Balade Sauvage for New Dior Sauvage Fragrance: Selling America to Americans

It is no secret that the newest Dior fragrance for men is called Sauvage and is fronted by Johnny Depp. Taking its cue from the famous (and revered) classic Eau Sauvage, but going of course to a whole different direction, I found the following commercial clip mighty interesting for the following reasons, brought to my attention thanks to my dear reader Cacio.

First of all, we've seen perfumers talk before in press clips, but never before, if memory serves me right, in such a scale. This is a mega production that uses a whole panoply of cues: the materials of the fragrance, the link between scent and memory, director shots of parts of the commercial we might never see in the cinema and online, and a...voice over.

Francois Demachy, the Dior perfumer behind this creation, is given the veneer of an American movie-goer's memory of a memory: of the voice overs of movies to follow, of trailers. In constant anticipation of what will follow, not what is in front of you. Trailers have this paradox into them, you see. Watching a trailer, especially nowadays, is like having seen the movie, or at the very least the very best parts of the movie. It aims to catch your attention, to make you exclaim "wow, that looks like an excellent movie" and make you seek it out and pay the ticket to watch it in full, but at the same time it also leaves you with the partial satiation of having actually experienced the movie (at least they do to me). Possibly this commercial clip is doing the same for the fragrance. In constant anticipation for the smell to come it sort of gives away the clues into what it smells like. It delivers before it actually hits the nostrils. Maybe I'm too critical, that could be. Maybe I prefer a little bit of mystery.

The other thing is that this clip, and the official commercial as well, tries to sell very American things to -I suppose predominantly- Americans. Which is funny, if you think about it, since Christian Dior is one of the Frenchiest brands and the official commercial is directed by that most French of French directors, Jean Baptiste Mondino, responsible for some of the most iconic images in advertising ever.

The semiotics reads like a lexicon of symbols: The desert, the wide open space, the open road, the deserted fairgrounds, the light that glimmers at the end of the road, both an effect of heat and distance and the cinematic familiarity of the camera lens showing you the experience instead of you actually experiencing it. Laundromats and wild horses, and most of all heavy Mustangs or similar cars traveling outside the urban landscape. Francois Demachy the perfumer stands atop the skyscraper of offices and dreams of the anticipation of open space, or the memory of it, it is not clear. Johnny Depp on the other hand buries his past in the dirt of the desert to divest himself of memory.

In the end, Sauvage stands as an invitation to fondly recall what we already know (the images and the ingredients of the perfumes, even those openly admitted to be synthesized, which is a nice touch) or to explore something that lies ahead and we don't? It all depends on the audience that views it, their experiences, their associations, their familiarity with what is being shown.

What do you think?

Vintage Advertising Champions: Mitsouko or The Geisha & The Sailor

"For one crazy moment he feels he will stay. Then he turns towards the gangplank and walks very slowly in the mist.
Each one of their moments -the shy beginning, the electric touching of fingertips, the transporting passion, will disappear in the universal solvent of time plus distance.
Years later, a woman in a silk dress will pass by wearing Mitsouko. 
And 1921 will flash through him like a shock. He will not be able to forget the long black hair, the incredibly soft skin, the infinite tenderness...
Mitsouko by Guerlain."

In a Madame Butterfly context (harkening to the original novel La Bataille which inspired the creation of Guerlain's famous perfume Mitsouko set during the Japo-Russian war) the text of the above 1974 advertisement zooms in onto a powerful connection and perfume marketing apparatus: that of recollection triggered by scent. "1921: a fragrance will not let him forget."

What irony that the beloved memory of one might be felt off the sillage, the fragrant trail of another...

The One That I Want: Gisele Performs for Baz Luhrmann in Chanel No.5 Commercial

Every new commercial for Chanel No.5 is a small idyll and the reason isn't very hard to see: we're talking about the perfume industry's most sacred totem. The amount of ink and gigabytes spent to write about No.5 (and the whole Chanel mythos) is spilling forth and my cup filleth. But still I was left sort of mesmerized upon watching the latest Chanel No.5 video commercial, directed by Aussie maverick & iconoclast Baz Luhrmann (who might possibly never surpass his Romeo & Juliet 1990s film adaptation, but who's interesting and relevant all the same).

The credits come full circle as Luhrmann had directed the 2004 commercial starring a fledgingly scary-looking at the time (notice the eyes) Nicole Kidman as "a dancer" (but really a celebrity) who pushes away Rodrigo Santoro (then becoming famous through his participation in 300) in what was an almost bankrupting filming for the French brand of luxury goods. The couture gowns designed by Karl Lagerfeld, the jewelry, the body suit and high heel pumps, the chauffeured limos, the skyscraper views, the dancing routines, the red carpet exit, the Debussy music…

Luhrmann doesn't really cut down on budget for the new Chanel No.5 commercial for 2014 and again uses a well known male actor to his feminine heroine, the giga-super-model Gisele, this time Game of Thrones' Michel Huisman. In fact this is the first time that the heroine in those commercials doesn't shy away from a man, but seeks him out.
But what really stands out is the genius use of music, Lo Fang's extra slow (like, 5 times slower than normal) cover of The One That I Want, the famous Grease song that vindicated a generation or two.

Even though I was initially skeptical on the choice of Gisele standing as the face of this iconic French perfume, when it was first announced, this was mainly because she doesn't embody any of the cliches that we come to associate with either Chanel (brunette, small framed, very smart but quirky looking) or the French "chic" (lots of simple black & white, Cleopatra-cut bobs, red lipstick and a spattering of rather unhealthy habits). But seeing the film, I can't deny that apart from a couple rather "void" gros plans at her face on the surf board, I find myself convinced.

Of course I disagree with Lurhmann that Gisele embodies the multi-tasking character of Coco Chanel (a much more manipulative and sharply street-smart woman, what in Greek we call "καπάτσα"), but she looks good (in not only gorgeous-gams-and-hair way, but also convincing in her anxiousness during role playing). Additionally the fact that the director and scripting didn't get her to speak any lines is clever; why shatter the perfect image? It's all played through direction, something that shows very well in the 3-minute long film (shorter snippets of 30 and 60 seconds will play on TV screens during the countdown to Christmas).

