Chanel's advert for men's perfume - "Egoiste" - and a lesson of intentional fashion advertising.

Today I want to revisit an exciting Chanel’s campaign from 1990 for men's perfume - "Egoiste".

It's a powerful TV ad, directed by Jean Paul Goude - who also directed the previously mentioned advert with Vanessa Paradis for Chanel No. 5.

I find it mightily impressive in its scale - the set was built from grounds up in Brazil, a huge wall erected for dozens of beautifully dressed women, expressing their rage toward "the Egoiste", for what I can only assume was breaking their hearts. Perhaps the story is lacking a wee bit, but the execution most definitely is not. The added music - "Knight's Dance" by Sergei Prokofiev elevates the emotions of the women, leading a dramatic impression on viewers.

Yes, the ad screams for attention, but it still does so in a very classy, tasteful and glamorous manner.

The cinematography starts from rather delicate close-ups, slowly moving away from the actresses and their balconies, to eventually encompassing the entire - huge! - building of women, with just one window closed at all times - the man's:).

All for just a bottle of perfume.

Of course, Chanel is a brand that could afford such a production scale, but what I love about it is the effort that they put into it. Because it's not just about making it all look impressive - it's about elevating your brand into something extraordinary.

It's a narrative, unique storytelling, the emotion, the execution that make you look differently at Chanel's products.

If they went all the way in advertising their product, surely they must pour the same amount of effort, attention to detail and preparation into their products, right?

And I think, in the era of everything becoming 'hyper-sped-up', it's important to sometimes lean into intentional action that lingers in people's memory, not just result driven hectic spurs of making things for the sake of doing so.

And I worry, with AI arriving now, we're about to forget that....

Chanel's "Egoiste" TV Ad