The brand new Chanel No.5 commercial starring Brad Pitt recently went
viral online, receiving over 5.6 million views on a single YouTube video. This
is the first time that Chanel hired a spokesman for its signature fragrance. In
the past, their spokeswomen have included famous, beautiful women such as
Nicole Kidman, Estella Warren, Carole Bouquet, and Audrey Tautou, who all represented
the feminine and
sophisticated charm of the perfume. However, Brad Pitt, named twice “Sexiest
Man Alive” by People magazine, has brought more discussion, controversy and awareness to the
timeless fragrance more than anyone above.
In the video that has been madly talked about, Mr. Pitt presents himself
with a deep, masculine feeling and makes a mini-pitch about his
perspective on life,
journey and fate. The new commercial does not look remotely similar to previous
ones, which had fancy, extravagant settings and a romantic storyline. The ending
line also transforms from “her kiss, her smile, her perfume”, to “my look, my
fate, my fortune”, in order to keep the marketing language aligned.
Unfortunately, the many viewers did not buy the idea of him telling his life
story (in a minimalist version), and they complained about his distracted,
awkward look. Now it is confirmed that even negative comments can successfully
draw so much attention.
Naturally, viewers do not simply stop here. A great thing about the
Internet era is that people are free to express their sarcasm or praise through
user-generated content. YouTubers around the world have enjoyed making parodies
of this commercial. Here are a few notable and amusing examples, some of which
might serve as inspiration.