Lurhmann, a man known for his grandiloquence, also makes use of some personal leitmotifs: the Queensboro bridge driving-through shot which he used in his Nicole Kidman commercial for No.5, his The Great Gatsby and now for the latest Chanel commercial, for one. To Baz it's a shot out of Fitzgerald's novel that suggests inner turnmoil, much like the Brooklyn bridge stands out in filming as a symbol of faith in industrialization (or even the unification of America, such as in Atlantis poem by Hart Crane).

 The commercial of Chanel No.5 featuring Gisele isn't as dreamy as the Audrey Tautou Chanel commercial (who unsurprisingly did embody French cuteness to a T), which had been directed by Jeanne Pierre Jeunet, but it's rather charming all the same. For instance, I absolutely love the clever association of "chills" in the lyrics to the water bubbles shown and the famed zing of aldehydes on the top perfume notes of this most classic floral aldehydic fragrance. And I also smile watching the very cute mother & daughter spraying a cloud of perfume in the air ritual]. The Chanel commercial, especially for something as timless and "old" is better mannered than Dior's latest J'Adore 2014 commercial (which basically told us off if we romanticize any sort of timelessness). Assuredly a step into the right direction after the catastrophe of sanctioning that Brad Pitt commercial (and patching things up last season with a Marilyn tape transcript). Well done Chanel!

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: 
The most incredible Chanel No.5 commercial ever is from 1982
Chanel No.5 Through the Years: Iconography and Advertising
Clips of old Chanel No.5 commercials
Collective PerfumeShrine Posts on Chanel No.5 (scroll)

Vintage Advertising Champions: Let Them Talk (Coty Sophia)

The first "real" celebrity perfume is probably Sophia by Coty, issued in 1981 after the persona of Sophia Loren, Italian superstar and Hollywood legend to give many a run for their money. No Liz Taylor, you ask? Elizabeth Taylor's white Diamonds and Catherine Deneuve's erstwhile Deneuve perfume deal with Avon (1986) historically follow Sophia. I'm not counting the (semi-promotional) claims by Creed or the historical figures like Empress Josephine (for Guerlain's Eau Imperiale) or Sarah Bernard who had a penchant for cosmetics anyway; their commissions didn't come across as "product" till very recently,  in essence ~pun notwithstanding~ negating the very concept of "celebrity scent" (aka, jus and packaging produced to harness the power of a fan club into strengthening a person's "brand").

If you're curious about these little fragrance trivia you can check out an interesting timeline for the Celebrity Fragrances Craziness History on this link.  And if you're not, it's still sort of fascinating to find out that Loren apparently had such a big following in America that the giant Coty was interested in promoting a fragrance after her!

But my focus today is the print ad. I mean, wow! Doesn't it give you that nudge, nudge,wink wink to go out and try out Sophia because it's everything that prim little "old ladies" with sour lips (yeah, I know!) wouldn't approve of? Please note that by 1981 Loren was no spring chicken herself, proudly displaying her 47 years of age (All the more so since back then 40s was most definitely not the "new 30s", we've come a long way baby…). Far from the feminist issue it appears on first glance, this little fact gives nuance.

A mature woman that probably sports some serious eyeliner,   a good smattering of blush, some flesh-toned lipstick not to divert from her gorgeous almond eyes and a good ol' hair spray cloud (before "product" became standard code for hair gels & mousses). And one who pretty much has caught her man and kept him too; not for lack of admirers, it is most convincingly hinted at. That sex appeal of Sophia is always on the surface but done in a classy manner (ms.Loren never gave cause for press scandals). The wording of the ad text lets us feel that sex appeal is OK (transcribed in its humanity rather than its outré reputation, as further consolidated by the crying & laughing bit) and that it's maybe only small minds of a dowdy, spinsterly nature that condemn it as such. Therefore, non sensical, negligible… The grace of the cultural divide is there too. Exotic, European actresses (and ladies from abroad in general) have always had a greater leeway with American audiences. Maybe partaking in their fragrance could impart a bit of this non mi interessa to their suburbia existence.

A case study for sociology and for perfume advertising.

Surreal Mums and Old Spice Rejuvenated for the 21st Century: The Mom Song Commercial is Brilliant

"Now he smells like a man and they treat him like one.". There in a nutshell you have everything you ever wanted to know about the appeal of the Old Spice products. Old Spice is manly and it makes women treat you like a man. A man, not a boy. Yes, dear reader, we're putting the scalpel on the newest goofy Old Spice commercial which has surreal, frumpy and constantly hovering mums lamenting -in song!- how their little boys have changed gears and are on the way to hell on a handbasket because they changed into Old Spice which draws feminine attention in a way not yet dreamed of. "I didn't see it coming, but it came in a can". Indeed!

Affectionately referred to as "the mom song" the new Old Spice commercial is in my opinion doing everything it sets out to do (which makes it a success): namely drawing the attention span of young males into seeing an old standby with fresh eyes. And it has such a weird, goofy, upping the ante factor cleverly built in that it can't help becoming viral.

As my perceptive reader who sent me the clip, Cacio, puts it: "Old spice was, quintessentially, grampa, certainly not something that could appeal to teens. In recent years they've been trying to reposition themselves to capture the vast male teen bodyspray market (where Axe seems to dominate). Hence a series of funny, zingy, parodistic ads, like the cult machoman ad* of a few years back which managed to be both ironic and convince males that it was after all ok to wear scents. Now this one in an even more surreal type of humor, explicitly directed at teens."

 It's unfortunate that the commercial has generated such grumpiness at dedicated fragrance groups (such as on Basenotes) who worked themselves up because -really- the target audience isn't the repeat buyers of the Old Spice in the familiar white bottle with the little ship on it and the tiny conical stopper, but the teenagers and college frat boys who buy the big spray cans sitting next to Axe/Lynx at the drugstore and the supermarket shelves. Where I'm disagreeing, sorta, with Cacio above is that Old Spice is not repositioning themselves. They have already repositioned. The commercials are the optical affirmation and seal on this repositioning. The old grampas are, alas, dying away and a new market is emerging. Instead of lamenting the "loss" of one, let's rejoice in the harvesting of another. Old Spice still smells quite good. In fact much much better than the various variants of Axe do and many, many boys' mothers online and in real life are thankful for this. Aren't you?

*Those have become modern classics and deservedly so.

Perfume Quotes: Habit Rouge [Genre (tres) masculin]

Promotion for fragrances don't have to involve much to be suggestive and to stir the imagination. Forget bimbos rolling on the bed, blinged out couples coupling amourously and lots of skin display; forget long tirades extolling the virtues of precious ingredients and mellifluous emotion. A mere suggestion and a quote from a legendary celebrity saying they found a fragrance to have an influence in their lives is enough.

