In a world where luxury is defined by emotion and personalistion, there's a certain expertise needed for to handle that sort of request. Enter Maison 21G’s founder, Johanna Monange. With over 20 years in perfumery, Monange takes us on a journey of her process, reveals how bespoke scent marketing transforms brand identity and elevates customer connection.
Johanna, you’re known for transforming for luxury hotels, cars, jewel and spirit brands into olfactive experiences. Why is scent such a powerful tool in luxury brand marketing today?
Scent marketing isn’t just about perfume—it’s about whispering your story into the hearts of your customers. Scent is the last sense to fade and the first to trigger memory. In luxury, where emotion is everything, scent becomes your silent language—a form of poetry in the air. It doesn’t shout like a logo and bright colours; it whispers intimacy. It turns a boutique into a sanctuary, a car showroom into a theatre of aspiration, an hotel into a personalized experience, a product launch into a moment of memorable sensory seduction. Luxury brand scenting is not about diffusion—it’s about distinction.
When The Reserve, one of the world’s largest gold vault, sought a scent that could embody its grandeur, I was honoured to take on the challenge. The brief was bold: “What does gold smell like? Not in its metallic form, but in its essence”—the power it holds, the legacies it shapes, the silent wealth it commands?
I designed a multi-layered olfactory journey, ensuring that every space within this exclusive vault radiates prestige, power, legacy and refinement. As you step into the heart of the vault's entrance, the scent that greets you is as bold as the treasures it guards. Vetiver and Ginger—a masterful blend of earthy depth and electrifying spice—evoke the strength, permanence, grounding and dynamism of gold itself. Inside the private meeting rooms, where visionaries shape the future, we crafted a scent of Sandalwood, Cashmere Wood and Ambergris—luxurious yet grounding, enhancing clarity and strategic thinking. To refine the ambiance further, we designed bespoke reed diffusers infused with Bergamot, Muguet and Sage—a bright, invigorating blend to inspire brilliance. With this bespoke collaboration, Maison 21G founder has captured the essence of gold in a way that words alone never could. Johanna Monange put the essence of gold, legacy, and power into an olfactory masterpiece, ensuring that every breath taken within The Reserve reflects its timeless influence.
You’ve worked with iconic names across fashion, hospitality, automotive, spirits, jewellery and even consulting companies. Could you share a few examples of how these projects came to life?
Before the first drop of perfume touches the blotter of the customer, there is a precise path of creation. First, a sacred pause is needed to listen to the brand’s history, its rhythm, its culture, its values, its new ambition. I don’t just study a brand; I inhabit it. I walk its halls, observe its clientele, feel the pulse of its universe, listen to brand history from key stakeholders of the brand. Only then I can start to translate its soul into a signature scent. Each fragrance I create is not merely a composition—it is a dialogue, a co-creation with the brand team where emotion meets intention. It’s about uncovering the invisible essence of a brand and expressing it in the most intimate, sensory way possible. Once that olfactive identity is born, it becomes a signature the brand can wear and deploy in every forms—softly yet unmistakably. And from this immersive process, remarkable stories have unfolded at Maison 21G.
With Rolls-Royce, I have designed an ultra-luxurious ceramic reed diffuser printed with rose gold foil, handcrafted and infused with noble woods and iris concrete. It was not just a product; it was a sculptural ode to timeless craftsmanship, style and craftmanship, made exclusively for their private salons and ultra-high net worth customers, delivered across Asia.
For Gigi iconic Restaurant Beach Club opening in Dubai and soon Rome, Miami and Bodrum I wanted to translate a sensory Italian dream, “la dolce Vitae”. Imagine sun-kissed skin glistening by the sea, a soft marine breeze rising off the coast of Dubai, and the vibrant energy of celebration humming beneath golden rays. Their world blended Italian glamour with Mediterranean soul, so I designed a scent that captured it all: Tuscany bergamot for its effervescent charm, a bold twist of carnation to reflect vivacity, and sensual vanilla to echo the warmth of the beach. This signature scent was not confined to the air—it became an immersive ritual for each visitor. We infused it into their VIP ancillary’s trousseau: from hydrating face mists, to sun protection, and after-sun body lotions for their exclusive cabanas. Each product was adorned in their house design, transforming functional items into icons of identity. The scent danced across the property—from changing rooms where it enriched body washes and silky lotions, to in-boutique gifts such as candles and travel sprays that guests could bring home as fragrant souvenirs. Every encounter—whether beneath the sun, after a swim, or during an evening toast—became a scent-marked memory, etched in elegance and emotion.
At Longines, we paired their VIP boutique appointments with an Atelier de Création, allowing top clients to craft their own signature perfumes while being immersed in the brand’s heritage of precision and grace. I transformed their luxury retail space with a unique signature scent—an olfactory expression of horological craftsmanship—where time and fragrance moved together in harmony. Soon after, the boutique embraced the idea of diffusing their bespoke scent throughout the space, creating a warm halo of heritage, comfort, and refinement that greets every guest like a signature handshake. It subtly reinforces the brand’s values through the air itself, offering visitors not just a product, but a feeling they carry with them.
For Kearney Middle East, we achieved a first in the consulting world—introducing a bespoke scent identity to an industry traditionally defined by logic and austerity. We infused their offices with a fragrance that combined sage for clarity, fig for warmth, and soft white musk for serenity. The result is a refined, contemplative atmosphere that gently shifts perception from transactional to transformational. In this space, scent becomes a strategic tool—not for ornament but for trust. It fosters focus and composure in meeting rooms, soothes decision-makers navigating complexity, and leaves clients with a lingering sense of calm professionalism. It’s an invisible layer of reassurance that makes the Kearney brand feel not just intelligent, but human. It is, in every sense, a departure from the sterile anonymity of conventional boardrooms—a quiet revolution whispered through the air.
