The continuing saga of the Lady Dior ad campaign

I posted awhile back about 'Bag Royalty'. I considered the Lady Dior bag to be one of the three timeless, investment bags. A few weeks ago, Dior started a massive ad campaign to promote the Lady Dior handbag. I'm guessing Dior wanted to revamp their image of prim ladylike couture to something a bit more edgy. The first installment of the campaign was a short film noir featuring  Marion Cotillard as Lady Noire. You can see it on youtube:

The film looked like it was going nowhere, and frankly, a bit pointless. I felt  it lacked any sort of real concept and only tied together some indulgent Dior imagery. But anyhow, I was interested to see where the next installment was heading.

The next installment, I knew, was going to be about Marion Cotillard as Lady Rouge. I expected another short film, but it turns out so far that it's just Marion Cotillard singing 'The eyes of Mars' by Franz Ferdinand. I received in my inbox today notification of the music video. You can see it on youtube or go directly to the Dior website.

I was sitting on the fence for the first installment, and this second one doesn't really change my feelings about it. The song is OK. Marion's voice is, of course, beautiful. But once again, the whole direction and concept of this very expensive ad campaign baffles me. Dialogue seems out of context, what has the song got to do with the bag, and most importantly, is this strange new image reflective of we love about Dior? You'll notice throughout the video, the Dior trademark cannage pattern stitching appears awkwardly superimposed on the eye, fades on and off in red leather stitching, and forms prison-like bars for Marion to hold onto. And I find this logo-marketing very forced and ineffective.

The epic, short film, big-budget ad campaigns started long ago with Chanel employing Nicole Kidman for marketing the Chanel No.5 perfume. We all remember that video. I loved that video. Beautiful music by Debussy, the breath-taking feather dress by Karl Lagerfeld, a very Baz Luhrmann storyline of star-crossed lovers and ultimately, it made sense. Perfume is about the sense of smell and the memories that it invokes in us. That video was about a common man who remembers his love affair with a tortured, untouchable celebrity by the perfume she used. It was all very romantic and sad.

But this Dior ad campaign, at least so far, seems lost on me. I love the handbag. It just seems like with all the money they've spent, the very talented actress, director, and photographer they've procured, that they could have done something spectacular with it. It's such a shame and I hope there's more to come that will change my mind.

Bag Royalty

Towards the end of the noughties, there was a distinct fashion trend of going back to tried-and-trusted classics. You could blame it on the financial crisis - people wanted to spend their money on items they knew were going to last. I would simply call it good taste.

It bags have their moment on stage, but how many times have we gone crazy for the lastest arm candy, only to find it completely disgusting and unacceptable to wear in public 6 months later? Maybe it's time to do away with the fickle, impulsive 'It' bag and rediscover the pieces that continue to take our breaths away decade after decade.

The classics are truly investment bags. Not only do their retail values rise by 10-20% every year, but they also retain good resale values. In some cases, like the Chanel classic flap and the Hermes Birkin, people often buy them at higher than retail value from resalers due to the rarity of some colours and styles (beware eBay scalpers!). If you can save up the money to buy one, this is one purchase you should not feel guilty about: true style and a financially sound investment.

Hermès Birkin

The UHG (ultimate holy grail) of bag collectors. Reportedly conceived after Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas had a chance encounter with Jane Birkin on a Paris-London flight, and as you do when you are seated next to the Hermès CEO, Jane Birkin described to him her ideal bag that she woefully could not find anywhere. Next thing she knew, a bag was made according to her specifications and sent to her (now that is good customer service!). The rest is history.

Chanel flap

Available in two styles: the reissue (aka 2.55) and the classic. The reissue is the original, unchanged design from way back when Coco Chanel wanted a bag that would leave women's hands free for other things. Amen to that! It has the plain, rectangular mademoiselle turnlock and metal chains. The classic is a modified, yet arguably even more popular design with the CC turnlock and interwoven leather chains.

Lady Dior

This isn't widely regarded as bag royalty, but in my opinion, it is timeless and stylish. Princess Diana was widely photographed with it. Apparently, she liked it so much she got it in every style and size. It is more youthful than the Hermès Birkin and the Chanel classic flap, so if you think you're still too young to own the previous two bags, this is the the one for you!