Behold a photo shot by Peter Lindberg for Guerlain's classic masculine fragrance Habit Rouge, genre: (tres) masculin. [translation: Gender: (very) masculine].

Habit Rouge refers to the red riding jacket donned by gentlemen in equestrian days. Of course!

And then you have Keith Richards, of Rolling Stones infamous celebrity, reminscing in his memoirs about choosing Guerlain's Habit Rouge as his signature scent [Mick Jagger prefers Chanel Cuir de Russie]:

"One minute no chick in the world. No f*cking way, and they're going la la la la la. And the next they're sniffing around. And you're going wow, when I changed from Old Spice to Habit Rouge, things definitely got better."
 ~Keith Richards, 'Life'

quote thanks to yum_yum/mua

Chanel No.5 Through the Years

The renewed interest in Chanel No.5, due to the new advertising campaign with Audrey Tautou, reaffirms what has been a shared secret: "The powers that be at Chanel claim that a product bearing its name (be it in the form of scent, soap or bath oil) is sold every six seconds". And that the production, shot before the unfolding of the current economic crisis spared no costs: "A crew of 25 people reportedly worked on it for three weeks last May, filming everywhere from Paris to Limoges and, of course, Turkey". [source: Independent]

The new commercial {presented here} is a more haunting version with a nod to traditional values compared to the all dancing, outright-glamour-and-paparazzi-escaping of the one with Nikole Kidman some years ago. Shot by Baz Lurhman the fiary tale "I'm a dancer" routine was a modern, upbeat version ~with more thigh shown~ of the Roman Holiday scenario: VIP who finds true love at the side of a mere mortal, if you recall your Audrey Hepburn collection correctly. Funnily enough, Kidman looks nothing like Audrey Hepburn in her super-tall frame and attenuated blonde features, although Tautou does bear a passing resemblance thanks to the immense doe-eyes of both brunettes.
The current No.5 commercial reprises the romantic scenario "feminine classique" with a nod to the story-telling fantasy unconventional style of the OVNI, aka an anything-goes-style in which a sense of parody might be injected or the fantasy materializes. The latest Jean Pierre Jeunet commercial for Chanel No.5 uses angle-shots, photography and editing style which err on the side of romanticism, rather than the parody he had exhibited in Delicatessen or the follow-the-pale-faced-gamine-with-doe-eyes of Amélie. The invocation of the bottle in the reflections of lights from the window panes of the Orient Express train however, the warm saturation of colours, the bird's eye angle at the end showing the protagonists hugging while the interlocking CCs are left to shine on the mosaics through the fade-out are all masterful choices of film direction. The final shot reminds me of the bird'eyes shot of the fateful couple shot by Francis Ford Coppola in his Dracula (a film full of intertextuality in itself).

Chanel always paid a lot of attention to how they presented No.5 to the world and I took the initiative to present a little retrospective through the years a propos the latest:

The first illustration for No.5 featured famous illustrator's Georges Goursat/Sem stylised silhouette of a flapper, the fashion for liberated women being to embrace the new fragrance; the flowing dress in typical 20s flapper style, the bobbed hair, the ecstatic hands in the air. This was not an advertisement nevertheless (Sem was known for satirizing Chanel in his previous attempts) but an acknowledgement of the popularity of the new scent to its intented audience: the fashion-conscious and the hip.

© ADAGP

Next Coco Chanel herself posed at the Ritz Hotel suite where she stayed to photographer François Kollard in 1937, the grandeur of the suite and the majestic fireplace echoing the luxury of the fragrance.

The tradition of pampering connected to No.5 persisted through the years through advertisements which hinted at the rapture and sense of luxury which its use provoked.


Marilyn Monroe ~although never chosen by Chanel herself as a spokeswoman for the fragrance~ became the best ambassadress and advertising vehicle of the brand in 1960. She revealed in an interview which asked her what she wore during her schedule that Chanel No.5 was her choice of bed attire. A indelible memory was scratched in the flummoxes of people's minds to this day and No.5 became legendary to people who had never thought of perfume before! Certainly not in those terms!

Ali Mc Graw and her more down-to-earth strong beauty took the torch in 1966 when she posed with her dark features as the face of Chanel No.5. The choice showed the emphasis which Chanel placed on their American audiences even then.


The 70s were scattered with print and TV ads of classically beautiful Catherine Deneuve (once upon a time face of Marianne, the French national emblem), the one who has been more closely related into people's minds with No.5. Ironically Deneueve was opting for Yves Saint Laurent for her clothes and for Guerlain for her perfumes! It doesn't matter: think of Chanel No.5 and some old ad depicting Catherine Deneuve is certain to pop up in your mind.


Unknown beauties were continuing to feature in advertisements or Chanel No.5 but the glamour and joie de vivre were always featured when the famous number was brought forth.


The last French face to front Chanel No.5 in the late 70s (in memorable Ridley Scott directed commercials) and all through the 80s, was Carole Bouquet. The French actress wasn't the most talented one to come out of the country but her beauty and chic radiated through the pages in classy sexiness.


It was the bottle itself which took center stage in the pop images reminiscent of the Andy Warhol technique before the Nicole Kidman contract in 1985. Actually Warhol never made any reproductions of the No.5 bottle: it was a gesture of homage.

Estella Warren, swimmer, model and actress, was the early 2000s face for Chanel No.5 in what was an unforgetable campaign of commercials filmed by Luc Besson reprising the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale in a most imaginative and creative melange. The print ads were visually striking, but not the same thing at all.


And then there was she who was at the height of her Hollywood career after worthy choices following an infamous divorce from Tom Cruise: Nicole Kidman had arrived and securing a contract to front Chanel No.5 was its apotheosis.

Please look at Perfume Shrine posts on Chanel No.5 commercial short-films through the years, clicking this link: Advertising Series part 1, I don't want to set the world on Fire.

