Mark, Orla & David Van den Bergh of Max Benjamin
Irish Family Business, Max Benjamin launches a refreshed aesthetic, refined offering and a focus on scents inspired by travel and nature for a Life Uplifted
Max Benjamin, Ireland’s leading producer of naturally made scents has launched a completely refreshed approach to their iconic brand. With a loyal customer base spanning almost two decades, the Irish family run business is rebranding to reflect changes in the market, to continue meeting their customer needs and to bring their unique brand story into the product range.
Max Benjamin has been a dynamic force in the Irish candle and diffuser industry since inception. Max Benjamin was idealised on a trip to the US by founder Orla Van den Bergh, and many of the signature scents are inspired by Orla’s brother Mark and his travels around the world. Mark, as the Creative Director for Max Benjamin, has created some of the brand’s most iconic scents, taking inspiration from lands far and wide. David, the managing director and brother to Orla and Mark, has grown the brand into overseas markets over the years, bringing the combination of luxury Irish production with globally inspired scents to new customers internationally. The brand has organically developed its own nomadic spirit, and that is the true inspiration for the new Max Benjamin direction, the meeting point of first class Irish products with globally inspired scents for a Life Uplifted.
Customers can expect to see many of their favourite scents such as Dodici, French Linen Water and True Lavender alongside some new fragrances such as the heady Irish Leather & Oud. The products will continue to be packaged in sustainable materials. Customers will see products such as candles and diffusers presented in luxurious matt boxes in a palette of soft colours, each one specific to a particular scent, with the refreshed Max Benjamin type in black, and the newly introduced motif. The motif was designed with a combination of two elements in mind, tiles found within the famous Florentine apothecary which gives the signature Italian Apothecary scent its name, and the gorse flower, synonymous with the surrounding Enniskerry location, making a unique geometric shape, soon to be identifiable with the Max Benjamin brand. The products themselves will be presented in smoky glass, grey in colour to represent the granite filled valley that Max Benjamin candles are created in. The Max Benjamin logo and motif are embossed on the glass in gold, and candles come with a chic wooden lid. The new product presentation is designed to create a luxurious look and feel, while still retaining its décor neutrality, allowing the products to visually sit into any interior scheme, with the scents creating an undeniable atmosphere.
The range is now a solid ten scents, with the team at Max Benjamin wanting to refine the offering to bring customers items that are truly beloved, as well as something new. Candles are now larger, at 210g with a 50 hour burn time and will retail at €28. New and improved three-wick candles are 560g with a burn time of 65 hours, retailing at €40 and available in three scents, Lemongrass & Ginger, White Pomegranate and French Linen Water. The diffuser range comes in ten scents also, 150ml in size and retail at €35, lasting anywhere from 3-4 months. Those who have become accustomed to staple items need not worry, as part of the rebrand car fragrances (€10), scented cards (€5) and diffuser refills (€20) are all still available and now in all 10 scents.
While the first phase of the rebrand is rolling out in early summer, Max Benjamin is not only focusing on a fresh direction for their classic product range, but also looking to the future and bringing a superior range of products to their customers. Hand and Body care sets will launch in the summer, available in classic scents, perfect for complementing the candles and diffusers of Max Benjamin scent filled homes. Excitingly, Max Benjamin is also soon to launch a new entry product range for those who are new to the brand or living in smaller spaces but still want to add signature Max Benjamin scents. Aptly named the Discovery range, the collection will feature five new scents in smaller vessels. While on the whole Max Benjamin is affordable, especially when compared to other brands in the space, the soon to launch Discovery range is even more so, allowing first time customers to trial the brand for less, eventually developing into lifelong customers.
The new Max Benjamin brand is available with select luxury retailers nationwide and online at www.maxbenjamin.com.
On the rebrand and new aesthetic, Mark Van den Bergh, Brand & Creative Director of Max Benjamin said: “We have been ideating this fresh direction for Max Benjamin for many years now. Our customer’s needs have evolved and so has our story and brand. This is the perfect time for us to showcase those changes. Our new approach leans into the heritage of our brand, our family and the natural surrounds which Max Benjamin products are created in but the new direction also harkens to our travels, our love of exploration and our natural nomadic spirits, something that resonates with our customers. New scents, new products and much more to come, this is an incredibly exciting time for our brand and we know our customers will love coming on this journey with us, for a life uplifted.”
On the business direction and rebrand, David Van den Bergh, Managing Director of Max Benjamin said: “The refined Max Benjamin brand is perfectly positioned to stand out from the crowd while retaining elements that our customers know and love. We have worked tirelessly to refine our offering over recent months. During the pandemic we tried to fulfil many needs for our customers, and while this was successful, and we received a lot of gratitude from customers. Now is the time for us to go back to the roots of the brand and showcase why Max Benjamin is so beloved and has stood the test of time. The main focus for us is scent and how we deliver that is through superior yet affordable products. We teased the range at some European trade shows earlier this year and we have been bowled over with the reaction so we believe our customers will be blown away with the new presentation also.”
For more information visit www.maxbenjamin.com and follow on social media: Instagram @maxbenjaminofficial, Facebook @maxbenjamin.ie
