Alexander McQueen’s sister brand McQ has launched a short film showcasing its new autumn/winter 2013/14 collection in line with the start of London Fashion Week.
The resulting film is comprised of a series of vignettes shot over a twenty-four hour period. It features models Maria Bradley and Botond Cseke and is inspired by “twentieth-century avant-garde Czechoslovakian and post-war Italian cinema”. Set in both London and the British countryside, its aim is to reflect the brand’s rebellious and street-inspired heritage.
Also joining it are two lookbooks (menswear and womenswear) and a mood image series, as shown below.
It’s been a bit of a week for fashion film releases, with highlights coming in from Lanvin, Calvin Klein and H&M surrounding the spring/summer 2013 campaigns.
Lanvin, a firm favourite every season thanks to the genius of creative director Alber Elbaz, has unveiled a spot that seems as though it’s just focusing on the print shoot in action. The models are each seen posing in beautiful surrounds very calmly, before suddenly a Skype call comes in from Elbaz who was unable to get to New York due to Hurricane Sandy.
What follows is highly amusing commentary from him on the “sick perspective” and “beautiful lighting” of the campaign. “It’s very very poetic, very chic,” he says. “There’s something very Californian about [it]… You know I’m still at the office. I feel I’m in a dream, I feel I’m in a cloud.”
Calvin Klein meanwhile, followed its Super Bowl underwear spot with the rest of its spring/summer campaign. Actor Alexander Skarsgård and model Suvi Koponen both star in its film, Provocations, which sees the men’s and women’s Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Jeans brands all brought together for the first time. There are three variations of it available: 10 minutes, 60 seconds and 30 seconds (above).
Shot on location in California by Fabien Baron of Baron + Baron, it focuses on recurring elements of fire, air and water as the pair are seen in a variety of “sleek, architectural settings to dark and mysterious milieus”.
And H&M roped in film director Guy Ritchie to shoot David Beckham in his first video spot for the retailer. The ad sees Beckham chasing after his family car after his bathrobe gets stuck in the door. As he runs / jumps / swims through the Beverly Hills neighbourhood he continues to lose other items of clothing remaining in just the boxers from his Bodywear line.
“David makes the perfect leading man,” said Ritchie. “For me this felt more than a campaign; it was like directing a short film.”
Gucci has released another film in its Gucci Guilty series once again directed by Sin City creator, Frank Miller, and starring actors Evan Rachel Wood and Chris Evans.
This time celebrating the launch of its new Guilty Black men’s and women’s fragrances, it sees Evans riding towards the camera on a black Norton 750 motorcycle. He is shortly forced to a halt as Woods’ Rolls Royce Silver Cloud swerves ahead of him, then inviting him in for somewhat of a midnight liaison.
“His danger-loving vixen is chasing her game. And this time their pleasure knows no boundaries,” reads the write-up. “Fearless in their passion, they are brazen, shameless, unpredictable – ready for each and every explosive encounter.”
It was shot at Cinecittà Studios, the legendary home of Italian cinema, and once again features the soundtrack Strangelove by Friendly Fires and Bat for Lashes.
Creative Director Frida Giannini said: “These characters have come to fascinate us. We need know the next chapter in their story as it unfolds through Guilty Black.”
It’s likely you’ve heard the news that Calvin Klein is launching its first ever Super Bowl campaign this coming weekend.
The 30-second spot for the brand’s latest men’s underwear offering will debut towards the end of the first quarter of the game on Sunday evening. It sees model Matthew Terry shot by creative director Fabien Baron of Baron + Baron, in a provocative commercial based on the idea of “man versus machine” (see above preview).
What’s particularly interesting however is the idea that the campaign will be supported with activity on Twitter’s new video-sharing app, Vine. According to a statement, digital content will be posted throughout the event on this new app, which allows six-second videos to be played on loop, much like animated GIFs. The news follows a variety of experiments on the platform by other brands, including Gap and Urban Outfitters (as below).
Like other social platforms before it – such as Instagram – the instant beauty of Vine has been the room for experimentation it affords brands both big and small. Take British start-up Olivia Burton watches, for instance – it’s been having a play with content this week to great effect. A simple series of product shots captured on a black and white photographic background, portray an incredibly high quality and on-brand message.