Perfume advertising 5: the hilarious side! (multimedia clips)

If serious advertising were not enough, sometimes marketing teams play up on our conceptions about perfume in parody-style, satirizing our wishes for perfume to make us powerful, mysterious, indomitable and just plain old attractive and irresistible to the object of our interest. If only things were that easy. And yet, how many times have the same questions have been asked: what to wear to get attention? What would make the opposite sex melt? What would make us look younger and thinner and 5 inches taller with a mane like a supermodel’s and legs that go for miles? Personally if a perfume were that powerful, I’d just as likely prefer it to vacuum my house and do a good hard rubbing at all those difficult corners, thank you very much. That would greatly put me in a sexy mood, all right.
But it’s fun to contemplate what people would put themselves in denial about and how advertising is playing with that, right?

The angle of sexual attractiveness regardless of exterior attributes (which is, let’s face it, a plain looking person’s wildest dream) is brilliantly exploited in the following AXE commercial. Just see what happens when one rides the elevator. Given AXE’s reputation for potency and its users’ abandon with the sprayer the commercial is down right dangerous, if only because it might encourage stinking up closed spaces with the evil fumes. But funny as hell, nevertheless Watch the clip clicking here

In general AXE has capitalized on witty commercials tongue-in-cheek-style to drive the point of “use more, get more” (yep, that kind of “get”, you've understood it right), aimed at an impressionable adolescent male audience. Even if they laugh, I suspect their Id is getting the message across that this magical juice will help them surpass Porfurio Rubirossa’s fame. Dream on, little ones. You might as well spritz some Egoiste (or if you’re hard for cash some Coty Wild Musk) and be done with it, so much simpler. There's also much to be said about the merits of soap, plain deodorant and oral hygiene. But you already knew that, I hope. After all, if you're a good guy someone somewhere will perceive it, right? No matter how divenly you smell if you're behaving like a jerk, no way will you be popular with the ladies. (say that out loud 5 times before you ask again what cologne is a women's magnet)
And it’s great to see that LYNX, the British equivalent of AXE, has aired a commercial that takes this to the next level with a touch of the absurd and the borderline macabre. The heavy british accent of the voice-over is completely engaging as well. Not to be missed! Watch the clip clicking here

But of course teenage boys aside, the greatest target of perfume as a sexual attractant, a magic amulet of irresistibility are women. Women from all walks of life, all physiques, all cultural levels. Perfume always sold fantasy and women are always a little more susceptible to daydreaming it seems. Whether that’s ingrained or a result of upbringing is debatable (and getting girls girly things certainly makes them impose on them powers beyong their capability). Hey, it doesn’t even have to be in the sexual arena (we have come a long way baby!), but it’s so much more thrilling if it works there as well. In my humble opinion, perfume as a manipulating social weapon is like copulating as a dieting means greatly overrated. It's no accident that human beings have gone from the olfactory to the visual emphasis, after all we don't walk with our noses down the ground and into other creatures' butts all day like dogs, now do we?
We won’t go into the subject of perfumes containing the infamous pheromones, because I have zero experience with them and studies show that the results vary greatly (and can be attributed to self-induced feelings of confidence), however it’s not unheard of people using them to accomplish just that. Which begs the question what would happen if the result wears off or if they run out. But I think they consider it a fait accomplit if the victim has been safely anesthesized by then...They will have found a way to keep it by then or have gotten the chance to show their great personality. This is just theoritising on my part, mind you; not that I reject the right of anyone to use whatever he/she considers best.

In the great spoof I discovered, aired on Mad TV, Antonia Perfume, an otherwise sane woman (and not really unattractive, if you deduct the purposesly silly styling and lisp) has gone bananas over the desire for her perfume to attract and entice men. And it makes the great point that in order for someone to actually be attracted they have to be really close to smell the fumes, wouldn’t they? Which they wouldn’t if there is no other reason for them to get close in the first place. Imagine a woman trying to bumb into the object of her affection in a crowded bar. Many hilarious misunderstandings later and alcoholic shots as well, it might garner some attention. Watch the clip clicking here Unless one is olfactory stalking strangers purposesly offering them their wrists for sniffing ("smell me!"), which would make for another great spoof I guess.

Hope you have enjoyed the perfume advertising section critique and the multimedia clips courtesy of Youtube.com.

You can watch many many more in the appendix I have compiled on my info site Perfume Shrine, direct link clicking here

Enjoy!

Pics come from ads in okadi.com

Perfume advertising 4: discrepancies? (multimedia clips)

Exploring the avenues of perfume advertising, especially in commercials to be viewed on TV, one shapes a particular assumption of how something would smell, coaxed by the imagery and setting of the commercial. Often there is some discrepancy witnessed between what is expected and the actual olfactory experience. Especially so when there are famous faces or egeries involved fronting the perfume.

On a nostalgic trip down memory line, Soir de Paris in a very old commercial, from 1958 to be exact, shows us the rapport between jus and image that existed initially. Soir de Paris by Bourjois is known as Evening in Paris in Anglophone cultures and the olfactory profile is a very refined aldehydic floral that has a touch of the Parisian melancholy and sense of glamour. In its vintage form it stood as a very elegant and lovely representation of everything that joyful Paris evoked in the imagination of countless American women, especially after having seen the classic film "An American in Paris".
Today, the Vermont Country Store is touting its stock of original Soir de Paris and everyone may have a slice of that glorious imagery of French women preparing for a Parisian outing in their strapless gowns and dainty high-heels. Watch the clip clicking here

Those days are over however. Very soon the visual aspect of a commercial went on to a completely different independent track, often creating images that do not correspond to the olfactory response of uncorking a perfume. Case in point is the following commercial for Poison from the mid 80s , when this perfume grenade initially launched to be the object of derision, huge sales and eventually legend. In the commercial a lady dressed in tailored clothes in the purple hues of the perfume’s bottle is sitting head tilted romantically, drapes being drawn as if to signify a new start, a revelation or a concealmentWatch the clip clicking here
Suffice to say that the bombastic juice that lurks inside that insidious purple bottle is radically different to what one might think watching those visuals. A potent, venomous elixir of sexual emancipation and witch-like power, it manages to make lovers and haters and nothing in between. Sadly this is hard to find today in a world in which the visual has become significantly more aggressive, while the olfactory has become astoundingly tamer. Contrast the above with the recent black panther commercial for Christian Dior Pure Poison and smell the respective jus and you will know what I mean.

