So how will people react to a Zippo men’s fragrance? Marketed as “the ideal companion for the adventures of day and the passion of night,” the new cologne doesn’t smell anything like lighter fluid, says David Warfel, Zippo’s global marketing director. Instead，Zippo says, it’s “woody” and “spicy.”

In recent months, the family-owned company has stepped up its effort to diversify by launching the fragrance and other Zippo-branded products, such as casual clothing, watches and camping supplies. The plan is to offer some of the items in Zippo boutiques, including one due to open within six months at New York’s Kennedy airport. Zippo hopes to reduce its dependency on smoking-related items as governments around the world deploy taxes and health warnings against tobacco.

“We’re turning ourselves into a lifestyle-products company,” says Greg Booth, Zippo’s chief executive. Other companies with iconic brands, such as Harley-Davidson Inc” have successfully placed their logos on apparel, iewelry and other items. But few of them face as big a challenge as Zippo’s strong association with tobacco.

Stretching a brand to fit different merchandise “is very hard to do,” adds Allen Adamson, managing director at the branding consultancy Landor Associates in New York. He says it works best if a company focuses on one or two potential hit products. It also helps to choose products that are “reasonably close” in function or style to the original item, Mr. Adamson says.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Zippo tried to spread its bets by making tape measures, key holders and belt buckles, but all were later discontinued. Zippo even considered making golf-ball warmers to increase driving distances, only to conclude that the legal liability would be too great if the heated projectiles bounced off people’s heads. Over the past two decades it has added pocket knives and leather purses. But last year, lighters still accounted for 54% of the company’s $200 million in sales. Unit lighter sales now run at 12 million a year, down from a peak of 18 million in 1998，and Mr. Booth doesn’t expect a rebound.

Zippo’s men’s fragrance, launched late last year in Europe, is made under license by Mavive SpA of Italy. Zippo hopes to introduce the scent in the U.S. and Asia in 2012.