Yes, this is the former president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev starring in the latest Louis Vuitton campaign. Odd? Yes. Do I like it? Yes. Does it undermine the importance of government office? Absolutely, but who doesn't these days?
You may ask, what in the world is Mr. Gorbachev doing in a Louis Vuitton ad, in which we usually see Scarlett Johannson, J-Lo or Uma Thurman? Keep in mind this ad hit all of the September books- in fashion land, the September book is the Fashion issue and typically the thickest and most ad heavy book of the year. Remember how obnoxious Sept. 07 American Vogue was? I think it was close to 800 pages (90% ads).
That said, what is a viewer to make of this Louis Vuitton ad? According to the NYT article on this very subject, the ad was created to convey and emphasize the company's heritage in luggage and travel accessories. Gorbachev was enlisted to portray the core values of Louis Vuitton by sitting uncomfortably in the back seat of a car with the Berlin Wall in the background. The LV bag is propped on the seat next to him and you kind of think it may contain dynamite by the look on his face!
The campaign also included ads with Andre Agassi and Stefi Graff and a beautiful image of Catherine Deneuve sprawled on a LV trunk. Clearly, the master minds at LV wanted to steer clear of their past ads (J-Lo) and heighten the sophistication a bit. Annie Liebowitz shot this campaign, which will take any company to the next level with her darkly lit portrait style shooting.
Funny, the Times also mentioned, that a decade ago, Mr. Gorbachev's appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial which was generally regarded as a low point in his career. I think it is hilarious that Mr. Gorbachev goes from Pizza Hut to modeling for Louis Vuitton. I kind of have a feeling that he won't be signing a beauty contract in the near future.
2 comments:
The Andre/Stefi picture is my favorite in this campaign - where is it??
I think the Gorbachev ad is a bit strange and depressing. Guess their buyers still include men after all these years. I mean, who are they really targeting there??
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