Romantic images however do have a power on their own, corresponding or not to the perfume’s aroma. Such a romantic commercial is one of my personal favourites from the early 90s (around 1990-1992) for LouLou by Cacharel. I have already elaborated on what makes LouLou the perfume so evocative for me, but the advertising has played a major part in this as well, being inspired by Louise Brooks and her Lulu role in Pabst's film. The bluish tones of the film, paired with the insouciance of the young girl who talks to the camera is endearing and makes us view the perfume under the lens of an insouciant, unaffected girlish seduction. Which is not far off the mark of the perfume’s intent.
Watch the clip clicking here

The following commercial for Champs Elysees by Guerlain however is again in contrast to the jus inside. Shot in black and white on the eponymous Parisian street with gorgeous Sophie Marceau as the protagonist who exits a car stopping abruptly taking with her a bouquet of roses and a sac voyage to march off angrily and then self-awardingly on the famous street, it is too cinephile and hinting at a background story.
The effect is greatly augmented because it features one of the songs that would best illustrate an insinuating and dark perfume: Glory B0x by Portishead. The music is so suggestive that it would be great underscoring trully dark, biting frags such as Poivre by Caron or Ambre Sultan by Lutens. The tagline of “life is best when you write the script by yourself” is meant to evoke exactly a cinematic reference and independence. However the jus of Champs Elysees is oblivious to such scheming and trails off in candied blackcurrant buds and mimosas tumbling out of its sunny coloured bottle. Too tame by half...Watch the clip clicking here

To finish this exploration of the correspondence between visual image and perfume composition, two last examples. One is of a commercial capturing the essence of the perfume, that of Sicily by Giuseppe Tornatore featuring the beautiful, expressive as a weeping widow Monica Belluci, an uber-woman if there ever was one. A perfume that is indeed quiet, but not undistinctive; cosy, old fashioned in its way, soapy like the white linen of a neorealistic film’s heroine. It did not manage to be a best-seller, but the connection between what seems to be a very Mediterranean concept and its scent is masterfully accomplishedWatch the clip clicking here

And then there is the aggressive luxe of a baroque mansion in which strides stripping all the while the statuesque Charlize Theron for Dior’s J’adore. Although the presentation and imagery is one of opulence, J’adore is no more than a nicely put floral with violet, orchid and rose and scattered fruity touches on top. Certainly not the super exclusive thing alluded to. But a brand of a reputation for luxury and with a couture show to support had to go to extravagant lengths to cement the opulent touch in our minds. And Charlize’s commercial was indeed very successful in that regard. Because who wouldn’t want to emulate her? Watch the clip clicking here

Next post will be really funny, guaranteed!

Perfume advertising 3: gender play (multimedia clips)

The issue of what differentiates female from male idiosyncrasies in general is complicated enough. In perfume terms the composition of different formulas for the two sexes (roughly floral and oriental for the ladies, woody and citrus for the gentlemen) is a fairly recent phenomenon, dating from the dawn of modern perfumery in the end of the 19th century. Up till then, there was pretty much lots of leeway for men to delve in floral waters of the Victorian era or even the rich civet and musk laden compositions of the 18th century decadence. The issue of how male and female attributes translate in the iconography of perfume though is worth investigating for its many surprising facets.

Here today I decided to delve in some perfume commercials that redefine the role of gender as we know it.
The 70s were the years when it was acceptable for the first time after many long years for a woman to appear in pants. Up till then, emulating a man’s wardrobe was considered outré and not to be encouraged. In upscale restaurants and hotels in the 60s, time of the mini, it was customary to ask ladies in pantsuits to remove the pants and just wear the long jackets as dresses. Katherine Hepburn in her signature slacks was repeatedly asked to use the staff hotel stairways when going to see Spencer Tracy some years prior. In that regard, the first ad for perfume that showcased this new freedom was Charlie by Revlon. Codenamed “Cosmo” while being developed, as this was intended for the young and liberated Cosmopolitan readers, that magazine being full of women’s liberation articles back then besides the tips for better sex; it then got named Charlie from the first name of Charles Revson, owner of Revlon. The face of Charlie was Shelley Hack whom you may remember as part of “Charlie’s Angels” TV series, here with Bobby Short. Watch the clip clicking here

Indeed watching the commercial, Shelley dressed in a shiny satiny ensemble of pants and shirt, with a matching little hat on her short bouncy do, it takes a close up to see that it’s actually a female. The fact that she is thin and with no discernible décolletage makes it even more risqué. As she sprays the perfume on her neck while in the car before getting out at her destination we get a glimpse of what an emancipated woman is like; driving, wearing the pants, getting alone to the place she is invited. There is no need for a man to accompany her. She is the man in her life. So recent commercials compared to that seem to tie women to their traditional roles of either homemaking material (pretty, happy) or dangerous fantasy (aggressive seductresses). But that is as much a societal phenomenon as to warrant a separate article of its own on another venue.

Many years later it was advertising provocateur Calvin Klein who brought homosexuality in the mainstream with his memorable commercials. As an aside when talking about the issue, please note that it is males of such a preference who feature prominently in the ads, not women. This may have to do with more homosexual men being involved in the media in the first place (and we all know the designing world is full of them), but it also has to do with the taboo of female homosexuality in advertising as well. For some reason, women in advertisers’ minds should be seen as dynamic, but not butch, aggressive as they are often depicted in the sexual arena, but not manly. I guess it has to do with the male mindframe being deeply disturbed by the idea that a woman renounces the attributes that make him the center of her universe, even though he may renounce those that make him desirable to her! Egotistical though it may sound, men seem flattered if women are concentrating on them. Homoerotic female images are desirable – and intensely so- only if they entail a man eventually and only if the ladies in question outwardly look very stereotypically feminine. To revert to Calvin Klein though, his commercials exploit the homoerotic ideal to the max. A series of commercials for Obsession as well as Eternity used photographer Herb Ritts as the vehicle for an aesthetic that was distinct in an American way.
To witness, these 4 short clips for Eternity for men from the 80s, featuring the exotic Shana Zadhrick as the female presence in an otherwise male territory, which idolize the male physique, sculpted during long hours at the -then- temple: the gym. The droplets of water on rippled flesh, the eroticism of swimmers’ bathing suits, the movement that is resembling diving. Everything speaks of the promise of a different erotic experience.
Watch the clip clicking here

