Audrey Hepburn A-Z: A is for...
A is for...Advertising!
Who doesn't love it when their favourite star is in an advertisement? I'm making an exception for one product Audrey Hepburn's likeness promoted, but another? Not so much...
In September 2006, Gap ran an ad campaign for their new black 'Audrey' pants, inspired by perennial fashion icon Audrey Hepburn. The television commercials, which seemed to play at every commercial break based on my memory, anyways, featured the gamine star performing the 'Basel Metabolism' dance from Funny Face to AC/DC's 'Back in Black.'
In a Gap press release to coincide with the new campaign, the Vice President of Marketing, Kyle Andrew, said, "We're thrilled because this is the first time in more than 12 years that a film clip of Audrey Hepburn has been authorized to endorse a commercial product in North America. This ad is a true testament to timeless style and we couldn't be more excited to have Audrey Hepburn – the ultimate style icon – represented in our campaign."
The ads were divisive: just as many people hated them as loved them (Gothamist hated them and begged the Princely Family of Monaco to avoid letting anyone hawk the late Grace Kelly's likeness for any product, though she appears in a Dior commercial with Charlize Theron, so...). Some felt it was a step too far, using a dead celebrity's likeness to promote a product they may not have endorsed; others felt it was just right for the stylish Audrey Hepburn to be promoting pants she made famous (I'm on the 'love this' side, for what it's worth).
Ultimately, the commercials were approved by Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey's eldest son. I remember, having just moved to the big city and going into a Gap for the first time, being amazed that there were huge posters of my favourite actress in the windows there. It made me feel a little less homesick to see her there. And I'm not the only one. A woman, interviewed by New York's Daily News, said "I'm going to rent Breakfast at Tiffany's for [her daughter] so she can get a feel for Audrey's elegance."
In 2013, Audrey's likeness was once again used for a Galaxy Chocolate commercial (Dove Chocolate in the United States). This time, her likeness was created using CGI on a live model, with her face reconstructed from films and photographs. Two live models were used to achieve the physicality of this Audrey Hepburn: one who had the tiny waist Audrey was famed for; and one who had similar facial features.
In the ad, Audrey is on a broken down bus in Italy, on the Amalfi Coast. She hops into the passenger seat of a sports car after being inspired by the delicious chocolate. I hate to rag on anything Audrey-related, but...I absolutely hate it. It's just too... invasive? Not at all Audrey-looking? I think, with the advances in CGI technology in the last decade, or if they could get access to Marvel's tech, it would've looked great if redone, but don't take that as a suggestion!
___
Do you have a favourite celebrity endorsement? If I'm not thinking of Audrey's Gap ad, I'm thinking of Fred Astaire dancing with a vacuum cleaner and then I'm thinking WHY?!
Come back soon for the letter B!
Comments
Post a Comment