Giorgio Armani introduces Jonathan Bailey as the face of I Will, its first new masculine fragrance pillar in more than 20 years. The British actor also takes on the role of global fragrance ambassador, extending a relationship that began with his Emporio Armani eyewear campaign for Fall 2024.
FRAGRANCES
Bailey described the project as a major honor and spoke about its personal significance following Giorgio Armani’s death. The designer contributed closely to the fragrance, its bottle and the campaign concept. Bailey had met Armani through his earlier work with the house and said the new role deepened his connection with the brand.
Todd Field directed the I Will campaign under the tagline, “It’s not about luck, it’s about will.” The story follows an actor who struggles onstage before taking a risk and searching for new meaning as he prepares for his next role in Los Angeles. Bailey found a personal connection with that narrative.
Before receiving the call about the fragrance, Bailey had visited London’s Barbican theater, where he began his professional acting career at age six. He will return to the venue for a production next summer.
The production also marked a new experience in Bailey’s career. He had previously filmed in the United States for only two days. The Armani team shot the campaign at Universal Studios, while the story carried Bailey’s character toward Hollywood. Bailey described the overlap between the fictional narrative and his own experience as unusually direct.
He also connected the campaign with recent thoughts about confidence. Bailey views confidence as the result of taking risks, accepting failure and showing up with authenticity. He linked those ideas with Armani’s approach to personal identity and the way clothing, cinema and fragrance can communicate presence.
Armani selected Bailey for his existing relationship with the fashion house, his acting background and his connection with cinema. Armani Beauty maintains partnerships with the Venice Film Festival and other film festivals, and the brand wanted the campaign to place determination within that cultural context.
Bailey also brought personal memories of scent to the project. He recalled the smells associated with his grandparents, his father, his music teachers and his friends. Talcum powder, rose-scented water, smoky rooms, cheese and port all formed part of those memories. He described fragrance as closely connected with different forms of love and with the environments people create around themselves.
DSM-Firmenich perfumers Nathalie Lorson and Alberto Morillas developed I Will over four years through 2,800 trials. The oriental woody eau de parfum opens with bergamot and cardamom, followed by lavender and violet leaf. Madagascan vanilla forms the base alongside leather and wood.
The perfumers used vanilla, a note traditionally associated with feminine fragrances, as the central element. Woody and leather notes give the composition a masculine direction, while the vanilla adds warmth. Armani Beauty developed the scent to deliver intensity, longevity and presence for a new generation of male fragrance consumers.
Giorgio Armani also shaped the bottle’s form, color and feel. He favored gentle edges and paid close attention to how the object rested in the hand. Bailey leads the release as both campaign star and global ambassador, bringing his acting experience, personal memories and relationship with Armani into the introduction of the new fragrance.