And then of course we have the cheeky ironic representation of Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier. The theme is reprised in a tongue-in-cheek way (as Gaultier takes himself far less seriously than Klein) and the sailor and his uniform, both a nod to a popular homosexual icon and Jean Paul’s favourite matelot top as well, make their appearance in ads that emanate a playful mockery. Le Male the jus is full of the traditional male note of lavender and yet it is so sweet that it has a candy like tone, like only someone who is totally oblivious to rules of propriety is capable of carrying off. In the following commercial Gaultier not only depicts the sexual deviant of a sailor, but dresses a woman in the sailor uniform -shot from behind, walking in what seems a bar full of such sailors- in a transvestite effort in reverse, having her kiss another male, only to reveal that underneath her clothes she is corseted in the traditional attire of her sex from long ago, to match the torso of his eponymous feminine scent, known as Classique. It is important to note that the ad refers to men and the eternal female. Even openly homosexual men have their prejudices about women I guess, or perhaps they have had strong female icons in their environment shaping their views on the subject, as in Gaultier’s case with his grandma. Watch the clip clicking here

In another Jean Paul Gaultier commercial, this time for Classique only, several models sit on a table talking about l’amour (love), differentiating in attire and image as day and night, one of them being the androgynous Eve Salvail, a Canadian model with a tattoo on her shaven head. The old woman suddenly and briefly morphs into Gaultier himself, as if the designer wants to remind us that some part of his grandmother's spirit which inspired the perfume still lives in him. Whatever, Classique is a very feminine scent. Watch the clip clicking here

While at it, you can witness the difference in perception of what is appropriate and what is not in the iconography of these two similar print ads for Paris by YSL, under artistic direction of Tom Ford. The top one is the US version, nipples covered and the effeminate face of the guy cut from the photo, only the cuff hinting at a ménage a trois. In the European version, shown here, however, such niceties do not cut it and the whole deal is laid bare –pun intended- for readers. Pity Paris perfume which used to be viewed as elegant, it now has earned a reputation for racy.

Last but not least, Calvin Klein again plays the gender bender with his masterful commercial "Altered States" (which reminds me of a William Hurt starring film) for both CKone and CKbe. The diaphanous and black bottles respectively are used in brilliant effect for a morphing computer play that emits a weird and truly wonderful vibe that compels the viewer to watch the clip over and over again. I find it seriously cool in its androgyny despite the eerie factor. The limits between the sexes have never been thinner and the interplay between the two is evinced in the unisex jus of the two perfumes which represent two different moods, but never two different sexes. Watch the clip clicking here The 90s heralded the cult of the unisex, or euphemistically called shared perfumes and the commercials that played upon this were many and varied. In my opinion this is the most memorable and worth watching one. What the future brings is anyone's guess.

Next post will revert to softer, more romantic notions and the discrepancy between image and smell.

Pics from imagesdesparfums.

Perfume advertising 2: the boundaries of fantasy (multimedia clips)

In my previous entry I got the ball rolling and discussed the merits and progression ofChanel #5commercials in an effort to elucidate what fantasy can do for advertising purposes when done stylishly. Perfume advertising’s power lies in its ability to make us dream, to yield in escapism bringing into play an array of male and female types from mythologies which meld standard notions of what man and woman stand for. Those types address the natural and essential aspiration of consumers to partake of a desired personality. This takes either one of two possible ways: to be different, that is to become the person we would like to be; or, to be oneself, to affirm the person we believe ourselves to be. Of course fantasy is not exclusive to Chanel #5 as today’s post is going to show. There are other commercial clips aired on TV that have relied on the exploitation of sublime ideas far above the normal realm of what a perfume conveys, which would be smelling good. In this domain Chanel does excel it seems as they really do give a thought about it and they employ only top-notch professionals. The results speak for themselves.

Proof for that is one of their greatest commercials to date, the classic one for Egoiste, a men’s perfume from 1990. The commercial is brilliantly set to Prokofiev’s music from his ballet Romeo and Juliet “dance of the knights”. The magisterial, eerie and ominous score opens the scene when women shot in black and white cry and spell curses on the egoist male “hero” who has been tormenting them, daring him to show his face. As soon as a male hand opens one blind in what looks like a luxe French hotel, leaving the bottle of the Chanel product on the sill, the film turns into colour and the women enraged at his arrogance to show up so provocatively bang their shutters crying out “Egoist” with all their might. It is worth noting that all gowns are designed by Karl Lagerfeld, not two are the same, but also even the interiors of the briefly glimpsed rooms are all decorated differently.This is no typical advertising, in that it does not try to present any desirable trait on first reading, in compliance with the very imaginative use of the perfume’s name, which otherwise would guarantee its flop. The male protagonist remains unknown as we never see him fully, but his exploitations, although of a dubious moral substance, create a sense of primitive male pride in conquering in the stakes of female hunting.This consolidates the stereotype of a male Lothario who appears just in time that women have established their prowess in the workforce and perhaps feel the need to regress in their more feminine role of the hunted. The French have always depicted their female role-models in their advertisements as passive anyway, the myth equivalent of Venus in contrast to the independent Diana of the American prototype. If the advertising seemed daring and provocative enough in its depiction of the sexes, it is a testament to its artistry that sixteen years later Egoiste is still with us, a wonderful men’s perfume chosen by discerning women even for themselves, set to a terrific commercial that has written advertising history single-handedly. Watch the clip clicking here

Egoiste had a follow-up flanker perfume, Egoiste Platinumin 1994 that followed the concept of the male egoist of the previous commercial. This time it reprises the male hero who is battling with his alter-ego or consience, shown as a domineering force of a shadow on the wall taking life of its own and speaking in a voice over that insists he is nothing but an egoist threatening to take his place. The man takes a beating and then retaliates. Set to the same musical score and brilliantly shot, it is somehow tamer as it takes back much of the force of statement the original did about an undesirable (or is it?) personality trait that cemented the reputation of the first commercial’s character. As this aired in mid-90s, a time of political correctness and the perfume itself was made with an eye on the huge American market (where indeed it is more popular than the original Chanel fragrance) it shows the time frame in which it was conceived in plain sight. Still, it is imaginative and superbly executed. Watch the clip clicking here

