and people trust his opinions. The problem now is that for his own fragrance, he has put a salesman "hat" on and hasn't distinguished himself away from his other "hat". He knows he hasn't, and this is where it's a very sneaky (morally unethical?) tactic from him. Most of his followers think he is giving his unbiased, honest, experienced based, compliment getting knowledge and opinion when in fact he is just hyping his own fragrance. It would be different if he started as a seller and is hyping a product but he started as a reviewer and then got everyone's trust and started saying "this is the best fragrance in the world" so people get hooked in. I don't like that, separate yourself from the reviewer stuff.

Then comes the gimmicks and antics. Smashing his samples (probably filled with water or actual perfume once he saw his pre-orders), telling everyone he will buy one at full price (IT'S GOING IN HIS OWN POCKET LOL), the usual hype and sales patter and very clearly staged reviews. Giving women an empty bottle to smell the cap (been empty for a while) and they're having IMMEDIATE "wow"s ?? Why doesn't he go in a public place for 10minutes in an unedited video and ask about 10 different women what they think? Be a little sincere and genuine with people.

I pre-ordered because I trusted it would be a good scent but these antics have made me question it all. My issue with the way this has been done is the marketing. I hate salesmen, I can see through techniques and sales patter. And it's bugging me. Questioning whether I should cancel my order or let it come through and try and flog one immediately when it comes - essentially getting one for a low price.

Finally some sense from the "other side."

Live and let live

JF is one of those who helped me appreciating fragrances when i started (i liked dracdoc too). Unlike many reviewers, I found he didn't make it boring. Although i ultimately started to find it quite redundant and stopped following him (+ my tastes had changed)

What I think is that his followers (that many are condescendingly calling fanboys) are for the most part beginners and a younger crowd. Many of them don't like fragrances for the same reasons that basenoters (generally speaking) do. And there is nothing wrong with it. Let them learn and make their own judgement, as we all have, instead of trying to prove a point, like you are able to see though Jeremy's mask while the others cannot.

Famous internet quote : arguing on the internet is like running at the special olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded.

A*Men, Brother! I hear you.

Just remember guys: Every time we feel like we have to prove a point about Jeremy and his "army," they somehow manage to do it for us.

Yep, this is the list.

This worries me as a backer of this project though.... lol
This is without a doubt run-of-the-mill stuff.

I will not be cancelling my pledge, but if this is truly some Sauvage-meets-Prada-l'Homme kinda thing....
Then this fragrance will not be better than any other designer fragrance out there, which is trying to mix up popular formulas.
I'm not expecting a miracle but I am expecting something slightly different than what's out there.

Let's wait and see...
Get ready for a destructive review I guess... I will not hold back.

It definitely reads like that. And it's hard to imagine that it's going to be any different. I think Morillas is talented, and he's actually one of my favorite perfumers, but he's also the master of releasing generic, trendy, shit.

AdG Aboslu is the perfect example of this. It did nothing at all for the line and was more or less a complete mishmash of every trendy little cash-grab molecule currently on the market. Is it a BAD fragrance? No. But it's completely insipid.

Office will be absolutely no different, but more likely, much much worse. Remember, "Jeremy Fragrance" is more or less a nobody outside of the Youtube fragrance community. Giorgio Armani, on the other hand, is not. If AdG Absolu is what Morillas cranks out for a company like Armani, with a budget like Armani--for whom a $500,000 kickstarter amounts to pocket change--what kind of generic sludge is he going to crank out for little old Jeremy? "Oh, but Jeremy inspired him!" you say. Hahahahaha. "Office for Men" From its name to its concept to its dweeb of a spokesman are about as inspiring as lupus.

Suppressor, I hope for your sake I'm wrong and you get some good juice, but I have my doubts. At the very least you'll have something you can probably sell for 10X what you paid on eBay. So there's always that.

[LizardKing]

JF got popular by using beautiful girls in his videos. He's gone away from that and even deleted many of those. His base seems to be gung-ho but are they gonna keep paying $160 a bottle for each one of his fragrances? I am sure a beach/summer and club banger will be his next releases if he does more. He is only gonna ship to USA and Europe but it seems like many of his fans are from the Middle East and India.

[Suppressor]

It definitely reads like that. And it's hard to imagine that it's going to be any different. I think Morillas is talented, and he's actually one of my favorite perfumers, but he's also the master of releasing generic, trendy, shit.

AdG Aboslu is the perfect example of this. It did nothing at all for the line and was more or less a complete mishmash of every trendy little cash-grab molecule currently on the market. Is it a BAD fragrance? No. But it's completely insipid.