Calvin Klein will no doubt achieve the same. The next question, of course, will be how all they’re received by consumers.
Back to the Super Bowl, and Calvin Klein is also planning to push relevant content across its Facebook, Tumblr and YouTube pages on game day.
“We are a brand with a rich advertising legacy and we firmly believe in powerful, multi-platform lifestyle advertising to support and grow the brand’s image around the world,” said Tom Murry, president and CEO of Calvin Klein, Inc. “This is a significant milestone, and, as an iconic American designer brand, we are extremely proud to be able to debut the latest Calvin Klein Underwear campaign during the Super Bowl – the most watched television event annually in the United States.”
According to Nielsen, the 2012 Super Bowl had 111 million viewers, making it the most-watched television program in US history. Another interesting study showed as many as 40% of this year’s viewers are watching for the ads rather than the sport.
The Calvin Klein spot will also be included in Twitter’s #AdScrimmage and YouTube’s Ad Blitz contests for the best Super Bowl XLVII ads as voted for by fans.
Topshop is celebrating Chinese New Year with the launch of a short film that ties together its British brand and its growing international consumer base.
The Lanterns, as it’s called, sees two models captured in front of London’s Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, with Chinese lanterns floating above them. It is set to a cover of This Little Light of Mine by Berend Dubbe and Gwen Thomas, and ends with copy that wishes the viewer a prosperous New Year in both English and traditional Chinese characters.
“We wanted to create something fun that represented the spirit of the Topshop girl whilst capturing the energy of this special time of celebration and giving,” said Topshop’s CMO, Justin Cooke.
Importantly, the film was released on Topshop’s Chinese social media networks, including Weibo where it has over 10 million followers. It also launched on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram.
Topshop will open its first store in Hong Kong in May, but this film is as much about reaching Chinese consumers worldwide as it is within China itself. According to stats from Topshop, Chinese travellers took over 70 million trips abroad last year, and 150,000 headed to London.
Cooke said: “Not only do we have a huge following in Asia but there are also enormous numbers of Chinese tourists and Chinese communities based in cities all over the world – for example Los Angeles, where we open a store on February 14, we know that there is a very strong Chinese community there… I think it’s really important as a global brand that we speak to and understand the things that really matter to them, this is a significant time of year and it’s also a very personal one where people get together and thank the people they love.”
Even the length of the film is culturally considerate. At 58 seconds it coincides with Chinese superstitions of numerology; five and eight are both lucky numbers, symbolising wealth and prosperity.
Topshop has also created limited edition lucky red gift cards and envelopes to note the Chinese tradition to gift ‘Lucky Money’ as a wish of prosperity. They are available in its flagship stores and online globally.
How’s this for inspired… Brazilian menswear brand Reserva has launched a video of the robbers breaking into its São Paulo store, to help promote its seasonal sale.
The spot, hosted on YouTube and being pushed across social networks, shows real CCTV footage of a gang of thieves raiding the boutique in December. Placed over the top is bold red copy reading: “It’s not necessary to break the window. Just come in! Inventory clearance: up to 40% off.”
It shows the robbers smashing the window, knocking over mannequins and making off with armfuls of merchandise worth $20,000. “Hurry!” reads the next caption. “Why are people doing such crazy stuff for Reserva?”
The YouTube write-up outlines that the store until that point had been beautifully prepared for Christmas. The team had to do a quick turnaround to clean it up ready for shoppers the same morning. They opened without a glass window and hit sales target for the day by 4pm. “DO instead of COMPLAIN,” is the message.
Mesiler adds: “Complaining gets you nowhere, business is about doing things. Rather than suck lemons, it is better to make lemonade with them.” The video, aptly, is called Limonada Reserva.
Topshop has released a very cute stop-motion video short to promote its spring/summer 2013 nail colours.
Created by brother and sister filmmaking duo Sadie and Joe Williams, it brings to life a series of nail varnish pots, painted nails and even emery boards.
“Dancing nails in sizzling new season colours as well as statement glittery shades will transport you somewhere tropical!” reads the write-up. Watch it below…
