A Retrospective of Chanel TV Advertising

Greetings to all and my posse of followers! So, having narrowly avoided dying of exhaustion, leading to a potential possible mental breakdown (Is playing with a plasma ball for ten minutes, continuously saying nothing but 'Mwahaha' in a variety of different ways then listening to 'I am the Walrus' three times in a row, while dancing Gangnam Style worrying? At all?) which I think I am now drawing away from, I return to my blog. Tomorrow, it is my Birthday, and I shall turn seventeen - cue a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' by Altered Images - and at the end of next week, I shall be off on a much-needed holiday in the South of France which may delay my being sent to the nearest Asylum by a few weeks. At the same time, I have now accepted that nothing has come of the audition which I previously mentioned, and I am moving on. :) Life doesn't end just because little things go wrong (Or don't happen, as is the case here)

 

So... here is my retrospective of Chanel TV advertising. These are mainly adverts for No.5, but I have a Coco Mademoiselle advertisement too and a few for men's perfumes, Chance and No.19. On the subject of the vow in my last post to write more regularly, this was sort of going to be posted on Saturday, but I was just too tired to do more than find the videos. Anyway, I hope you like the videos I've found. I know that the quality is not great in all of them, but I honestly spent ages trying to find the best quality.

 

 

CHANEL NO.5

 

A timeless classic that still is a number one seller over eighty years after its launch in 1921.
Created by Earnest Beaux, No.5 was the first perfume ever created using so much Aldehydes, which gives the fragrance its sparkle. Legend has is that Beaux presented Chanel with ten fragrances to choose from. (Or so the story goes...) Chanel chose perfume number five, hence the name.

 

Top Notes

Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Aldehydes

Middle Notes
Jasmine, Mayrose 

Base Notes
Sandalwood, Vetiver

 

 

1) Not an ad, but the Baudruchage... I just thought it was quite a cute, short little video.

 

2) During the 1960s the ads had diminished the allure of Chanel No. 5, identifying it with a scent for sweet, proper co-eds whose style bibles were teen-age fashion magazines. In the 1970s the brand name needed re-vitalization. For the first time in its long history it ran the risk of being labelled as mass market and passé. The fragrance was removed from drug stores and similar outlets. Outside advertising agencies were dropped. The remaking was re-imagined by Jacques Helleu, the artistic director for "Parfums Chanel." Helleu chose French actress Catherine Deneuve for the new face of Chanel. The print ads showcased the iconic sculpture of the bottle. Here is a Catherine Deneuve advertisement from 1978. Do enjoy! 

 

3) Another Catherine Deneuve, but this one earlier, from 1973. It is known as "Whispered," by Helmut Newton.

 

 

 

 

 

4) From 1986 - the earliest advert with Carole Bouquet which I can confirm (or at least think I can confirm the date, but humour me if it is not the case) This one, directed by Ridley Scott, is known as 'Monuments' and with the sound of Nina Simone's "My Baby Just Cares for Me," it is a stunning piece of advertising. Carole Bouquet looks too beautiful for words.

 

5) Advertising film from 1990 and inspired by Rita Hayworth in 'Gilda', I think this is truly beautiful and I am glad that, even in the english advertising, I do not believe they changed the French words uttered by Carole Bouquet. I can hardly imagine it working in any other language... though Gilda was in English.

 

6) Another advertising film from 1990, known as "La star," by Ridley Scott, with Carole Bouquet and Music: "Sea of Love" - This is a lovely advert, very chic. I like the marine influence and the lighting but, above all, I must say that I love that hat with the red lipstick. Classy and Elegant. 

 

7) In the 1950s the glamour of Chanel No. 5 was reignited by Marilyn Monroe, with her unsolicited endorsement of the fragrance providing invaluable, free publicity. After all, we all know that in a 1954 interview, when asked what she wore to bed, the film star famously responded: "Five drops of Chanel No. 5." This advert from the 90s with the inimitable Carole Bouquet pays homage to that in a charming way rather than the slightly creepy 'J'adore Dior' advert with Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich and Grace Kelly.

