Following in the footsteps of Coco Chanel, Catherine Deneuve, Nicole Kidman and Audrey Tautou, Brad Pitt is the new face of Chanel's iconic No. 5 fragrance. Take a peek at the first photos from the new campaign unveiled by the French house on Friday, October 12.
Brad Pitt is the first man in history to represent a women's fragrance, thanks to Chanel's dedication to break with tradition.
Brad Pitt was "an obvious choice," the brand explains. "There is no actor alive that compares with Brad Pitt, whose talent, popularity and looks are legendary, in the same way that no other perfume compares with Chanel No. 5, which was created by Ernest Beaux."
The ad, previewed by Relaxnews, is shot in black and white by British director Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, Hanna), whose previous gigs include two campaigns for Coco Mademoiselle. It features a minimalist background that contrasts sharply with the opulent decors seen in the previous films for Chanel No. 5. Brad Pitt stands in front of a bare wall and recites a poem that seems to be adressed to a woman.
The minimalist decor serves to highlight the A-lister's voice, which Joe Wright describes as "magnificent." With this groundbreaking campaign, Chanel hopes to channel Pitt's charisma and heartfelt delivery to stir viewers.
The photographs documenting the shooting of the campaign are from Sam Taylor-Wood, while the forthcoming print campaign's pictures were taken by Steven Klein.
The 30-second spot will land on Chanel's YouTube channel at 8 am CET (6am GMT) on Monday, October 15, and will hit television networks on the same day at 7 pm CET. The print campaign will be launched mid-November.
