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Dunhill Lets Us Hears its "Voice" Campaign

Filed under: Men's Style, Video



Dunhill launched its Day 8 platform for curated content just a couple of months ago, and now the British maker of fineries has undertaken another digital foray: this one is called Voice. Alfred Dunhill's Global Marketing Director, Jason Beckley describes Day 8 as "a communication device [that] exists to express our point of view. Day 8 is our creative research, the things that inspire us."

Voice, on the other hand, is the collected tales of inspiring men attired in Dunhill. Sir David Frost - yes, he of Frost/Nixon - artist Harland Miller, and violinist Charlie Siem take a solitary seat in front of the camera and explain some of the whats, whys, and wherefores of their lives and passions. And the stark lighting and desaturated colors help the viewer focus on what Dunhill hopes is revealed: "culture, intelligence, creativity, travel and elegance."

There are nine videos now, with more to follow, including the back stories of some of the "cast" of Voice. If nothing else, they are already intriguing snapshots of The Lives of Famous Men and great ads for Dunhill, but who knows - Voice could help you "see Dunhill as a vehicle for [your] own individuality and self expression." At the very least, it could give you some excellent wardrobe ideas.

Hemingway's Great-Granddaughter Stars in Louis Vuitton Safari Campaign

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags, Luxury Travel & Hotels


Earlier this year we told you about model Dree Hemingway, 22, daughter of Mariel Hemingway and great-granddaughter of famous author Ernest Hemingway, who's making a name for herself among the fashion crowd. Now the willowy blonde is starring in a luxe new safari-themed ad campaign for Louis Vuitton (above). Reminiscent of Hemingway's African tales such as The Snows of Kilimanjaro, the casting choice is a fitting one as the author is often credited with introducing the Swahili word "safari" into common parlance.

The new Vuitton campaign, highlighting the famed French luxury goods house's handmade travel items, was shot on location in Africa. Photographed by Carter Smith, the ads feature Dree and a handsome young fellow enjoying the dramatic scenery of the African veldt. Items on display include bags, trunks, journals, watches, blankets, sunglasses, jewelry, clothing and even a few items of vintage Vuitton luggage. The campaign comes on the heels of Dree's selection as the face of Italian fashion house Gianfranco Ferré earlier this year, following appearances for Abercrombie & Fitch and DKNY.

[via JustLuxe]

The Classicist: The Golden Age of Globe-Trotting

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books, The Classicist


In these days of full-body scans, machine gun-toting security forces and endless departure delays it can be difficult to recall a time when travel was more enjoyable than onerous. Unless you happen to own a private jet or yacht, however alluring your destination the business of actually getting there these days can seem like more trouble than it's worth at times. A beautiful new book from Taschen reminds us that wasn't always the case. A compendium of 100 years of travel advertisements, 20th Century Travel is a lush visual history of the golden age of globe-trotting, a look back at the era of sexy air hostesses, smoking lounges on planes and bars on private club cars. With a decade-by-decade analysis and an illustrated timeline, the book highlights the cultural and technological developments that "transformed travel from a cushioned journey of the elite into a convenient leisure pastime for the general public".

Advertising is of course one of the best ways of looking at the transformation of travel, in particular the ways in which companies attempted to make it alluring to all strata of society. "At the start of the 20th century, only people with extensive disposable income and time to spare could enjoy leisure travel," the authors note. "By the century's end, journeys took hours, not days, and mass travel - especially brief air flights - became the new normal. Along the way, ocean liners broke speed records, aerodynamic trains roared down the tracks, stylish boat-plane clippers evolved into jumbo jets. Whether aboard high-speed locomotives or ships, jets, or Greyhound buses - or when setting their own schedule on the open road - Americans demanded ever greater mobility and wider choice of destinations, thereby setting a new standard for travelers around the world."

Trio of Supermodels to Star in New Vuitton Campaign

Filed under: Apparel


Louis Vuitton has tapped a trio of supermodels to star in its upcoming ad campaign for fall, espousing a sophisticated and feminine aesthetic. Natalia Vodianova (above), Christy Turlington and Karen Elson appear in the ads shot by Steven Meisel, set in a movie star's dressing room conjuring up a Hollywood retro-glamor feel. "The strength of Louis Vuitton is its almost magical ability to reinvent itself every season," Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs tells Vogue UK. "Last season was all about the idea of the New Age traveler. This season was a manifesto for beautiful, ladylike clothes. Two different collections, two different campaigns, but one Louis Vuitton." Antoine Arnault, Vuitton's head of communications, calls the Meisel shoot (his fourth advertising venture for the famed French luxury house) "richly evocative", noting, "What better way to celebrate eternal femininity than with three of the world's most beautiful women?"

