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: 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.

Perfume advertising: multimedia technology to our benefit

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 #5has always been 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. ] Watch it clicking here 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 kindWatch the clip clicking here

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. Watch the clip clicking here

Following is a clip from the French director Luc Besson and eerie, wonderful music by Danny Elfman (Tim Burton’s sidekick, if that tells you anything; this is from the film Edward Scissorhands). This one is actually my favourite of all the Chanel #5commercials 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. Watch the clip cliking here What a masterpiece, what use of imagination….I am trully enslaved. I actually bought again some Chanel #5 after this, I have to admit. This is the power of advertisement. 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.Watch the clip clicking here 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.

Next I go on to critique more controversial stuff sure to elicit response. Stay tuned.