The New York Times’ Craig Smith reports on a marketing dilemma to rival that of the Ayds Dietetic Candy company.
Move over Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and all the others who have traded on their fame to sell a perfume. There will soon be a new name on the counter: Yeslam.
The recognition factor may seem low, but it is probably better than Bin Ladin, the marketer’s nightmare first proposed as a name for the scent.
Back in pre-9/11 days, Yeslam Bin Ladin, a half brother of the world’s most wanted terrorist, hatched the idea of bringing out the perfume and a line of other luxury items under the Bin Ladin brand. (Most of the family favors that spelling, he says, to the terrorist’s “bin Laden.”)
“Bin Ladin is a respected name that has been around for many years,” especially, of course, in the Middle East, Mr. Bin Ladin, a 54-year-old Saudi citizen, explained in the ornate lounge of the Plaza Athénée Hotel here this week.
Subsequent events led him to choose his more discreet first name instead, and with Yeslam, “a profound yet gentle message in a bottle for all who long for inner peace,” according to the advertising copy, he hopes to prove that not all Bin Ladins are alike.