News

Brad Pitt's Chanel ad garners criticism, parodies

October 26, 2012

A Chanel No. 5 ad featuring Brad Pitt has divided the globe, according to an article on businessweek.com. The black-and-white commercial has gone viral, with more than 4 million views on YouTube and a parody on Saturday Night Live.

While industry consultants are all over the map, most agree that Chanel's ploy to boost awareness of the women's fragrance probably will spur holiday sales of Chanel SAS's best-known product, the article reported.

Fourth-quarter marketing is crucial for luxury goods makers as they seek to capture shopper dollars in the biggest selling period of the year. Fragrances are an important gift item for department stores, a retail segment that's heavily dependent on November and December sales, the article reported.

Critics of the ad have weighed in against Pitt's disheveled appearance and the seeming irrelevance of the voice over. Tom Julian, a retail expert and brand consultant with a namesake firm in New York, commented in the article, saying that the campaign would have worked better if Pitt had voiced over a montage of images showing more of the world of the brand and the fragrance.

"Right now global brands should be telling some type of story," said Julian, who is skeptical the campaign will boost Chanel holiday sales, in the article. Still, "they are certainly getting their money's worth with eyeballs."

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