100 Years in Ads : Chanel Nº5

Can one read the mood of an era in ads? With Chanel Nº5’s 100th birthday, we look back at the faces behind the iconic fragrance. Of course, Marilyn must be the most famous of the Nº5 faces, her coquettish way of speaking, seems innocent compared to how stars speak now. But was her suggestiveness not more alluring? In the 70’s, Catherine Deneuve portrayed a stronger woman, one in charge of her life, in keeping with what women wanted in that time. In the years that follow, the imagery has become more and more dreamlike, escapist, yearning for romance. Does that mean we have evolved as women, living how we we see fit, and now see a fragrance as potion to bring magic into our lives? We chose some of the highlights of the past 100 years of this fragrance in ads.

Coco Chanel was the first face to Chanel Nº5, making history as the first female designer to do so. In the 50’s Suzy Parker, leaping through the bottle showed the fragrances joie de vivre. Marilyn famously stated in 1952 that only wore the fragrance to bed. In the 60’s Ali McGraw was the assistant to Diana Greenland. She was shot for the Chanel ad in a bath, leading an agent to cast her Love Story. Jean Shrimpton, one of the first supermodels followed, and then the house went back to the French women- Catherine Deneuve being the first- glamourous and strong. After Moulin Rouge, Baz Luhrmann teamed up with Nicole Kidman for a cinematic ad. Gamine and totally Parisienne, Amélie star Audrey Tautou took the brand on a whimsical train journey. Then a surprise, Brad Pitt was the first male face to the fragrance. Gisele Bündchen went surfing in a more athletic stance. Lily-Rose Depp has now been replace by the gifted actress Marion Cotillard, in an ad full of hope and fantasy, produced by the director of Chernobyl series, Johan Renck. The dress Marion wears is a replica of the brands famous gold dress from 1937.