Mercedes-Benz Parfums

“Nothing great can be achieved without passion. It has been 125 years since Mercedes-Benz created its first automobile. Now it is entering the world of fragrance. I am excited by this responsibility and will approach it with passion.”
— Rémy Deslandes, President and CEO of INCC Group, 2011

Essential Information
The Founders and the Origins of the Brand
What Matters to the Brand
The Fragrance Lineup
By the Way…

Essential Information

Fragrance business launched: 2012 (start of retail sales)
Licensing agreement: Signed between Mercedes-Benz and INCC Group in 2011
Current license holder: Give Back Beauty, which acquired INCC Parfums in 2024
Official website: https://parfums.mercedes-benz.com

The Founders and the Origins of the Brand

Origins as an Automotive Brand

To discuss Mercedes-Benz fragrances, one must first understand the historical weight carried by the name. The brand’s origins lie in 1886, when Carl Benz patented the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a three-wheeled vehicle powered by a gasoline engine. In the same year, Gottlieb Daimler developed his own high-speed gasoline engine, changing the world. The two German engineers are said never to have met, but the companies they established merged in 1926 and were reborn as Daimler-Benz.

The origin of the name “Mercedes” also has a romantic story. Emil Jellinek, a wealthy Austrian-born businessman, promoted DMG (Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft) cars to high society and was passionate about motorsport. He used the name of his beloved daughter Mercedes in his racing activities, and it was eventually given to a new car. The name means “grace” in Spanish and was formally registered as a brand name in 1902. Together with the three-pointed star symbolizing mastery of land, sea and air, Mercedes-Benz thus became part of the very history of the automobile.

Before Personal Perfume: The Prelude of In-Car Fragrance

Mercedes-Benz’s relationship with fragrance began before its retail perfumes. Its ultra-luxury Maybach models and the Mercedes-Benz S 600 Pullman already had dedicated cabin fragrances. The limited-edition Maybach Zeppelin even had a button at the seat to release scent from an acrylic sphere. Given how much attention the automaker was already paying to the olfactory experience, the birth of a perfume line in 2011 could be seen as inevitable.

From the 2010s, an in-car fragrance system was also introduced in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and C-Class as part of the Air-Balance Package, with four “moods” created by Symrise perfumer Marc vom Ende. The fusion of cars and fragrance remains part of Mercedes-Benz’s DNA today.

INCC Group: The Driving Force

In June 2011, Mercedes-Benz signed a licensing agreement with French perfume manufacturer INCC Group. Established in 1990 near Paris, on the outskirts of Versailles, INCC Group is a “lifestyle fragrance manufacturer” that develops, produces and markets perfumes under license.

The project was led by Rémy Deslandes, INCC Group’s President and CEO. As the opening quotation suggests, he understood the significance of the brand’s 125th anniversary and brought his own passion to that milestone.

In autumn 2011, the first Mercedes-Benz men’s fragrance was officially unveiled at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, France, the world’s largest duty-free trade show. Its release was announced for the first quarter of 2012, generating considerable discussion within the industry.

The perfumer recruited for the project was Olivier Cresp, an internationally respected figure in fragrance. Born in Grasse, the renowned perfume-producing region of southern France, he comes from a family said to have grown and traded roses and jasmine there since the seventeenth century. He joined Firmenich in 1992 and, in his very first year, worked on Thierry Mugler’s Angel, becoming an industry legend almost overnight. He went on to create many celebrated fragrances, including Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue and Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Black Opium. He was named a Master Perfumer in 2006 and Perfumer of the Year in 2007, and in 2012 was awarded the rank of Chevalier in France’s Order of Arts and Letters. In 2018, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Fragrance Foundation.

Growth and a Change of Ownership

Following its 2012 launch, Mercedes-Benz Parfums expanded rapidly worldwide. According to remarks made in 2018 by INCC’s Vice President of Parfums, Thibaud de Vaulchier, “Germany, the United States, South Korea, Australia and the Middle East are the main markets, with a presence in 95 countries, at least 10,000 domestic-market retail outlets and 100 travel-retail locations.” Annual sales were reported to have reached €100 million by the end of 2017. The company had also officially celebrated cumulative sales exceeding three million bottles over the preceding four years.

In 2024, Give Back Beauty acquired INCC Parfums, and the Mercedes-Benz Parfums license transferred with it. Give Back Beauty is a fragrance group that also holds licenses for brands such as Zegna, Elie Saab and Chopard. Its founder and Executive Chairman, Corrado Brondi, said: “The values at the heart of INCC, respect, innovation and social responsibility, align with our own.”

What Matters to the Brand

Collaborating with Master Perfumers

Mercedes-Benz Parfums places particular importance on working with leading master perfumers. Its official website states that “every fragrance is created in close collaboration with master perfumers from around the world,” listing names such as Olivier Cresp, Honorine Blanc, Dominique Ropion, Anne Flipo and Michel Almairac.

A comment by Olivier Cresp on the official website succinctly expresses the brand’s philosophy.

“Mercedes-Benz fragrances remain true to what makes the brand unique: an innate sense of detail and a passion for the rare and unexpected.”
— Olivier Cresp, Master Perfumer

Bottle Design: Vessels for the Three-Pointed Star

The bottle of the first fragrance, Mercedes-Benz For Men, attracted attention for a design approach that gave form to the brand’s philosophy. The base of the substantial glass bottle, an almost austere, pure cylinder, bears the three-pointed star in relief; the same star is stamped like a wax seal onto the top of the black cap. At the heart of the design is a translation of Mercedes-Benz’s own values: sleek lines, technical mastery, functionality, ergonomics and performance.

The LSA Trilogy (Land, Sea, Air), introduced in 2023, took this design philosophy further. Seen from above, the three bottles form the shape of the three-pointed star. With each bottle representing one point, the structure reinterprets the star’s meaning, mastery of land, sea and air, through fragrance.

The official website states: “Born from the meeting of innovation and know-how, our fragrances stand out as high-performance products. A seductive fusion of strength and delicacy, romanticism and power, mystery and sophistication. An ode to elegance and an exaltation of the senses.”

A Turn Towards Sustainability

The 2023 LSA Trilogy was also groundbreaking in its attention to materials. Its bottles use recycled aluminium and recycled glass, with removable pumps designed to allow refilling. The outer packaging uses biodegradable recycled paper containing 5–10% seaweed, with water-based lacquer ink; the paper is manufactured using 100% renewable energy. The leather pouch included with the set is made by upcycling surplus leather from the production of Mercedes-Benz S-Class interiors.

For ingredients, the brand works towards ethical, transparent sourcing in partnership with LMR Naturals, one of the world’s leading suppliers of natural fragrance materials. The cardamom used in Sign is sustainably grown in Guatemala, revealing a commitment to responsible product creation that goes beyond simply offering a luxurious scent.

The Fragrance Lineup

The Mercedes-Benz Parfums collection is broadly divided into men’s fragrances, women’s fragrances and the sub-brands that have expanded in recent years: Mercedes-AMG and Mercedes-Maybach. The following is an overview of key lines.

The Men’s Core Collection

Mercedes-Benz For Men (2012)
The first perfume. Olivier Cresp’s woody, fresh composition moves from top notes of Calabrian bergamot, lemon, Italian mandarin and violet leaf through a heart of Bourbon pepper, nutmeg and galbanum resin, to a base of American cedarwood, vetiver and patchouli.

Mercedes-Benz Man (2015)
Composed by Olivier Cresp. A fougère-woody fragrance centred on the rare material ambrette seed (the seed of musk mallow) and rosewood. It has also been one of the core offerings in Japan since Bluebell Japan began distributing the brand in October 2025.

The Move (2019)
An urban fougère-aromatic by Dominique Ropion. Grapefruit, cardamom and apple blossom form the top; geranium and an innovative salty marine accord form the heart; tonka bean and balsam fir form the base. The line was presented as an “anthem for a young, free generation.”

Sign (2021 onwards)
Created by Olivier Cresp, this signature line gives a leading role to Guatemalan cardamom. It forms a trilogy comprising Sign eau de parfum (2021), Sign Your Attitude eau de toilette (2022) and Sign Your Power eau de parfum (2024). The top notes of Sign Your Power are cardamom and pink peppercorn (obtained through supercritical-fluid extraction).

“I encountered exceptional ingredients in Guatemala. Cardamom was particularly special.”
— Olivier Cresp

The LSA Trilogy (2023)

Created by Anne Flipo, this series transforms the land, sea and air represented by the three points of the star into individual fragrances. All three share a floral, woody, patchouli base and may be worn alone or layered in pairs or as a trio, giving seven possible combinations.

Land: A warm, earthy composition of cocoa shell, tonka bean and rosemary
Sea: Marine freshness from tangerine, violet leaf and seaweed
Air: A clean, airy impression of angelica, armoise and petitgrain

Women’s Fragrances

Mercedes-Benz Woman (2016)
An oriental-floral creation by Honorine Blanc. Brazilian gardenia and pear at the top lead to a heart of jasmine and orange blossom, with a base of vanilla, cashmere wood and sandalwood.

“A captivating, luxurious and unexpected fragrance. Created to highlight and celebrate a woman’s individuality.”
— Honorine Blanc, Master Perfumer

Expansion into Sub-Brands (2024 Onwards)

From 2024, expansion into sub-brands accelerated under Give Back Beauty’s leadership.

The Mercedes-AMG line (2024): A new collection expressing AMG’s “performance and driving pleasure” through fragrance. It offers a way to enjoy the passion for performance as a distinctive olfactory character.

The Mercedes-Maybach line (September 2024): Six unisex fragrances created by Anne Flipo: Radiant Green, Snow White Leather, Fascinating Oud, Vibrant Tuberose, Unexpected Orris and Charismatic Rose. The bottles feature a polished aluminium finish reminiscent of the chrome parts of Maybach cars, glass carrying the Maybach pattern, and an engraved logo.

By the Way…

A Father’s Love Hidden in the Brand Name
The name Mercedes-Benz derives from the car named by Emil Jellinek after his beloved daughter Mercedes. “Mercedes” means “grace” or “mercy” in Spanish and Portuguese and was registered as a trademark in 1902. That romantic story still quietly lives on in fragrance bottles bearing the Mercedes-Benz logo.

Why a Party in Cannes Became Legendary
The annual cocktail parties hosted by INCC’s Rémy Deslandes at the Hotel Majestic during the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes were described as legendary within the industry. Amid champagne and music, the sight of Deslandes greeting guests with a raised fist has been remembered as a scene symbolizing the passion of Mercedes-Benz Parfums.

S-Class Leather Becomes a Perfume Pouch
The leather pouch supplied with the LSA Trilogy set is made by reusing, or upcycling, surplus leather from the manufacture of Mercedes-Benz S-Class interior seats. The idea of turning an automotive manufacturing by-product into perfume packaging is an especially effective expression of brand coherence.

Available in Japan from October 2025
In the Japanese market, Bluebell Japan Ltd. began distributing Mercedes-Benz fragrances on October 22, 2025. They can be purchased at department stores such as Isetan Shinjuku and Ginza Mitsukoshi, as well as through the company’s L’Atelier des Parfums.

References