Message in a Bottle: A linguistic and Semiotic Analysis of Brand Names of Fragrances

Today the abundance of perfume and beauty product websites allow global customers from different cultures and with different linguistic codes not only to be informed of new products on the market but also to purchase items online. The main reason for studying brand names in the fragrance market is because of the enormous scope for creativity in this sector. The potential for naming in this sector is appealing and endless. It is also interesting to observe how similar products (bottles of perfumed liquid) are named to target either men or women in certain ways. The main research questions concern: - the main/most widespread linguistic strategies used in the process of naming in the selected sector; - currents of meaning and ideology that can be observed in these names; - whether it is possible to identify any specific semiotical strategies in the creation of these fragrance names; - whether it is possible to distinguish different trends in the naming of men’s fragrances as opposed to women’s fragrances, and what kind of male/female profiles emerge from these names; - the implications of these names in a global context.