Written by: Charlotte Dominy
Edited by: Leah Gilbert
A contrast to the elaborate and extravagant scenes of Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard’s runway sets, last December Chanel hit the streets (or rather the subway) of New York with Matthiew Blazy’s debut Métiers d’Art collection. To prelude to such a set, on December 2nd, Chanel released a short film advertisement featuring their all new ambassador ASAP Rocky, and their old as trusted ambassador— Margaret Qualley.
ASAP Rocky and Margaret Qualley’s newest film campaign had them in the depths of New York, too. Cheeky and fun, the film was reminiscent of silent films that used to undercrank their tapes to make their actors appear to move in fast motion. Waking up perfectly, Margaret Qualley walks in her small apartment to the smaller bathroom- gets dressed into a red, blue, and white Chanel tweed set: only to walk to the subway. The suit renders her distinguishable from the crowd, yet you get the sense she still belongs to the city as she uses the public transport, smiles at people on the train, and moves with the flow of traffic. ASAP Rocky, during her commute, runs down the apartment’s fire escape and through the city streets in hopes of beating her at the exit of her usual spot. When he gets there, he plops down on one knee, and waits in stillness for her inevitable exit, and the happy ending where she says yes to his special proposal.
While ASAP’s own scenes seem to embody the absolute chaos of New York, Margaret seems to have control of the city’s twists and turns. Of course, this is Matthieu Blazy’s new Chanel woman. A city worker, in a small apartment, who takes the subway to work and smiles at strangers on the train. There it is, our new Chanel.
So what about Margaret’s old Chanel? Now a woman of the city, her previous campaigns have surrounded her in nature: rejecting the city’s fast paced essence that was so clear in the latest.
“Remember that nature is where you feel whole” you hear her voice say in the background of the Chanel bag 2022 campaign, while clips of her walking through the desert are played across the screen, the lead of the black horse she walks in her hand. The rejection of the city, instead in scenes reminiscent of her hometown ranch in Montana, seems a little juxtaposed with the newly revealed 2022 Chanel bag in her hands— its plastic exterior bringing contrast to the organic world around her. This was the old chanel woman, free spirited and calling for escape, one who encouraged those in that same class bracket to join her and do the same.
There are, nonetheless, eccentric aspects to both campaigns, a continuity of Chanel’s developed persona. With the shots of Margaret running around extensively after arriving at ASAP’s proposal in the new campaign, and the pop up comic text effects that were integrated into the 2022 bag campaign, fun seems to still be a common denominator for Margaret Qualley’s role at Chanel. The question now remains: which Chanel woman will resonate more with chanels consumer base? Even better, are these campaigns targeting the same demographics?
The easy answer is— no. Chanel’s persona has shifted to embrace a more realistically wealthy, working woman— speaking strongly to the people who are willing to buy the entry luxury items with a hardworking paycheck, and telling them this is their place, their brand, to do it. With the release of smaller Chanel items, such as Headbands, accessories, wallets, and more at entry level prices, this new target is realistic in an economy that continues to struggle. While the large part of revenue for any luxury brand, with no exception to Chanel, is still the VIC clients who can afford to run off to the countryside or their favourite resorts, as targeted in the Chanel bag 2022 campaign, Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel seems ready to give his roses to the younger consumer market, for those who don’t have the ability to run away from the busy city life, but still aspire to someday afford the big things too.