A smartphone-connected bottle of cologne might sound like a stoned futurist’s fever dream, but the Paco Rabanne makes an intriguing case for why its new Phantom fragrance warrants such groundbreaking tech.
The storied French fashion house’s new men’s fragrance is presented in a shimmering robot-shaped refillable bottle, the head of which embedded with an Near Field Communication (NFC) chip—the same type of short-range tag that allows you to make contactless payments with a credit card.
By touching the Phantom’s head with a smartphone, users are connected to a range of exclusive content including style guides, interactive filters, personalized playlists, interactive games and other digital goodies curated by the brand.
The making of the scent itself also employed clever, unconventional methods. A team of four expert perfumers were aided by algorithms based in findings of scientists from America’s International Flavors and Fragrances corporation. Those algorithms were used to helped analyze formulas and identify which ingredients—or combinations thereof—produce desired emotional effects.
The resulting aroma is described as “an energizing green flash of lemon with ultra-creamy lavender” thanks to an ingredients list including vetiver and patchouli heart, lavender and lemon oil, organic lavandin, and styrallyl acetate—a manmade molecule known for its energetic green fruity facets.
Priced from $75 for a 50ml bottle, Paco Rabanne Phantom is available to purchase online now. If you want the connected bottle, make sure you size up to 100ml for $100.