This post has nothing to do with Bill O’Reilly or GolfWeek magazine. No, today we’re talking about the wonderful world of advertising. I tend to think of myself a discerning consumer, not easily swayed by Madison Avenue’s efforts. In fact, like most people, I tend to change the channel, leave the room or tune out completely when faced with TV advertising. But the first time that I saw this ad for Gucci’s new fragrance, I was enthralled. The first thing that snapped my attention away from whatever I was doing rather than watching commercials was their use of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass”. Advertisers are getting smarter with their music choices these days - using slick pop songs to catch the potential consumer’s attention - and this is a perfect example. Once Gucci got my attention, they kept it with a beautifully visual ad. It features rich golds and earth tones and models dancing in seductively in slow motion, one of whom looks remarkably like Chan Marshall. Yep, you’ve got the Cat Power fans. The money shot is a dreamy sequence featuring the models ecstatically sensing a subtly visible stimulant (presumably the fragrance) with a fade to the brand name. Gucci by Gucci….
When I started looking about for more information about the ad I found that it had been directed by David Lynch. With films like “Dune”, “Blue Velvet”, “Wild at Heart” and the unfortunately short-lived TV series “Twin Peaks” Lynch. His films featured driving and ultraviolent story-lines, sharp dialogue and were both visually and sonically stunning. Lynch was the king of alternative film in the 80’s and into the early 90’s. But then came “Lost Highway” and “Mullholland Drive” - two films that were still visually stunning, but were just cryptically dull. Lynch seemed to be losing his narrative touch and officially became a director non grata for me when he did “The Straight Story” for Disney, which features nearly two hours of an old man riding a lawn tractor. I shit you not. I have kind of lost track of his career since then and don’t know if it has gotten so bad for Lynch that the only work he can find is in commercials. I suspect, however, that it is some kind of badge of honor to do a high fashion ad - like Baz Luhrmann and Nicole Kidman’s Chanel ad last year.
The good news for Gucci is that this ad worked. When I was thinking about gifts for Dr. O’C’s first Mother’s Day this damned ad was lodged firmly in my head. