Are sports brand fragrances still capturing consumers’ imagination in 2025, or have they faded like yesterday’s match highlights? The answer comes in six vibrant bottles as adidas partners with beauty powerhouse Coty to launch their new adidas ‘VIBES’ Collection—not merely fragrances, but mood-enhancing companions designed for our emotion-driven lifestyles.
The Science of Scent: When Sports Meets Neuroscience
Let’s be honest—the idea of a sports brand venturing into premium fragrances might initially raise eyebrows. But the ‘VIBES’ Collection isn’t just another celebrity cash-grab or half-hearted brand extension. It represents a fascinating intersection of olfactory art and neuroscience that deserves our attention.
According to Coty’s official press release, the collection has been “meticulously crafted to elevate mood and emotional well-being.” This isn’t just marketing hyperbole—their consumer testing specifically showed that “at least 81% agree it makes them feel good, and 85% agree that it boosts their mood.” In a fragrance market increasingly focused on emotional benefits rather than just pleasant scents, this data point matters.
The relationship between scent and mood isn’t new—aromatherapy has been around for centuries—but packaging this concept within a sports lifestyle brand creates a unique proposition that feels authentically adidas: performance-oriented, accessible, and attuned to everyday needs.
Competing in a Crowded Arena
The global fragrance market is projected to reach a staggering USD 94.23 billion by 2029, growing steadily with a 3% CAGR. Within this highly competitive landscape dominated by luxury houses and beauty conglomerates, how does a sports brand like adidas position itself?
Rather cleverly, as it turns out.
Instead of competing directly with established luxury perfume houses, adidas has carved out a distinctive niche that aligns perfectly with modern consumer values: functional fragrance with emotional benefits. The ‘VIBES’ Collection doesn’t pretend to be Chanel or Dior—it offers something different yet equally valuable.
As Stefano Curti, Chief Brands Officer for Consumer Beauty at Coty, explains: “In our fast-paced lives, we often overlook the importance of being in the moment, to truly ‘feel the vibe.’ The adidas ‘Vibes’ collection harnesses the transformative power of scent to help us reconnect with ourselves.”
The Six Moods: Crafting Scent Personalities
The brilliance of the adidas ‘VIBES’ Collection also lies in its thoughtful organisation around emotional states rather than traditional fragrance families. Each of the six distinct Eau de Parfums serves a specific purpose in your emotional toolkit.
For those seeking escape, there’s “Full Recharge” with its refreshing cedar leaf and clary sage notes, creating that uplifting feeling of getting away from it all. Its counterpart, “Happy Feels,” delivers blissful positivity through zesty grapefruit extract and delicate jasmine touches.
Need to unwind? “Chill Zone” offers tranquillity through the time-tested combination of lavender and vanilla, while “Get Comfy” wraps you in the warming embrace of vanilla and mandarin—perfect for those moments when you need to shut out external pressures.
And when you need that extra boost, “Energy Drive” delivers an invigorating kick through cardamom and spicy pink pepper, while “Spark Up” provides explosive energy via the dynamic duo of sweet orange and black pepper.
I appreciate how the collection deliberately breaks gender norms—something I’ve watched evolve dramatically in fragrance marketing over the past decade. While Energy Drive and Full Recharge lean masculine and Happy Feels and Spark Up skew feminine, Chill Zone and Get Comfy are explicitly gender-neutral. This reflects broader cultural shifts away from rigid gender categorisations that traditional fragrance houses have been notably slower to embrace.
Star Power: Ambassadors Who Embody the Vibe
For the release, adidas has assembled an impressive ambassador lineup that reads like a deliberate blueprint for reaching the modern fragrance consumer. Chart-topping singer-songwriter Ava Max brings her vibrant, boundary-pushing energy; acclaimed gymnast Nia Dennis contributes her inspiring positivity; and rising athlete Sasha Zhoya embodies relentless drive and determination.
This isn’t your typical celebrity fragrance endorsement strategy. These personalities weren’t chosen merely for their fame but for how authentically they represent the emotional states at the heart of the collection. As the press release notes, “These selected partners transcend traditional ambassador roles, personifying the diverse moods and lifestyles that the collection celebrates.”
Innovation Beyond the Bottle
What particularly intrigues me about the ‘VIBES’ Collection is how it addresses growing consumer concern around sustainability—something that’s become non-negotiable for many fragrance buyers I speak with.
Each bottle contains 25% recycled glass, with caps made from at least 96% post-consumer recycled plastic. The formulas are vegan and utilise upcycled alcohol derived from carbon emissions—CO₂ that’s recycled into alcohol rather than released into the atmosphere.
This commitment to sustainability gives Adidas a competitive edge in a market where environmental responsibility increasingly drives purchasing decisions, especially among younger consumers who form a key demographic for sports lifestyle brands.
The Singapore Connection: Bringing Vibes to Plaza Singapura
For fragrance enthusiasts here in Singapore, the collection becomes tangible through an immersive pop-up experience at Plaza Singapura from 25th to 27th April. This isn’t just a product display but an extension of the collection’s experiential philosophy.
The pop-up features distinct activity zones corresponding to the collection’s emotional territories—Power Up, Relax, and Escape—allowing visitors to physically experience the moods each fragrance aims to evoke. Located at Level 1, Atrium A (outside the Muji Store), the pop-up runs daily from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, offering a multi-sensory approach that represents the evolution of fragrance marketing beyond traditional sampling.
What’s Next for Sports Fragrance?
As I’ve watched the boundaries between wellness, fashion, and performance continue to blur, sports brand fragrances have carved out their unique place in the modern consumer’s life. The Adidas ‘VIBES’ Collection exemplifies how sports brands can successfully compete in the fragrance market by embracing their distinctive positioning rather than mimicking traditional perfume houses.
The collection’s emphasis on mood enhancement, sustainability, and inclusive design suggests where the fragrance industry as a whole might be heading—toward more functional, emotionally intelligent scent experiences that serve as companions for everyday life rather than occasional luxuries.
So, are sports brand fragrances still relevant? If adidas ‘VIBES’ is any indication, they’re not just relevant—they’re helping redefine what fragrance can mean in our lives. Not just a scent, but a vibe.