Can scent really influence brand recall or conversion?
Before we speak of sales and engagement, we must deep dive into the science behind scent and olfaction. Scent is the only sense that bypasses logic and travels straight to the limbic system—the part of the brain where memory, emotion, and instinct reside. It is the unseen thread that ties a moment to a place, a brand to an emotion. Long after a logo fades or a product is forgotten, a scent remains—etched into the deepest corridors of memory. It is this emotional immediacy that makes olfactory branding such a potent force in luxury marketing. The fragrance of a space can change perception, extend dwell time, and create a subconscious sense of trust and belonging. It is the most silent, yet most powerful, ambassador of identity. When you can no longer be louder, be deeper. Scent reaches where visuals never will: the soul.
At Glennmorangie’s airport store of Heathrow, the team knew visual merchandising alone wouldn’t be enough. We needed to awaken curiosity—instantly and invisibly to attract attention of the passengers. So I receive a very complex brief to create the scent of Glenmorangie whisky! A soft, golden mist infused with roasted barley, warm oak, and a delicate touch of vanilla. The result? Travellers paused mid-step, lured by something they couldn’t quite name but instinctively wanted to follow. That olfactive signature did more than scent the air—it created a sensorial halo around the brand, a magnetic field of emotion that pulled customers toward the display before they ever laid eyes on a bottle. It blurred the boundary between marketing and seduction.The outcome was measurable: sales surged, dwell time increased, and engagement tripled. But more than that, people remembered the brand—not only through slogans or visuals, but through how it made them feel. That’s the invisible, unforgettable power of scent marketing.
With Hennessy, I co-created with their marketing team a full-sensory journey: "The Sensory Odyssey," where customers explored XO blends through touch, sight, and smell. It became a retail theatre that elevated conversion into connection. Hennessy Travel Retail proudly announces the continued success of its sensory expedition, Senses of Hennessy, captivating travellers in Macau, Hainan, Paris DDG and Singapore. This immersive retail odyssey supported by Johanna Monange bespoke scent creation, characterised by advanced technology and consumer engagement, beckons travellers to unlock the enigmatic world of Hennessy cognacs through the kaleidoscope of their senses.
Unfolding through a series of questions and sensorial engagements, travellers are guided to their ideal Hennessy cognac match. Sight, smell, hearing, and touch become their compass, leading them through a captivating exploration of Hennessy VSOP, James Hennessy, Hennessy XO, Hennessy XXO, and Hennessy Paradis. The sensory journey sees shoppers become intrepid explorers, invited to delve into the recesses of emotions and preferences. It's an artful fusion of fragrance and storytelling that encapsulates the brand's heritage and elevates the customer journey. They transform the act of purchasing spirits into an immersive, multi-sensory experience—an ode to craftsmanship, tradition, and the art of scent creation.
What is your philosophy when designing for luxury brands?
Johanna: It begins with a fundamental difference in intent. In basic terms, ultra-luxury scent branding is to mass-market scenting what fine dining is to fast food. At places like Subway or Abercrombie, scent is engineered to shout—to manipulate, to provoke reaction. It’s immediate and often invasive. But in true luxury, I aim for finesse. I create an emotional imprint, not a blast of aroma. My scent creations are immersive, elegant, and discreet, crafted with haute perfumery ingredients and refined like a well-aged spirit. They are designed to seduce the soul, not overwhelm the senses. The most powerful olfactive signature are invisible. They linger in the air, they live on the skin. That’s the power of olfactory branding.
When I begin designing for a luxury brand, I always ask one essential question: What do you want your customer to feel—before they speak, before they see, before they even think? That answer becomes the blueprint for everything that follows.
For instance, when I began collaborating with Infiniti, I immersed myself in the spirit of Japanese precision, innovation, and quiet luxury. Their heritage demanded subtlety, so I worked with iconic Japanese ingredients: Sugi wood, Hinoki wood, Sencha pepper, and Yuzu. We crafted a bespoke scent for each showroom and extended the experience with personalized car diffusers, allowing loyal customers to compose their own signature blend at VIP events. It became more than a gift—it became a symbol of emotional affinity with the brand. We’re now expanding this sensorial journey from the Middle East to China. Infiniti has embraced it as their new motto: Polysensorial immersion.
For Lamborghini, the narrative was different. The scent had to be bold and unapologetic—just like the machine. I blended leather, smoked oud, and Italian citrus, diffusing this powerful composition in their flagship showroom and VIP lounges. It resonates with the heartbeat of the brand—performance, drama, and prestige.
Each scent I create is not only a fragrance; it is a narrative in the air, a sensorial identity that speaks before words are ever exchanged. This is the Maison 21G philosophy: scent as an emotional strategy, meticulously crafted and memorably lived.
My creations are not fragrances. They are emotional blueprints. They are memory made material.
You’ve done work for the legendary Williams Formula 1, a more left-field collaboration. How does the process work, and how does it differ from working with a client like Raffles?
Designing for Williams Racing was thrilling because it was so unexpected. It was like capturing the scent of adrenaline—raw, precise, and fast. Formula 1 is not just about performance; it’s about legacy and pushing limits. To translate that energy into a scent, I blended metallic aldehydes, black pepper, and polished leather—notes that evoke speed, strength, and a touch of swagger. We created bespoke fragrance gifts for their top sponsors and VIPs, packaged in racing-inspired coffrets that felt like luxury speed incarnate.