Megan Fox the New Face of Armani Underwear and Jeans

Filed under: Apparel, Celebrity Shopping

megan fox Actress Megan Fox and her Marilyn Monroe tattoo will be in our sights even more now that she is replacing Victoria Beckham as the face of Emporio Armani underwear and Armani Jeans. Reputed to making $2 million in the deal, Fox will show off her great figure in print ads and on billboards. The ad campaign was shot in early fall in Los Angeles by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, and according to WWD, the campaign will roll out worldwide in January. Fox is best known for appearing in form-hugging outfits in the blockbuster Transformers movies and recently starred in Jennifer's Body as the lead. She also got the full-on New York Times treatment as the cover story in its November 15 Magazine.

Michael Imperoli's New Commercials For 1800 Tequila

Filed under: Spirits

I don't find myself linking to a lot of tequila commercials but the new spots that former Sopranos star Michael Imperioli has shot for 1800 Silver Tequila are pretty slick. My favorite is the one where he flips over the bottle showing how the top can be used to pour a perfect shot of the super premium tequila. The ads take firm aim at Patrón, one spot shows Imperioli knocking a bottle of Patrón off a table. The ads will air on cable channels including ESPN and Comedy Central. Imperioli also strikes a commanding pose on the 1800 Tequila website.

Website Seeks To Lure Drinkers To Sherry

Filed under: Wine

sherry casksCan sherry be made cool? Advertising Age says that a Seattle ad agency called Creature has been given the task of bringing a drink more seen in classic literature than in local bars back into the spotlight. Creature has created a website called the Secret Sherry Society for The Sherry Council of America. The site includes a digital castle for visitors to explore. Rooms contain videos and information on types of sherry, sherry cocktails and the history of sherry. The hope is that the site will acquaint the uninitiated with sherry in a new fun way.

Sherry isn't exactly trending hot with younger drinkers. The Sherry Council has been hosting dinners for the media and key influencers to try and create a sherry buzz. The Ad Age article makes reference to the connection between hip-hop and cognac. The sherry website is well-designed but websites alone don't usually drive a person to purchase a product. The site doesn't quite bridge the gap between information and action by defining what occasions might call for a glass of sherry. While it has a sense of the old much like absinthe does, there is no similar sense of mystery behind it. When is the last time you drank sherry? Does sherry need a celebrity spokesperson or a big ad campaign to help it gain traction in the marketplace?

Google Opens Brand Name Advertising To All


Google has decided to let more U.S. advertisers use trademarked terms in ad text on search result pages as of June 15. For advertisers who want to promote the top brand names through Google keywords, the change being made by the search engine company is an opportunity but owners of prestige brands don't see it that way. They see use of their terms in Google's "Sponsored Link" ads is a trademark violation.

Under the old policy if a company wanted to advertise the brands they sell they may not have been able to use specific keywords. But now while that advertiser can promote brands he sells this also opens the window to all sorts of attempts at fraudulent advertising and the selling of counterfeit merchandise. According to Bloomberg, Google has said it will still "perform a limited investigation of reasonable complaints about use of trademarks in ads." Google's website instructs trademark owners to go after the advertisers themselves.

For luxury brands the keywords may not be as much of a problem as Google's own native search results. Do a search for Louis Vuitton and online retailers selling "replica" bags are right there on the front page, no advertising required. Louis Vuitton parent company LVMH has already taken on Google in French court over a long and involved trademark- infringement lawsuit in Europe which is ongoing.

Champagne Ad Deemed Too Seductive

Liquor ads often hint at seduction but the Advertising Standards Authority in Britain has banned ads for Saile and Sabga Champagne for being a bit too racy. The image, shown above, which shows a bikini-clad woman emptying the bottle over a man's torso has been deemed a metaphor for seduction. The ad appeared in Ryanair's in-flight magazine and is now forbidden to be used again. I'm not quite sure what makes this ad so much more inflammatory than Eva Herzigova's sexy shots for Dom Perignon.