 

8) This has a very artistic quality... all the ones from this era do, but this one has, I feel, something particularly poetic and beautifully crafted. "I am made of Blue Sky and Golden Light." I am afraid I know next to nothing of this advertisement. Only that it's from around 1979-early 80s, and I am incertain of who the model is. I really cannot tell from the angle and can only suggest that it may be Carole Bouquet, but I am not sure it looks like her and I would also say that it's too early to be her. What is interesting about this commercial, if you are looking at it properly, is the shoes to the right side of the woman.  Well, if you notice at the beginning while she is laying poolside, she has two shoes next to her...then when the plane's shadow passes over there is only one shoe (she must have knocked it in the pool). The man goes in to retrieve it for her and that is what he is carrying when he gets out of the pool. When he "disappears" the shoe "reappears" next to the other one. See? The devil is in the detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 9) Advertisement from about 1982, directed by Ridley Scott, "I Don't Want to Set the World On Fire" by the Ink Spots and, I believe, covered by Bobby Scott. Perfect, even with a shadow of airplane gliding up the Transamerica building in San Francisco - slightly eerie since 2001.  

 

 

 

 

 

10) Synchronised Swimmer, Model and Actress, Estella Warren, in this ad from... 1998? Though somebody told me it was 2002. How should I know? I was three and seven respectively in those years. But... it is a Luc Besson.

 

11) Advertising film from 1998, known as "Le loup," another one by Luc Besson, with Estella Warren and Music by Danny Elfman from Edward Scissorhands.... and wouldn't we all like to know where the WALL of Chanel No.5 is kept?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Le Film - Chanel No.5

 

Advertising film from 2004. I have great respect for Nicole Kidman as an actress, and for Baz Luhrmann as a director, and for the beautiful 'Claire de Lune' by Claude Debussy and Rodrigo Santoro isn't exactly uneasy on the eye but, as much as I think this is stunningly shot and I like the fact it has a storyline, it left me a little... indifferent? It's very Moulin Rouge (a film I really enjoy) and everything, modernised, but the highlight for me was the Debussy. I don't think there is a particular reason for this; just personal preference.

 

 



 

 

 This is more my scene, advertising wise. Audrey Tautou being stalked by a handsome man while onboard something very reminiscent of the Orient Express, heading towards Istanbul.What could be better? One can also, of course, recognise the beautiful work of Jean Pierre Jeunet in directing this and I think this more subtle and charming advert is a perfect example of a modern one.

 

 

 

 

 

So... now we've seen those, what are we thinking about the new Chanel No.5 adverts with Brad Pitt?

Me? I am not wholly appreciative. I think I understand what Chanel was trying to go for, but personally I find it lamentable - cheesy and rather pretentious, not like the classy adverts which the TV audience have been treated to in the past. Yes, they wanted to refresh their image but I do not think this has worked. The only good which can come of this are the spoof videos which are certain to follow. Anyway, do take a moment to watch Brad Pitt's nonsensical ramblings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COCO MADEMOISELLE

 

Top Notes

Orange, Bergamot, Grapefruit

 

Middle Notes

Litchi, Rose, Italian Jasmine

 

Base Notes

Indonesian Patchouli, Haitian Vetiver, Bourbon Vanilla, White Musk

 

Perfume launched in 2001, first with Kate Moss, before being replaced as definite spokeswoman with the lovley Keira Knightley in 2006, with the advert below (right) launched in 2007, directed by BAFTA Award winning director Joe Wright.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHANEL NO.19

 

Named after Chanel's birthday (19th August). A sophisticated scent which was created especially for Coco Chanel to use and to give to friends and favourite clients, Chanel No.19 is much less famous than No.5, but that does not mean that it has not been advertised in the past, even if it does not seem to be lately. I find these ads, mainly from the eighties, very charming. Of course, in every advertisement, there is subliminal messaging of what the product could bring you other than, in this case, a great perfume. This is the reason why it is most often Sunny in ads and why beautiful, young people in stylish clothes are used - they may even be on Holiday, and they most certainly drive a very nice car.

In this ad, the not-so-subliminal key message seems to be: "This perfume is great for kissing a man when he leasts expects it." Cue, images of a man looking surprised as a beautiful, confident, well-dressed young lady wearing Chanel No.19 leaps onto him. Ah yes. So THAT's what they are selling.... Sexual Confidence. :)

 

Top Notes

Galbanum, Bergamot, Neroli, Hyacinth

 

Middle Notes

Rose, Orris, Jasmine, Narcissus, Muguet, Ylang-Ylang 

 

Base Notes

 

 

Musk, Sandal, Oakmoss, Leather, Cedarwood

 

 

Anyway, it is a lovely perfume and I hope you like these ads I've dug up. Once again, sorry about the Quality of a couple of them.

