Aramis

Aramis is a division of Estee Lauder which was launched in 1964 to focus specifically on fragrances and grooming products for men . Named after a character in the Alexandre Dumas classic, “The Three Musketeers”, the original Aramis men’s cologne was launched simultaneously with the brand and was intended to be a high end fragrance marketed to the mature and wealthy set. Aramis 900, Aramis Devin and JHL were also of the same class and it was not until the mid 1980s with increasing pressure from the younger and sexier appealing brands such as Calvin Klein and L’Oreal did they launch a line with the younger audience specifically in mind. Though their New West line was successful, it failed to help Aramis reclaim their position at the top as the brand was still viewed very much as the choice of older gentlemen.

Over the next few years Aramis continued to produce new colognes such as Tuscany and Havana and in 1995 found success in a licensed fragrance, Tommy, for Tommy Hilfiger which became the best selling men’s fragrance of that year. Tommy Girl and Freedom were also hits for Aramis and Hilfiger and then later Happy for Men, a fragrance produced for their sister company, Clinique.