Much of the communication brands do today seems “atomised”: a series of “micro-communication” efforts, such as short product films in social feeds or posts by influencers. This approach can help keep your brand top of mind, but I do wonder about how well it drives distinctiveness. So, it was refreshing to see Chanel recently launch a big budget, full-on brand campaign to launch its Fall-Winter 2024/25 collection. The campaign features not one but two global megastars in Brad Pitt and Penelope Cruz. In this post, I explore some of the things that work well for me in this campaign.
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1. “Interruptive” media
I first came across the campaign when reading The Times over breakfast (side point, despite a decline in newspaper circulation, 24.9million UK adults still read one each week (1)). The campaign stopped me half way through my granola bowl with its boldness. It formed a new cover for the paper, with a beautiful black & white photo of Brad and Penelope on a beach. Even the type of paper oozed class, with a shiny and glossy finish (see below).
Opening up the cover revealed another striking photo of the couple, this time face-to-face in a restaurant. A Chanel 11.12 handbag takes pride of place on the table. Now I was really intrigued.
2. Product in a central role
The campaign has plenty of emotional sizzle, with the focus on building brand aspiration and lifestyle values. But there is still a central role for the product. “There’s not much that could hold its own on screen with Penélope Cruz and Brad Pitt,” explains an article in The Times (2). “Somehow, in a new advertisement from the house of Chanel, the brand’s 11.12 handbag just about manages it, perched on a dinner table between the pair as they smoulder away.” The article goes onto explain that the “ménage à trois” was inspired by Claude Lelouch’s 1966 cult classic Un homme et une femme. “Cruz takes the role played by Anouk Aimée, while Pitt’s part was played by Jean-Louis Trintignant. As for the bag, the original was Aimée’s own, placed in front of the camera on a whim by Lelouch.”
3. Cinematic brand movie
Intrigued by the press campaign, I went online to seek out the film. And there I found a mini movie with cinematic production values. It felt like a proper brand film, bringing to life the Chanel brand’s emotional universe in a compelling and memorable way. And as The Times article explains, the film manages to “endow a handbag with main character energy” (2).
In conclusion, the Channel campaign suggests there is still a role for big, bold brand campaigns that “make a splash”, telling a product story with bags of emotional sizzle. And if you fancy the bag in the film or you are thinking of it as a possible gift, I suggest you start saving up. The starting price is an eye watering £8,530!
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