 

1) An advert from Christmas 1989 with the Tagline. "Witty, confident, devastatingly Feminine" - Chanel No.19 - and doesn't the model look lovely? Nothing sneering and aggressive or particularly supermodel about her pretty but sensible flat shoes, oversized white blouse and blue jeans. In fact, I would say that the way she is dressed is the epitomy of off-duty chic. This is my favourite of the Chanel No.19 advertisements.

 

2) An advert from 1982. This time, we are at the races and everyone's money is on Horse No.19, whom we watch speed through the starting gates and win the race while a beautiful, elegant woman sits watching and a man speaks of the perfume. Chanel No. 19... exciting, audacious, bewitching and, of course, prodigious. A Fragance sure to excite your curiosity. If you do not believe me, then you will have to buy it and see for yourself.

 

3) An advert from 1990. The sound on this is quite low, so you might want to turn it up. Once again, the tagline is "Witty, confident, devastatingly Feminine" and this time we are visiting a filmset under the direction of a lovely dressed (I have to keep emphasising this point) female director. 

 

4) A Mediterranean feel to this one. Imagine the heat of the Summer. This is one I really cannot say much about. The model is familiar but I would not like to hazard a guess without being certain and I have no idea of the year. I can, however, say that the advertising music was composed by Pierre-Jean Gidon. Or  Georges Bodossian. I accidentally do not know which of the two it is.

 

5) I do not know the date on this one. If anyone has any idea, feel free to say so, but I can state that it features the model Patti Hansen (a.k.a. Mrs Keith Richards) This time the Tagline (following the same pattern of saying the name of the fragrance as the 1982 one, suggesting it is an ad from the early 1980s) is Chanel No.19 - Intriguing, Different and Devastatingly Sensual. That said, I would be glad if somebody who speaks better Spanish than my own would confirm this.

 

6) Another ad promoting Chanel No.19 as the perfect fragrance for catching men unawares with.a grab and a kiss, even while he is behind the wheel of a car. I am not sure but, even though he has stopped driving, I still think that it might be frowned upon as a health and safety hazard... he might accidentally step on the pedal of the car. Well, it is the 'Outspoken' Chanel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a recent revamp of No. 19, Chanel has drastically reduced the products available. In the UK the original splash bottles and refillable sprays of Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum have been discontinued, as have the two sizes of refillable Parfum spray. The Parfum is now only available in 7.5ml and 15ml size bottles (the Parfum has been discontinued in the USA altogether). The range of bath and body products, which was previously identical to the range available in No. 5, has now been reduced to Body Lotion and Bath and Shower Gel.

 

 

 

 

COCO

 

Top Notes

Angelica, Mimosa, Frangipani, Mandarin

Middle Notes

Cascarilla, Orange Flower, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine 

Base Notes

Labdanum, Ambrette Seed, Opopanax, Benzoin, Tonka, Vanilla

 

A Fragrance launched in 1984, this advert with Vanessa Paradis in "La cage aux oiseaux" dates from 1992. This is one of my all time favourite perfume advertisements, known as l'esprit de Chanel. Classy, elegant and, I feel, very well thought out... every detail is perfect, from Coco Chanel herself (well, someone pretending to be her) standing at the window to the cat looking at the songbird that is Vanessa Paradis, as though just waiting for her to come in reach of his sharp claws. What more could you want from a perfume ad?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHANCE

 

 Chance Fragrance Notes: Patchouli, Musk, Vetiver, Orris, Vanilla and Jasmine.

 

Perfume launched in 2002.

 

The Fun thing to do here? Well, you might notice that, after the first older advertisement, there are three ads with the same basis. It's great fun to set them off in a round since they all take the same amount of time and have the same music. Note: It doesn't take a lot to amuse me.

 

"The decidedly young scent for those who dare to dream."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Men's Perfumes 

 



 



Thank you for reading. Do Follow and please comment.


