1. B- and C-list male stars sell scent better than A-list male stars;
or 2. A-list male stars do not see it as a good idea to sell scent;
or 3. A-list men are crazy expensive, and brands do not think men’s fragrance is a big enough sector to merit the investment, so they have slid down the pay scale.
— The New York Times tries to figure out the relative star wattage required to sell men's vs women's fragrances. Read more at The Strange, Revealing Case of Gerard Butler, Fragrance Model. Hat tip to Kevin!
It seems like there is more of a mix than this article describes. Yes, there are more A-list female faces and a fragrance face deal is more desirable for female stars, but Brad Pitt, Matthew McConaughey, David Beckham, and Alan Cumming aren’t exactly B listers, and there are plenty of fragrance ads with male models, such as the one last week with Adrien Brunier. And Charles Bronson gets his own letter. M, for Mandom, of course!
I think you’re right that there are exceptions, but I do think they’re right that there are more A-list actresses doing fragrance ads than A-list actors. And interesting that Brad Pitt did Chanel No. 5…not a scent for men.