Sol de Janeiro, best known for its viral fragrance body mists, has appointed Jordan Saxemard as its chief marketing and digital officer, effective Monday.
Speaking exclusively to The Business of Beauty, Saxemard hailed the company’s progress to nearing $2 billion in sales. “It’s a big task, but I think we have so much more to achieve,” he said.
Saxemard has more than 20 years of experience at firms like Dyson and Coty. As vice president of marketing for Coty’s luxury division, Saxemard oversaw the revamp of Gucci fragance and the relaunch of its makeup line, whilst also working on Chloé and Bottega Veneta perfumes.
Since launching in 2015, Sol de Janeiro quickly carved out a niche in fragranced body care with playful products like its signature Bum Bum Cream ($48) and gourmand perfume mists (starting at $26). It has become a Sephora best-seller and is especially popular with younger customers who collect the body mists. It was acquired by beauty group L’Occitane in 2021.
Saxemard said his immediate priorities, after immersing himself in the brand’s digital community, will be to add more firepower to its marketing by looking at social commerce, and potentially experimenting with AI to enhance its advertising capabilities. He said it is “magical” when you have “very strong creative that is very emotional and embedded into what the DNA of the brand” paired with a “tech approach.”
While Saxemard said the brand exists in a digital world, he’s also focussed on building relationships with existing brick-and-mortar retail partners like Sephora and Ulta Beauty.
“Being very close, like attached at the hip, with our retailers has been truly life changing for some brands I’ve worked on before,” he said.
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