PS: Mention which your favourite of these is and also your favourite out of the Audrey Tautou one and Nicole Kidman one - I'd like to see if I am in a minority. :)





 

“Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need.”

Greetings! I apologise for my temporary absence and I was meaning to post this last Friday, but have had other things on my plate at the moment. *Sigh* Anyway, before Christmas I was going to do a review of the Perfume Adverts I had seen, but now I have simply chosen to present my top ten favourite Perfume Adverts I have ever seen - even a few that were made before I was born. Admittedly, this is certainly not helping me with my saying 'No' to persuasive shop assistants problem. Honestly, all a shop assistant has to do with a Perfume to get me to buy it (as long as it smells fine and has a lovely bottle shape) is to say 'You really need this.' or 'It's a Limited Edition Bottle.' Next thing you know, I'm telling myself 'Yes, I do need this.' and fishing out my purse to buy something I can ill afford.
Yet, at the same time, I'm on the School Debating Team. Why do I not simply apply my questioning, probing nature in Real Life Situations? Why? ... (Because I am helping keep the economy afloat)


1.   Lou Lou de Cacharel - 1988 - I love the simple beauty and elegance of this video, but it's real selling point for me was the moment when she looks up and answers the call, 'Lou lou?' with 'Oui C'est Moi.' Inexplicably perfect moment and, although it took me a while to choose which of the ten adverts I have picked to put at No.1, it had to be this. Here is the clip and, although it plays the advert twice and is in English (it is more beautiful in French) I chose it because of the Higher Quality.

2.   Egoiste de Chanel pour Homme - 1990 - This advert is purely brilliant. With Sergei Prokofiev's Dance of the Knights, filmed by Jean-Paul Goude, a building purely created for the advert (a copy of the Carlton Hotel in Cannes) and many beautiful women dressed in Chanel shouting, "Selfish ... Where are you? Show yourself miserable! Beware my wrath! I will be relentless. O rage! O despair! O my love betrayed? Have I lived so long for this infamy? Show yourself selfish! Selfish! Selfish! Selfish!" (I felt the need to translate for my English Readers) How could it be anything short of 'une merveille?'

3.   Chanel No.5 with Carole Bouquet (I believe the date is 1986, but the Internet is failing me) I feel almost guilty for not putting this higher, because I have quite literally watched this dozens of times and have never tired of it! It is probably personal preference, but I think it is the best of the three Chanel No.5 Adverts with Carole Bouquet, surpassing the fantastic 1994 Marilyn Monroe Metamorphis and the earlier one with Nina Simone's 'My baby just cares for me' in the background.  I find it absolutely beautiful and (once again) felt the need to include a translation of the dialogue for English Readers before... Ha ha ha! ... I found a clip from the film Gilda (1946) with Rita Hayworth that I can just add on underneath instead. Saves me time and adds a beautiful clip to the proceedings.

 Here is the Gilda (1946) clip I promised - Do you see the similarity?

4.  Rive Gauche de Yves Saint Laurent - 1980 - The advert for this one is one of my more recent discoveries. Although I had come across the perfume before, I had not thought of trying to find an advert for it until recently... and when I did, I was blown away. It is so French and Sophisticated, not to mention light-hearted. The way we heard the sound of her spraying the perfume as the man was speaking is wonderful; even if I had been feeling utterly miserable (probably realising I had spent too much. Again) it would have cheered me up.

5.   Chanel No.5 with Audrey Tautou - 2009 - Yes, I have posted a third Chanel advert, and had to restrain myself not to post another one. Namely, the fantastic concoction with Vanessa Paradis in a Bird Cage while a cat looks on hungrily and Coco Chanel stares out of the Window. *Sigh* Unfortunately, I must state that if I had posted that, this list would have lacked the variety I was trying to get (and semi-failed at getting) Anyway, here is the gorgeous advert you have probably all seen, in all it's two minute long glory.

6.   Paris de Yves Saint Laurent - 1998 - Another beautiful advert, though I should probably stop stating that, since they all are. What I loved about this one was a mixture of the music, the model's hair and gorgeous pink & black dress, the fact they are standing at the top of the eiffel tower, the elegantly gloved hand at the beginning and end, the helicopter.... in short, the advert as a whole. I find it deliciously charming and I adore the colours, especially when the model's eyes flick up to reveal how beautifully blue they are. Sincerely, only the second video I have ever watched that made me briefly wish I had blue eyes (the first was, of course, Isabelle Adjani's Pull Marine)

Anyway, here is the advert.

