Karate Cologne: The Scent Of Hai Karate

Hai Karate was a budget cologne sold in the United States and the United Kingdom from the 1960s through to the 1980s. The fragrance was developed by the Leeming Pacquin division of Pfizer and was marketed as a competitor to the popular Jade East scent by Swank.

The scent was described by Leeming as Mistletoe in a bottle, and is classified as a floral-amber masculine fougère fragrance for men. It had top notes of lavender, bergamot, lemon, rosemary, and anise, middle notes of geranium, fern, carnation, cinnamon, cedar, and heliotrope, and base notes of oakmoss, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, and musk.

While opinions vary on the scent, with some describing it as cheap and trashy, others have noted its old-school fougere/barber shop vibes.

The cologne was marketed with an instruction manual on how to defend oneself from women

The instructions advised men to "be careful how [they] use" the cologne, warning that they may have to defend [themselves] from women due to the fragrance's irresistible scent. The manual provided a step-by-step guide on how to fend off women who may become overwhelmed with passion and lose their heads.

> "Don’t dare use it without memorizing this.

> Here are step-by-step instructions on how to defend yourself from women in case you apply an overdose of Hai Karate.

> 1. When your girl (or even you own wife) gets to squeezing too hard, keep your balance at all costs. (If she succeeds in knocking you down, you’ve had it!)

> 2. Take a deep breath and push both arms skyward vigorously while springing from the knees.

> 3. Now her hold is broken. Get her in a good, tight half nelson and shock her back to reality with a stern warning such as, “Watch it, Sister!”

> New Hai Karate After Shave is so powerful that you have to be careful how you use it. It feels so good and smells so great that you can be tempted to splash on a little too much, and that can be hazardous. Your girl or even your own wife, can lose her head and get a passionate grip on you. That’s why we have to put instructions on self-defense in every package of Hai Karate After Shave. And Hai Karate Cologne. And Hai Karate Gift Sets. And even in this ad. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll memorize them right now."

The advertisements featured a stereotypical nerd who, after using Hai Karate, is seduced by a female passer-by. This played into the "male fantasy of a world where women find them irresistible".

It was released in 1967 by the Leeming company, a division of Pfizer

In 1967, the Leeming company, a division of Pfizer, launched its fragrance Hai Karate, accompanied by massive advertising under the motto "Be careful how you use it." The cologne was marketed as a budget scent, retailing for $1.99, with accompanying aftershave, shaving cream, and soap, as well as gift sets for $3.

The scent was described by Leeming as "Mistletoe in a bottle," and was classified as a floral-amber masculine fougère fragrance for men. It had top notes of lavender, bergamot, lemon, rosemary, and anise; middle notes of geranium, fern, carnation, cinnamon, cedar, and heliotrope; and base notes of oakmoss, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, and musk.

Hai Karate was developed as a competitor to the popular Jade East scent by Swank. Its advertising campaigns were aimed at naive teenagers, with a voiceover in its videos stating that men should learn karate techniques to defend themselves from annoying girls who would be attracted to the cologne's strong smell. Each bottle came with a small self-defense instruction booklet, and a record called "The Sounds of Self-Defense" was also released by the company.

The fragrance was extremely popular, with three new fragrances in the series—Musk, Oriental Lime, and Oriental Spice—being released following its success. At the peak of its sales, Hai Karate reached $200 million in annual revenue.

It was described by Leeming as Mistletoe in a bottle

The Leeming company, a division of Pfizer, launched Hai Karate in 1967. It was described by Leeming as "Mistletoe in a bottle". The cologne was an aromatic retro-barber-type fougère fragrance for men. It had a distinct lemon-lavender beginning, with a light animalic tint. The middle notes were dry herbal greens and confident coumarin, tinted by the sweetness of heliotropin and white powdery carnations. The base was slightly sweet due to vanillin, yellowish-white musky, soft and powdery.

The cologne was accompanied by massive advertising under the motto, "Be careful how you use it". The advertisements featured a nerdy-looking man who, after putting on the cologne, would attract a lot of female attention and have to use karate to fight them off. The advertisements were considered funny at the time but would be branded as sexist today.

The cologne was available in different scents, including Oriental Lime, Oriental Spice, and Musk. It was sold in the United States and the United Kingdom during the 1960s through the 1980s. It was a budget cologne, retailing for $1.99, and was successful, with annual sales reaching $200 million at its peak.

The fragrance was well-known and became a part of pop culture, even making an appearance in the movie Anchorman. It was also worn by celebrities such as Elvis Presley.

It was a floral-amber masculine fougère fragrance

Hai Karate was a floral-amber masculine fougère fragrance for men. It was developed by the Leeming Pacquin division of Pfizer and launched in 1967. The scent was described by Leeming as "Mistletoe in a bottle."

The top notes of Hai Karate included lavender, bergamot, lemon, rosemary, and anise. The middle notes featured geranium, fern, carnation, cinnamon, cedar, and heliotrope. The base notes were oakmoss, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, and musk.

The fragrance was marketed with playful advertisements, including a commercial featuring a nerdy-looking man who, after applying Hai Karate cologne, attracts a lot of female attention and has to use karate to fight them off. Each bottle of Hai Karate came with a small self-defense instruction booklet to help wearers defend themselves against women.

The brand was well-known for its unique and humorous advertising campaigns, which contributed to its popularity. However, such advertisements would likely be considered sexist and inappropriate by modern standards.

It was relaunched in 2014 by British company Healthpoint ltd

In 2014, British company Healthpoint Ltd relaunched the retro fragrance Hai Karate in a new bottle, targeting nostalgic buyers and those who wanted to remember "the smell of dad". The relaunched fragrance was said to be “closely matched to its original fragrance”, which was developed by the Leeming division of Pfizer and launched in 1967.

Hai Karate was a budget aftershave and cologne for men, priced higher than Old Spice, Aqua Velva, and Mennen Skin Bracer, but lower than Jade East and English Leather. It was known for its humorous television and magazine ads, which included self-defense instructions to help wearers "fend off women". The brand's marketing plan was developed by George Newall at the advertising firm of McCaffrey & McCall. From 1969 to 1976, Bond girl Valerie Leon played the woman driven wild by a man wearing Hai Karate in a highly successful series of British commercials.

The fragrance has an aromatic retro-barber-type fougère scent with a distinct lemon-lavender beginning and a light animalic tint. It features top notes of bergamot, lavender, lemon, rosemary, and anise; middle notes of geranium, clove, cinnamon, cedar, and heliotrope; and base notes of tonka bean, vanilla, amber, and musk.

Reviews of the relaunched fragrance are mixed. Some describe it as inoffensive, interesting, and nostalgic, while others criticise its synthetic scent. One reviewer notes that the relaunched formula still did not help to gain the power of an "empty hand" and drive women crazy, as the original advertisements had claimed.

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