Office will be absolutely no different, but more likely, much much worse. Remember, "Jeremy Fragrance" is more or less a nobody outside of the Youtube fragrance community. Giorgio Armani, on the other hand, is not. If AdG Absolu is what Morillas cranks out for a company like Armani, with a budget like Armani--for whom a $500,000 kickstarter amounts to pocket change--what kind of generic sludge is he going to crank out for little old Jeremy? "Oh, but Jeremy inspired him!" you say. Hahahahaha. "Office for Men" From its name to its concept to its dweeb of a spokesman are about as inspiring as lupus.

Suppressor, I hope for your sake I'm wrong and you get some good juice, but I have my doubts. At the very least you'll have something you can probably sell for 10X what you paid on eBay. So there's always that.

First of all, I'm not in the Jeremy "army".
I haven't even watched all his video's.

I work in a big company myself which spends a huge budget on marketing.
I despise marketing and everything that surrounds it.

Companies like Giorgio Armani spend all their budget on fancy marketing when they release a fragrance.
This is what I remember from the documentaries about perfumery.
Jeremy and Morillas had 47 tries before it was "perfect".
I doubt that these big companies need 47 tries before they like something.
The fragrance is basically a by-product for these companies.

That is obviously not happening here.
The name of the fragrance proves it, and the fact that it is a kickstarter project.
No big marketing, no big budgets, no big multinationals behind the project = me likes.
It seems more genuine to me. More authentic.

There is a big highlight on the perfumer here. Frederic Malle does the same.
Now don't freak out: I'm not comparing Jeremy to Frederic Malle.
But I certainly like the highlight on the perfumer, Jeremy is not such an egomaniac after all.

I doubt that Morillas, the creator of Acqua di Gio, will release something truly horrendous when he appears in the video's.
That would really surprise me, but it is not impossible.

The note breakdown sounds horrendous, but I am willing to give it a chance.

Either way: I win.
If it's good: I will own a good fragrance, which means I win.
If it's bad: I'm going to truly let myself go in the review. I Win too.

[painted_klown]

Not knowing the history of Jeremy Fragrance or the influence he has (or doesn't have) on the fragrance community, I have to admit that if I could afford to order a kickstarter bottle of Office, then I would do it.

Not out of some bro/macho/girl chasing thing, but because I am new to this world, and it's something new coming into the community the same time as I am. A bit of a nostalgia piece that I could have from my early days of starting the hobby.

I have seen some of his videos, of course, and I understand the sentiment that he is essentially selling an image/lifestyle that appeals to the type guys who think they can wear designer labels and Sauvage and it will instantly make them better people/more popular/attractive/etc.

I am way too old (41) and far too out of shape to worry about those kinds of things, to be honest. I was never the "player" type anyway. The constant posing and "flexing" all the time just seems like it would get tiring to me. I have too much other stuff to worry about in life. Trying to be a good father, and paying my bills keeps me busy enough.

Being new on here, I am hesitant to jump into such a controversial topic, but Jeremy Fragrance, Drac Doc (the first reviewer I began watching), and the youtube community is what led me here.

[Buysblind]

First of all, I'm not in the Jeremy "army".
I haven't even watched all his video's.

I work in a big company myself which spends a huge budget on marketing.
I despise marketing and everything that surrounds it.

Companies like Giorgio Armani spend all their budget on fancy marketing when they release a fragrance.
This is what I remember from the documentaries about perfumery.
Jeremy and Morillas had 47 tries before it was "perfect".
I doubt that these big companies need 47 tries before they like something.
The fragrance is basically a by-product for these companies.

That is obviously not happening here.
The name of the fragrance proves it, and the fact that it is a kickstarter project.
No big marketing, no big budgets, no big multinationals behind the project = me likes.
It seems more genuine to me. More authentic.

There is a big highlight on the perfumer here. Frederic Malle does the same.
Now don't freak out: I'm not comparing Jeremy to Frederic Malle.
But I certainly like the highlight on the perfumer, Jeremy is not such an egomaniac after all.

I doubt that Morillas, the creator of Acqua di Gio, will release something truly horrendous when he appears in the video's.
That would really surprise me, but it is not impossible.

The note breakdown sounds horrendous, but I am willing to give it a chance.

Either way: I win.
If it's good: I will own a good fragrance, which means I win.
If it's bad: I'm going to truly let myself go in the review. I Win too.

Hey, I wasn't saying you were part of the army. I'm sorry if it seemed I was implying that. I know you as a longstanding member on Basenotes, and I can understand why you'd be in on the buy. It has its pros as well as cons. No disrespect was intended at all. Seriously.


And I agree--either way you win. You can trash it. Sell it for a killing. Or maybe...wear it to the office.

[FS0C13TY]

Fun question.
Will this be considered a celebrity scent, niche scent, or indie scent... or YouTuber scent?

[BoyChanel]

He is so unlikable and very off-putting. That being said, I'd definitely sleep with him though.

[Mikeyle]

Is this fragrance likely to end up in a common store like Macy's, Sephora, or Ulta?

Not a chance in the world.