Quest Magazine, for the NYC Social and Real Estate Scene

Filed under: Services

If you are -- or long to be -- part of the NYC social and moneyed scene, Quest is a must-read. Distributed around NYC, seemingly for free (though it has a $5 cover price), this sometimes snooty publication tracks the party scene with pages of pages of photos of dressed-up socialites and tuxedoed men, snapped by editor David Patrick Columbia at fetes and charity events. The magazine occasionally has a feature of some depth but mainly has light articles. For Luxist readers who love our "Estate of the Day" feature, Quest's Web site is great -- it is in magazine format and includes ads. That means you can scan ads featuring home listings in NYC, Connecticut, the Hamptons and so on, plus see ads for high-end jewelry, handbags, clothing, shoes, art galleries, luxury home accessories and cultural events. Click once on the page you want to view to make it bigger. You also can subscribe (tab at top of home page) if you want the hard copy ($36/one year/12 issues or $47.97/two years/24 issues).

Sharon Stone Has A New Gig

Filed under: Jewelry, Celebrity Shopping


Sharon Stone may have gotten in trouble with Dior over her remarks on China recently, but she can still bring in the gigs. Jeweler Damiani has announced that Stone will be their new face. The new ad campaign for the diamond seller celebrates women throughout history starting with Eve up through Ameilia Earhart and today's modern women. Silvia Damiani, who is a longtime friend of Sharon Stone, introduced the new campaign, which was shot on March 20th by photographer Solve Sundsbo, at a press event in Beverly Hills this week.

Cavalli Picks Four Beauties to Replace Kate Moss

Filed under: Apparel

Italian designer Roberto Cavalli has chosen four top models to replace Kate Moss (right) in his new Fall/Winter 2008-09 ad campaign. The campaign, to be shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, is inspired by one of our favorite movies, Luchino Visconti's 1963 Il Gattopardo ("The Leopard), based on the book by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa.

The movie, set in Sicily in the 1860s, stars Burt Lancaster as an Italian prince struggling to maintain a dying aristocracy, Alain Delon as his dashing nephew, and the beautiful Claudia Cardinale as Angelica, daughter of a rich former peasant who represents the new social order. Cavalli has chosen models Isabeli Fontana, Angela Lindvall, Raquel Zimmerman and Frankie Rayder to play the parts of Cardinale and the movie's other beauties in the ads.

"I've always been aesthetically fascinated by this film," Cavalli tells Women's Wear Daily. "I also find Il Gattopardo, a story that's based on the idea that 'the more it changes, the more it stays the same,' a good metaphor for fashion. In the campaign, the heroine - a sort of new Angelica - dances in the wilderness while a fire rages in the background; she represents the force of everything that is new, yet in the end she dresses like a romantic debutante." We think Fontana for one is perfectly cast as she bears an uncanny resemblance to Cardinale.

Country Store Memorabilia Auction

Filed under: Auctions

Nearly every antique store you might wander into on a weekend adventure has an old advertising sign or two but few can boast a collection as impressive as the one put together by Jim Cate. For years, Cate, an avid collector, operated a museum of country store and advertising items inside The Penny Candy Store in downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Cate's collection of advertising signs, cigar store Indians and country store memorabilia will be auctioned off along with similar items from other estates on April 20-22 at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, Michigan by Showtime Auction Services. Tin signs from Coca-Cola and Kelly Tires are expected to sell in the $10,000 range and the cigar store Indians could sell for $30,000 to $50,000. A rare cigar tip cutter from the 1890s could go for up $50,000.

[via Cigar Cyclopedia]

Virgin America Debuts New "Red" Consoles

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Virgin America, an airline that is part of the Virgin empire, has just introduced some new advertising-sponsored in-flight consoles as a way to keep costs down on the lower fare airline. With the ad-supported system, dubbed "Red", travelers can get access to in-cabin text messaging, movies on demand, satellite TV and a variety of games and audio channels. The system also "provides AC power and wireless connectivity for travelers with laptops," making Virgin America sound much more convenient for business travelers who might otherwise avoid "budget" airlines because they're difficult to work on.

$100,000 Cigarette Pack

Lucky Strike has been a popular cigarette brand since its founding in 1871, but to boost the popularity of the brand, BAT International has launched an advertising tour centered around a $100,000 pack of cigarettes that will be displayed at major international airports, where many duty-free cigarettes are purchased, for the remainder of the year. The pack is made of 18-ct white gold and features both a large ruby and a large diamond on the front. The rest of the package bears the traditional markings of retail packages, including a large health warning. The pack can be seen in Frankfurt in September, in Düsseldorf in November and Munich in December.

[via Born Rich]

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