I was in junior high when CK One hit the market and defined a generation. While I was too poor to own a bottle back then, I always wanted one. As I grew older, I couldn’t have cared less when CK Be came out, and even less when CK One’s Remix hit the market in 2004. If you didn’t notice those releases, you certainly weren’t the only one. In an attempt to recreate previous success and capture young adults, Calvin Klein launched fragrance campaigns like CK IN2U, aiming to bottle youth culture once again.

The success of Calvin Klein’s fragrances hinges on focused marketing research. Their creative strategy involves researching the mood of the country and composing a name intended to capture a specific demographic. Point proven with iconic scents like Obsession, Euphoria, Eternity, and Truth. The New York Times reported on Calvin Klein’s attempt to capture youth attention, illustrating how fragrance marketing evolved over the decades.

Attempting to capture the attention of millennials, Calvin Klein launched IN2U with a hyper-sexualized attitude and graphics featuring tech-centric buzzwords. By using a bottle design inspired by the classic iPod and a name mimicking instant messaging shorthand, the branding felt like an old bottle of CK One trying too hard. Described as "a casual invitation to sex so immediate as to imply there was no time to spell it out," it raised a valid question: did fragrance marketers really think sexing up tech gadgets would win over intelligent young consumers?

“She likes how he blogs, her texts turn him on. It’s intense. For right now.”

CK trademarked the term technosexual in hopes of creating major buzz and sales for IN2U. Instead, the buzzword felt out of touch for the house of Calvin Klein. Marketers framed an entire generation as defined primarily by technology and quick hookups. Here is how that marketing push broke down at the time:

If you were born during those years, you were the exact target destination for these technosexual ad campaigns.

By relying heavily on text messages, iPod aesthetics, and superficial themes to market to young adults, beauty brands often turn off their audience instead of engaging them. While people enjoy gadgets, social platforms, and beauty trends, consumers deserve to be treated as intelligent adults. Every generation faces high expectations to build careers and stay ahead in a fast-changing world. Ultimately, genuine respect and quality craftsmanship serve brands far better than sexing up a text message and calling it a marketing slogan.