An esteemed perfumer, fashion designer, British actor and film director walk into a bar… Okay wait. Maybe it wasn’t a bar. Top model Amber Anderson is there. Right.
Francis Kurkdjian, Christopher Bailey, Josh Whitehouse and Steve McQueen walk onto a commercial set. Top model Amber Anderson is there. So is a bottle of Britain’s landmark fashion house Burberry’s latest eau de toilette for men: Mr. Burberry.
It’s sexy and romantic and includes the brand’s iconic trench coat—on and off form—on the flacon and on the couple. The bottle’s weighted cap references horn-look buttons; a hand-tied knot in English-woven black gabardine around its neck, while the actual trench is seen on both Whitehouse and Anderson intermittently throughout the commercial.
As for the commerical, it’s tone is set by a steamy and naked frontal shot of Whitehouse’s exquisitely cut form, wet and in the shower. Anderson, partially clothed, is first seen in the shadows in the next room. Dark and mysterious in the bedroom, then light and free spirited in hallways and on a outdoor terrace, the three-minute story is classic: a tale of love and seduction. And yet the third party, the new cologne, is anything but traditional.
While Mr. Burberry is a woody and aromatic formulation inspired by traditional British perfumery, its composition, like any good narrative, contains a twist at the end: it is youthful, contemporary and modern.
On first spritz, the scent is crisp and zesty thanks to notes of grapefruit with herbal tarragon and spicy cardamom. Fresh birch leaf with rich nutmeg oil and woodsy cedar follow before finishing with an unexpectedly earthy, smoky and smooth repertoire compliments of vetiver, guaiac wood and sandalwood notes.
Burberry, Mr. Burberry EDT comes in 50 ml for $78, 100 ml for $100 and 150 ml for $126. It’s available at Hudson’s Bay, Sears, Shoppers Drug Mart, Murale and Nordstrom stores across Canada.
