BRUT by Faberge advert from the early 80s

Brut is the brand name for a line of men’s grooming and fragrance products first launched in 1964 by Fabergé. The Brut line would grow to include aftershave, balms, and deodorant. Packaged in a green glass bottle with a silver-coloured medallion, it is still sold as of 2010.

In 1968, a budget range was marketed as Brut 33 because it contained 33% of the fragrance of the original product Packaged in cheaper plastic bottles, it was described by the company as a “lighter fragrance”. Fabergé was taken over by Unilever in 1978, and transferred to the Pond’s division in 1989. There the Brut 33 range took over the name Brut. The Fabergé version became “Brut Classic by Fabergé” and retained its distinctive packaging. In 2003, the rights to the brand were purchased for some regions by Idelle Labs, a division of Helen of Troy Limited.

Called “The Essence of Man” in its advertising, Brut is marketed in the United States as representing traditional masculine strength of character. Sponsorship of the NHRA and of driver Ron Capps highlights fatherhood, teamwork, and courage as hallmarks of the user. It is sold in drugstores.

Athletes have traditionally represented the brand, including, in the United States, American football player Joe Namath, baseball player Hank Aaron, basketball player Wilt Chamberlain, and boxer Muhammed Ali. The star of the 1970s United Kingdom advertising campaign was boxer Henry Cooper who used the slogan “splash it all over”. Footballer Kevin Keegan and Motor Cycle World Champion Barry Sheene also appeared in the campaigns. In Germany the brand was endorsed in the 1970s by famous football player Franz Beckenbauer. The footballer Paul Gascoigne also starred in an advertising campaign although he was later dropped amid domestic violence allegations made by his ex-wife. In 1973 Allan Moffat drove a Brut 33 sponsored Ford Mustang in the Australian Touring Car Championship followed by a Brut 33 sponsored XB Ford Falcon GT in 1974.

Elvis Presley is known to have used this cologne. James Bond used the aerosol version, the deodorant, for self defence in The Man with the Golden Gun (film).

In 2006, owner Idelle Labs launched Brut Revolution, an “ozonic” variant on the core fragrance. “As Different As You Are” is the theme of the fragrance, which is housed in a blue and silver bottle, breaking with the traditional green of the original.

Info gleaned from Wikipedia