Jung von Matt DONAU turns concert CO₂ into perfume
Creative agency Jung von Matt DONAU has developed a perfume created using carbon dioxide captured from the audience at a live music event, aiming to reposition chemistry as accessible and relevant for younger audiences, particularly Gen Z.
The project responds to a brief from the Association of the Austrian Chemical Industry, also known as FCIO, which asked the agency to demonstrate how chemistry contributes positively to everyday life beyond laboratory settings. Jung von Matt DONAU partnered with Austrian musician Bibiza to anchor the initiative in pop culture and music.
From live performance to fragrance
Named Donauwasser, referencing Bibiza’s song Donau about the River Danube, the perfume connects scientific processes with the artist’s creative universe. The carbon dioxide used in the fragrance was captured from the air during an exclusive Bibiza x FCIO concert at Posthof Linz on December 8, attended by more than one thousand people.
The captured CO₂ was transformed using carbon capture and utilisation technology into raw materials that form the base of the perfume. Bibiza collaborated with the perfumers at Frau Tonis to define the scent profile, selecting the fragrance notes himself.
Making chemistry tangible for Gen Z
Bibiza describes the result as an olfactory impulse that feels energetic and electrifying, with a subtle sense of adrenaline. The agency positions the perfume as a physical expression of how chemistry can be experienced through the senses rather than explained through theory.
Eva Zefferer and Lea Vukovics, Creative Directors at Jung von Matt DONAU: “By connecting science with pop culture, we make chemistry tangible especially for young people, and with Donauwasser we show how exciting and diverse it truly is.”
The initiative also includes a short film directed by Simon Rajchl, documenting the process from the concert environment to the finished perfume. Bibiza is set to release the film on his social media channels on December 15.
Limited production and cultural collaboration
Only 50 bottles of Donauwasser have been produced. Vienna-based goldsmith and artist Paul Pichler designed the flacon, bringing together craftsmanship and contemporary form. Most of the bottles will be distributed as prizes for Bibiza’s fans.
Dr. Ulrich Wieltsch, Chairman of the FCIO: “The project shows how fascinating chemistry is and what it makes possible. It turns CO₂ into a perfume that you can see, smell, and experience.”
The project was realised with academic support from TU Wien and JKU Linz, reinforcing the link between creative communication, industry, and scientific research.
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