Truth or Dare by Madonna is a lifestyle brand by American recording artist Madonna. It is the second enterprise from MG Icon LLC, a joint venture between Madonna, her manager Guy Oseary and Iconix Brand Group.
This is the second brand from the venture after Material Girl, which is
a fashion line designed by Madonna and her daughter Lourdes and
launched in 2010. Initially the line will be launched with handbags,
footwear, accessories, intimates and fragrances.
The first product to be released will be a fragrance of the same name, released by Coty, Inc. and is due to launch in the United States in April 2012 exclusively to Macy's
departmental stores (who also exclusively sold "Material Girl" in the
United States), and globally in May 2012. The brand's primary
demographic is women in the age range of 27–50 and its commodities would
include a variety of apparel. In March 2012, the second product,
women's footwear was announced to be launched in the fall of 2012 in
association with ALDO Group.
Madonna's main inspiration behind the perfume was her mother, since
her perfume's smell had always been cherished by the singer. She wanted
to create a contemporary version of her mother's fragrance, and
collaborated with perfume maker Stephen Nilsen. A promotional campaign
was announced for the release, with Madonna to be featured in print-ads,
television, and online marketing campaign. The singer would collaborate
with Fabien Baron on the promotional activities; Baron had worked with Madonna on her 1992 coffee table book, Sex.
To deliver the perfume to beauty editors, Madonna enlisted two handsome
male models for the job. This was followed by the first advertisement
for the fragrance, illustrating an image of the singer from her 2010
photoshoot with Interview magazine.
In December 2012, a second fragrance was announced, Truth or Dare by Madonna: Naked.
The press ad campaign featured a naked image of Madonna with a back
banner across her breasts with the words "Naked - a new fragrance" on
it.
In November 2011, Madonna
announced plans of launching her own global lifestyle brand, called
Truth or Dare by Madonna; it is her second lifestyle brand following
Material Girl with her daughter Lourdes. The architect of the brand is "MG Icon" which is a joint venture between Iconix Brand Group Inc., Madonna and her manager Guy Oseary.
The chief executive officer of Iconix Brand Group, Neil Cole, felt that
there is enough interest behind fashion brands introduced by Madonna.
Drawing the example of the Material Girl brand—which was already a
commercial success—Cole believed that there would be high demand for a
brand that is endoresed solely by Madonna.
Truth or Dare would be initially launched with handbags, footwear,
accessories, intimates and fragrances. Since the Material Girl clothing
was aimed at teenagers, Madonna's targe for the brand was women in the
age range of 27–50. In an interview with Women's Wear Daily, Madonna stated her inspiration behind the name Truth or Dare:
Over the past several years, I have been approached countless times
to create my own brand. The timing is right and I have found great
partners in Iconix, who can help translate my vision to reality. I have
always been obsessed by fragrance and for years wanted to create
something personal that was an expression of me but that other people
could relate to as well. Something honest, and yet daring, hence the
name Truth or Dare
According to the CEO of Coty, Inc., Bernd Beetz, promotion for the
brand and the perfume included Madonna's feature in print-ads,
television, and online marketing campaign; the promotional activities
would be produced with Fabien Baron, of Baron & Baron with whom Madonna had previously worked on her 1992 coffee table book, Sex. The print-ad was shot by French Vogue magazine photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. A number of promotional items accompanied the perfume, namely earrings, lingerie, bracelets and a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne. Also included was a vase of yellow waterlillies, a gold box, a blindfold designed by French painter Kiki de Montparnasse, and a small vial of the scent.In order to deliver the perfume to beauty editors for review, Madonna
hired two handsome male models; one dressed in white and the other in
black. The one dressed in white held tuberose and gardenia in his hand,
while the otherin black held the white-colored perfume bottle; their
costume was supposed to symbolize Madonna's mother and the duality of
the perfume name. Gregory DelliCarpini Jr. from Billboard
magazine believed Madonna to be fully aware that sexual imagery was
still in demand, hence she hired the male models. He concluded by
saying, "What better way to pep up a dull day?"
In December 2011, the first advertisement for the perfume was revealed.
The ad featured Madonna topless, and looking towards the camera with
the Truth or Dare perfume bottle in front. The poster was created by re-using images from Madonna's 2010 photoshoot with Interview magazine, which was shot by Alas and Piggott. Jessica Vince from Grazia
magazine complimented the ad, describing the singer's look as "recycle
chic". The writer continued: "[She] is looking every inch the Hollywood
glamazon, topless except for striking lipstick and her trademark
crucifix, plus a mass of blonde waves. And no, you haven’t had one too
many glasses of mulled wine – that is indeed herself she’s cosying up
to." Conversely, Jessica Misener from The Huffington Post felt that the advertisement and the whole idea for naming the perfume as Truth or Dare, was "ridiculous".[4]
Truth or Dare by Madonna: Naked
In December 2012, a second fragrance was announced, Truth or Dare by Madonna: Naked.
The press ad campaign featured a naked image of Madonna with a back
banner across her breasts with the words "Naked - a new fragrance" on it