Next in our discussion of fantasy in terms of perfume advertising comes the controversial and rare gem of Obsessionby Calvin Klein in 1985. This clip comes from beforeObsession became tied to overt sexual provocateur imagery painted with Bruce Weber’s aesthetic and certainly long before the Kate Moss anorexic ads of the mid90s. It aired briefly because of pedophile overtones that aptly tied with the effulgent tag line “Love is child’s play once you’ve known Obsession”. It cost it swift termination though and an ingenious spoof acted out on Saturday Night Live for “Compulsion”. In this clip a young boy of no more than 12 is reminiscing about a young woman who seems to be the object of his obsession, unattainable and therefore desirable, an idol for his worship, for which he wonders if she was real or whether he invented her. the inclusion of chess scene conveys a celebral quality as well, also being a scheming hint that requires thought. The young female model is wholesome and at the same time mesmerizing in a peculiar way, without ever becoming vulgar. The models all wear the classic casual-chic neutral palette of Calvin Klein with plain yet somehow distinctive tailoring that helped Klein become a force in the American fashion scene. The female protagonist, a Diana-like effigy in her slender athletic physique and stance manages to instill desire and yearning, making us want to become such a powerful impression on someone else’s mind as well. Of course the choice of an adolescent boy over which she exerts her power might be attributed either to advertisers being hesitant to completely overturn the tables and show female dominance over a studly mature male or else a penchant of Klein for adolescence and the provocation angle this offers. We might as well consider the equally controversial print campaign for his Jeans line at the end of the 90s, when adolescents posed in sets that resembled 70s pornographic photos from gay magazines. That one raised hell as well earning it banning. It is safe to assume that Calvin Klein has always cleverly capitalized on sex and its implication, pushing the limits on many of his ad campaigns and yet, his outlook and aesthetic although daring and challenging has not become vulgar or common like campaigns of late, Tom Ford’s direction for Paris perfume for Yves Saint Laurent for instance or Dior Addict displaying acres of glistening naked skin. Klein did show skin a lot, especially in the carnal decade, but somehow (perhaps naively) you got the impression that he really did like the images and did not only do it for the bucks. Watch the clip clicking here

Speaking of using sex as a selling point done in a completely fascinating way can be witnessed in the following Shalimar by Guerlain commercial. Rare and coming from 1984, it exploits the rich history of this legendary scent by genious Jacques Guerlain. Named after the gardens where a royal tale of love bloomed resulting in one of the greatest monuments on earth, the Taj Mahal, Shalimar has from the start been inextricably tied to seduction and oriental mystique. Said commercial is distinctly 80s in its imagery, using the glamorous and sensuous images of that time frame and a brief retro shot of the Prohibition 20s in sepia, reminding as that Shalimar is “as close to forever as a perfume can go” ( the most fitting tagline ever!). Set to what sounds like a ChopinNocturne (although I haven’t checked, so I might be wrong) it creates a mood ripe for romance, galvanizing our imagination. Racy and yet tasteful, from sucking on candy to the purring voice-over, from the wet splashing on a fully made-up face that was oh-so-now back then to the shot of a foot fetishly shod in a high heeled sandal, it manages to make women and men alike dream about seduction and sensuousness, achieving an esteemed place in my mind as one of the most memorable commercials I have ever seen. Watch the clip clicking here

To come full circle, no other than Chanel again for Cocoperfume for today’s last play on fantasy. Shot in France in 1992 by Jean Paule Goude, it is perhaps the most surrealistic of them all and the most masterful in its subtle but powerful subconscious message. It involves the birdcage in which a swinging Vanessa Paradis is the rare enslaved bird of a rich plume whistling melodiously when the drops of Cocoare spilled by a gloved hand; the thunderstorm cracking outside the Parisian apartment, the ghost of a woman who looks like Coco herself viewed briefly in the end in a white classic suit, crossing the leg by the window in a pose of defiance and utter chic. As Cocohas been advertised with the line “l’esprit de Chanel” (Chanel’s spirit, as it was inspired by her baroque appartment) it uses both wordplay (as spirit connotes both personality and liquid) and imagery to drive the point home. And it succeeds admirably. The inclusion of a white aristocratic pedigree cat, watching the caged “bird” come to life fascinated is a playful touch alluding to luxury but also possibly male attraction in the traditional hunter role, in a superb clip that makes the viewer want to awaken the hidden side, the singing side, the one talked about in the poem by Maya Angelou, “I know why the caged bird sings”. In such a commercial the limits of fantasy are so much challenged that it becomes a tale in itself, living the viewer enraptured in a reverie of unsurpassed mastery. Watch the clip clicking here

Next post will tackle the difficult subject of gender play in advertising.

Perfume advertising: Chanel No.5 and multimedia technology

The issue of perfume advertisements arises from time to time, with mixed results. Usually it has to do with the shock value of something or the sheer ingenuity of advertisers who come up with catchy phrases and images to embed an idea in our minds for ever. Although print ads have their merits and I will devote entries on them in the future, I think it has been already done so I have been trying to expand into the multimedia world of TV and theater commercials. In the interest of accomplishing that I have compiled a great annex of commercials on my main info site, Perfume Shrine and it will appear soon on-line (patience!). But first I wanted to discuss the matter here, so the next few entries will be devoted to the analysis of perfume advertising with the provision of commercial clips. I have of course decided to edit and not present all the clips; I just chose the most memorable ones and those which serve the purpose of illustrating my points.

Perfume commercials and their study shows the evolution not only of the deviousness in advertising or the images that capture each generation’s fantasy, but also the emergence of different aesthetic values based on the zeitgeist and the artistic contribution of celebrated individuals in their respective fields. This aspect is fascinating, aggrandizing the subconscious and examining how tastes differ between various cultures. Naturally, the sources of perfume advertising stem from two main sources, the US and Europe, so the contrasting and comparing is in most cases done between the two. Contemplating the schism between the two cultures over years of advertising, one realises that it is not that great after all, at least in this particular field, since people have been influenced by one another. Of course there are also examples of marked differences both in cultural sensitivities and in chronological advancement, especially since the AIDS epidemic which almost eliminated public displays of eroticism in the media, as well as the trend for “clean” perfumes and the newly fanged “celebrity perfume” which influenced advertising on its own by grafting the center of the commercial from the fantastical and fictional to the famous individual who represents a specific association already in the consumer’s mind. Nevertheless, each commercial stands on its own and has its merits and its flaws.


