Chanel’s classicism
never ceases to amaze and its latest wrist watch advertising campaign is no
exception. Released as video shorts and a series of
two-page black and white spreads this June in such luxury glossies as WSJ
Magazine, each covers two central actors: the human body and the hands' placement on a Chanel watch face. The timing between the two is an exciting Everything in the Now.
It’s the visual congruences
between creatively positioning the axes of the human form: torso, arms and/or legs replicated
by the positioning of the dial hands that gives the campaign its innovation and freshness. Gone is the cliched watch hands' emoticon advertising standard of ten minutes to two subjecting us to a suggested happy dial face and a brand's name or logo.
For Chanel, each image sequence, whether print or video, visually defines what it means to be in The Chanel Moment i.e. L'Instant.
For Chanel, each image sequence, whether print or video, visually defines what it means to be in The Chanel Moment i.e. L'Instant.
One of my favorite print/video combo's is below. Three minutes to one. No better time for a
summer's drive on an imaginary Riviera!
The campaign was originally unveiled at Baselworld 2014 to rave reviews. The
ads feature the Polish fashion model Monica “Jac” Jagaciak; the Chinese
fashion model, Fei Fei Sun; and the Angolan/Portuguese model, Sharam Diniz. The trio teams with the three Chanel L’Instant collections, Chanel Première, J12, and Mademoiselle Privé.
The photography was done by acclaimed 70 year-old French fashion photographer, Patrick Demarcheiler, who some readers may remember appeared in the documentary, The September Issue about Anna Wintour and American Vogue. Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele did the smartly magnificent model styling.
This is the first time in 20 years that Chanel has featured its watches in an advertising campaign.
The photography was done by acclaimed 70 year-old French fashion photographer, Patrick Demarcheiler, who some readers may remember appeared in the documentary, The September Issue about Anna Wintour and American Vogue. Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele did the smartly magnificent model styling.
This is the first time in 20 years that Chanel has featured its watches in an advertising campaign.
I hope that the summertime
activities Chanel has chosen including sunbathing, swimming, sailing, and motoring will be followed by wintertime’s
skiing, ice skating, sleigh riding and a relaxing fireside après ski gathering, all exemplifying L’ Instant. Selfish me, but I'd also like to have at least another seasonal pairing of Chanel and Patrick
Demarcheiler/Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele.
Wouldn't you?