New Orleans ad agency creates king cake perfume to mark Mardi Gras season
With the release of the new fragrance Le Bébé, Eau de Parfum, New Orleans-based agency PETERMAYER has created a novel interpretation of Mardi Gras apart from the debauched sights on Bourbon Street. The unique, limited-edition fragrance was created in partnership with the French St. Martin-based parfumerie Tijon and was inspired by the holiday's emblematic dessert, the king cake, as well as its iconic memento, the king cake baby.
Le Bébé was intended to be both a present for the city of New Orleans and a year-round indulgence for Mardi Gras revelers. Le Bébé gets its name from the early 20th-century custom of inserting a little plastic baby inside king cakes. To produce the new aroma, the team engaged the assistance of renowned baker Cara Benson, proprietor of Tartine bakery in New Orleans. The in-house scent has undertones of buttery pastry and cinnamon and is meant to bring to mind the warmth of a bakery as fresh cakes are coming out of the oven. The first brand relationship between PETERMAYER and the product Le Bébé.
"For decades, PETERMAYER has sent king cake care packages to clients and employees around the country," said CEO Michelle Edelman. "It's always a warm and delicious reminder of the joyous spirit of New Orleans, so we thought: how can we bottle up that delight and share it with everyone else? Who wouldn't want to smell like king cake year round?"
"There are all sorts of Mardi Gras scents out there," said John Berglund, Tijon's founder and master perfumer. "There are soaps, sprays and candles, but I've never heard of a king cake perfume. It seems ridiculous, but it actually smells quite delicious."
Though the fragrance doesn't have an actual floating baby inside, it has the spirit and scent of the favorite sweet treat. The fragrance is available for purchase at Tijon (631 Toulouse St.) through Mardi Gras Day on Feb. 21. Due to the fleeting nature of Carnival, supplies may pass as fast as a parade. To see more information about Le Bébé , visit and purchase the product at tijon.com/product/le-bebe.