The first series of clips I was interested in exploring was Chanel’s for her iconic Chanel #5 perfume. It is a prime example that exhibits the evolution of aesthetics and advertising admirably, while all the while transpiring the message of a perfume imbued in fantasy, rather than reality. Chanel #5 has always been -also- a miracle of marketing. From the tales of Coco Chanel herself who supposedly sprayed the perfume in theaters and shops to garner attention and public awareness and who also gave small batches to her most exclusive clients, this perfume has stood the test of time not only on the merits of its mesmerizing jus, but also because the choice of bottle, packaging, colour coordination and overall presentation has been impeccable over the years. The first clip I found on this one comes from a UK ad in 1970. A haphazard meeting of a man and a woman in an art gallery. From the quite awkward event, characters dressed in the wide pants of the era (and yes, the lady is wearing them as well, as a symbol of emancipation) to the makeup and the stylized coif, the images progress in a cinematic flash back of the lady preparing for her day carelessly applying some Chanel #5 while chatting on the phone, her Afgan dog on the white sofa that matches her outfit; while at the end, it’s Chanel #5 that has provided the trigger for the romantic tête-à-tête in the sunset, when the lady is wearing a gown (so we know romantic time is coming) and her hair in an updo. The notion behind it is devious in that it insinuates that Chanel#5 is both sophisticated enough for an art gallery setting for a modern smart lady of means but also for more intimate moments.


Next comes the classic image provided by the artistry of british director Ridley Scott in 1979. The whole concept is exquisite: the woman is lying on the pool, with a seductive and dreamy voice-over: “I am made of blue sky and golden light and I will feel this way for ever”. The image of the airplane soaring in the blue sky, casting the shadow of a shark in the pool momentarily and then the man across swimming to her, aggresively one might say, while she languorously drinks up the sunshine, bronzed and made-up vividly in red and grey blue, has been embedded to the subconscious of anyone involved in perfume; even Chandler Burr's who used this image for another perfume review recently in his column. This proves the artistry and cunning of the concept. “Share the fantasy” the tagline ends and it is indeed a fantasy that transpires through watching the clip. Chanel #5 is again the perfume of indulgence and luxury (private pools being a scarce commodity back then), the escape to other worlds for people in the UK and colder climates, who dreamed to be in a tropical paradise and yearned for a setting of this kind

The next clip in the chronological series is also made by Ridley Scott, in 1980, who here again uses the elements of the luxuriant vacation spot, the blue waters and the sparseness of composition. All the while the old song “Sea of love” plays in the background. Carole Bouquet, then face of Chanel #5, is decked out in classic austere black, with a wide rim straw hat, also black, and a black one-piece swimsuit. Très chic in her red lipstic, an exclamation point on the white canvas of her skin and an invitation to sexuality. A close-up on her shoes reveals the brand name Chanel, while her white earrings also bear the logo of the brand, so as the viewer never mixes this up with anything else. The setting seems to be a private house in Cote d’Azur or Capri, all Mediterranean colours (of which Scott is very fond of, for those who know). A well suited man comes down a boat (which is odd, but maybe we could bypass it, as it might want to convey an image of authority and financial power) and as Carole leans back her big hat providing an exquisite “cadre” for the shot, they kiss. It’s only at the last shot that we realize that the pool is also shaped in the shape of Chanel #5 bottle. The exact same tagline of “Share the fantasy” (spoken in the french accents of Carole) finds its master in this admirable clip.


Following is a clip from the French director Luc Besson and eerie, wonderful music from by Danny Elfman (Tim Burton’s sidekick; this is from the film Edward Scissorhands). This one is actually my favourite of all the Chanel #5 commercials to date, if only because it brilliantly plays on the Little Red Riding Hood tale and the eroticism and naughtiness associated with it psychologically. Estella Warren dressed up in red and shoed in red dancing shoes enters playfully and mock-innocently the big vault where #5 is kept, the walls all quilted as a nod to the famous Chanel bags; from the plethora of bottles she picks one, lovingly holding it for a sec and luxuriously applies some drops on her neck. Picks up the bottle and places it in her straw basket lined in plaid cloth, to further drive in the point of the tale; while the unmistakable form of a wolf comes from the corridors following the thief Estelle, who finally dons her red cape and hood and opens the vault to the great city that lies beyond, Paris, the Tour d’Eiffel on the background, majestic, lighted up in the night. She makes an authoritative gesture to shush the wolf, who obeys, undoubtedly enslaved by the magical feminine fumes emanating from her. She goes out into Paris, the great unknown, city of wonder, ready for a greater adventure, while the male wolf is wailing into the night. What a masterpiece, what use of imagination….I am trully enslaved! I actually bought again some Chanel #5after this, I have to admit (Is my perfumista card revoked after this admission to superficial lure?). This is the power of advertising: It not only lures you to consider something as desirable and necessary when it might not be; it can be so cunning as to make you buy something as an endorsement to the great sense of style the brand possesses, as if you become a conspirator, an accomplish to a tale of mystery and naughtiness. Ah…these are the great ones! There is another splendid version of the tale, again by Besson, but I have kept that one on my extensive list for further viewing, for those interested.


The latest commercial for Chanel#5 is testament to both what great filmmaking can do and what the limitations of fantasy might be. Directed by Aussie director Baz Lurhman, starring Nicole Kidman as the undisputed protagonist of our collective consiousness, decked from head to toe in Karl Lagerfeld couture for Chanel, and brilliantly set to the completely magical score of Clair de Lune by Debussy, it runs a whole two minutes and looks more like a regular film than a perfume commercial, earning it the tagline of costliest commercial to date. I won’t try to recount the plot here, as it would spoil the climax, suggice to say that Nicole plays the role of a dancer who disappeared and is chased by the paparazzi, meeting an unsuspecting dashing male in the taxi she enters to escape them. Everything in the film speaks of romance, memories, the imprint of an ill-fated love affair, the luxury and grandeur of someone who is obviously at the top of the world, as is indeed the building on which Nicole and her lover consummate their affair. Everything has to do with catching the moment and making it last for an eternity and this particular angle is not only prime for catching an advertiser’s eye but also the consumer’s who wishes to impart lasting impressions via the most ephemeral of adornments, perfume. In a nutshell the dream of immortality, if only in the memory of a loved one. However this commercial, when contrasted with the previous one, shows a lack of naughtiness (despite the effort on Nicole’s part to convey it with her body language and face expressions on occasion) and less imagination applied, because the situations although majestic and in the sphere of the super-famous do seem tangible and rooted in reality. This I think is the only "flaw" (if one might be so bold as to use such a term) of this last commercial and the reason it is not my absolute favourite in the Chanel #5 series; nevertheless it is always a joy to watch and not to be missed.