Nicole Kidman, Baz Luhrmann and the Cinema of Chanel
Chanel was an early adopter of the fashion film, beginning in 2004 when it released "Chanel No. 5, The Film." If ads could be blockbusters, this was it: the clip starred Nicole Kidman and was directed by Baz Luhrmann, who were both still riding high off their recent success, Moulin Rouge! In fact, the short's story bears quite a bit of resemblance to the movie in look.
Its plot — of a famous, wealthy woman escaping her responsibilities and public life — has drawn more comparisons to Roman Holiday. It's splashy and fun, and was the most expensive ad ever made at the time, costing roughly $33 million. Chanel even had two cuts, because the full-length version is almost three minutes long.
By tying the ad to a major motion picture, Chanel was positioning its spot as a movie and not as a commercial, all while anchoring it to a specific moment in popular culture. The house soon began using film to make its own pop-culture moments.