[Rüssel]

..... and for some reason you think "gotcha!" when you post crap like this. God forbid people try different things in their lives or have two or three careers over the course of it.

What Jeremy did is rather comical and bad. It's his own fault if he does stupid things.

[Alonewithcologne]

Not a chance in the world.

What makes you think so?

[Beck]

Lets just correct a thing: It’s said that...

“Jeremy and Morillas had 47 tries before it was "perfect".
I doubt that these big companies need 47 tries before they like something.”

Ok. Not that’s good.

[Beck]

Being new on here, I am hesitant to jump into such a controversial topic, but Jeremy Fragrance, Drac Doc (the first reviewer I began watching), and the youtube community is what led me here.

Good! Time to evolve.

[Beck]

Fun question.
Will this be considered a celebrity scent, niche scent, or indie scent... or YouTuber scent?

The last and new category.

[Beck]

he is so unlikable and very off-putting. That being said, i'd definitely sleep with him though.

lmao!

[Mikeyle]

What makes you think so?

It's not easy to get counter space at a big box retailer. The name brands fiercely protect their own spaces and prevent any small manufactures from being able to sell amongst them. The diors and chanels and versaces pay alot of money to have their products sold, and there is no way Jeremy has the funds to compete with them. He is extremely niche at this point and will continue to be online only for years to come.

[Alonewithcologne]

It's not easy to get counter space at a big box retailer. The name brands fiercely protect their own spaces and prevent any small manufactures from being able to sell amongst them. The diors and chanels and versaces pay alot of money to have their products sold, and there is no way Jeremy has the funds to compete with them. He is extremely niche at this point and will continue to be online only for years to come.

That's a great answer! Thanks Mikeyle. It'll be almost impossible for me to try it, but that's ok.

[calitrav]

I only speak for myself here, but I watched a few of his videos and quickly got the impression that he is what I call a "Likable Narcissist".
Of course, I could be wrong -- that's just my opinion. But hey, if people like his videos and it gets people trying fragrances, what's wrong with that?
I'm guessing one reason he's so widely disliked is because sometimes it seems like he's more about the cute girls than he is about the fragrance itself.
But that's part of why people wear fragrances, isn't it? To be more attractive?

Anyway,I'll be kind of curious to see if he can come up with a good cologne.
He hired a good perfumer, so if he just lets the guy do his work, won't it likely be a good scent?
I wonder if he'll be a micromanager, or just let the perfumer do his thing.

And there's no real connection here, but jut just for the Hell of it, I'll make an analogy between Fragrance Reviewers to Film Critics:

Film Critics always seem to think most movies are mediocre, predictable, or worse (they're often right), yet despite all the knowledge they have after watching 1000s of movies...when they say "I could make something better than that garbage! for the 900th time...it turns out they can't! They usually make crappy Directors.
Because, it turns out, sitting on your butt spending 1000s of hours reviewing movies is not the same skill as spending 1000s of hours making them.

(Who knew?)

But it doesn't always go that way.
Jean-Luc Godard was an excellent film critic who made the transition to excellent director (I highly recommend "Breathless" aka "A Bout de Souffle").
So did Francois Truffaut. And some others...oddly enough, the ones who come to mind are all French.

Wait -- I'm going to give it to Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith here too.
Why not? They weren't official film critics, but they worked in video stores and talked endlessly about movies for years like critics before actually trying to make one.
QT's first movie was so bad he never even tried to release it, but it helped pave the road to his eventual success.
Kevin Smith's was uneven and unconventional and had no real plot, it was just a bunch of scenes strung together...but it actually worked pretty damn well.

(Also, you'll notice those guys still kind of have Critic personalities in the sense that they still like to talk about movies A LOT more than even most film people do.)

Hm. Who else? Paul Schrader (wrote Taxi Driver and First Reformed). I honestly can't think of another success -- did anyone ever see Ebert's Valley of the Dolls?
I heard it was interesting, but no one ever seems to talk about it. Well, there you go! A few examples of Critics who became Creators.

However, since I can only think of a handful of them, it seems to me that they represent the exception to the rule rather than the general rule.

[notspendingamillion]

Thank you, furrypine. I appreciate it.

[Suppressor]

Hey, I wasn't saying you were part of the army. I'm sorry if it seemed I was implying that. I know you as a longstanding member on Basenotes, and I can understand why you'd be in on the buy. It has its pros as well as cons. No disrespect was intended at all. Seriously.


And I agree--either way you win. You can trash it. Sell it for a killing. Or maybe...wear it to the office.

No no don't worry.
No need to apologize.

I just wanted to make this clear as a backer of this project.

[Suppressor]

Now he wants to push it to one million dollar.

Not a good move.

[Beck]

Now he wants to push it to one million dollar.

Not a good move.

Then the army shall give him what he wants.

[wilfred]

the army are no joke! and very loyal to their commander, many of the high ranking members are probably already buying 10+ bottles.