7.   Candy de Prada - 2011 - Mwahahaha! I shall be controversial. For some reason beyond myself, there are many people who dislike it. Now, although I might initially have been turned off by any perfume called something that sounds as sweet and as sugary as 'Candy', I was instantly converted when I saw the advert. To quote, "Prada Candy's advertising campaign for television stars Léa Seydoux, rising darling of French cinema, as an impulsive piano student who seduces her tutor with a provocative dance. The preeminent fashion image-maker Jean-Paul Goude directs the Prada Candy movie. Seydoux's hypnotic dance is inspired by the Apache dance, performed by street gangs of 1900s Paris. The dance is intense and fierce, expressing a primitive battle of passion between a man and a woman; a battle the woman often won."

Without having even seen it, I could have read that description and known it would have appealed to me. I love the opulence and Léa Seydoux looks so cute and elegant in her black dress with Pink Knickers. Who would have guessed all that could have come from a fragrance called 'Candy'?

8.   Midnight Poison de Dior with Eva Green - 2007 - This one is one of the adverts that has grown on me, rather than appealing to me straight from the beginning (although I never found it unappealing) and I must say, I like the advert a lot more than the perfume, which is very entêtant, and there is no better way to describe it than that. I distinctly remember a point when I was young and foolish... and spent half an hour on the ferry from England to France, with my sister, trying all of Dior's various Poisons. Absolute Recipe for Disaster in a crowded car that has a good few hours on the road still to go before we reach our destination.

Anyway, returning to the advert: I really do not think there could be a lot which is much better than Eva Green in a Midnight Blue Dress with Muse in the background and a clock ticking. I will also add that I am not generally a fan of the more 'sexy' adverts. What do you think? What do you think of using Muse for the music?

9.   Pour Elle et Lui de Jean Paul Gaultier, Le Baiser - 1997 - This is another one that is slightly out of my 'perfume zone' so to speak. I think that, like Lou Lou's 'Oui C'est Moi', the selling point for me in this instant, was the perfectly phrased 'Tu sens bon, tu sais?' followed by the look they give each other. Not only that but, although I am a semi-traditionalist in this regard, I do like the gender bending; the way the woman takes the lead role. It makes it all the more memorable. This advert is stylish, sexy and very Jean Paul Gaultier! How could I not love it? On a last note, I love the colouring and think the blue light is perfect, as well as the way it is beautifully shot and think the music in the background balances everything else perfectly. It adds a note of class.

10.   L'Air du Temps de Nina Ricci - 1995 - This should probably be a lot higher. It deserves to be a lot higher and is a true work of Art. However, everything was so close run and I can not forget that when I first saw this ad quite a few years ago, it really semi-bored me.

Now, I look at it as a sort of heavenly, sensual romance. I find it fascinating, with a strange, delicate and beautiful mix of what I would suppose is French and Indian Culture, even if it is a little 'creepy'.

I really can not explain it very well to be honest. Just watch, and I hope you will understand. Oh, and the woman forty seconds into the video is one of most beautiful things you will see, which also manages to be scary (another example of this is Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands)

So... now I have told you all the perfume adverts I have absolutely adored, I think there is space for one I have really not liked. It is quite popular so maybe I have misunderstood it. Anyway, here is the atrocity.

THE WORST PERFUME ADVERT (excluding adverts for celebrity fragances. They do not count)

Parisienne de Yves Saint Laurent featuring Kate Moss.

• What on Earth is she doing to that poor Flower??? I do not even wish to know.
• Kate Moss is not even remotely French, so why is she the face of a perfume called 'Parisienne'? They should have used a French Woman.
• Admittedly, I like the guitar riffs.
• It is an inelegant advert with no defining feature (apart from that it looks like Kate Moss is...)
• The Perfume is not actually that bad, but this Advert would prevent me from ever buying it.
• If you do actually like this perfume Advert, do not hesitate to comment, as long as you state your reasoning. Who knows? I could be convinced.
  
  

Anyway, thank you for reading - Do not hesitate to comment and, if you liked this post, then please Follow to see more. :)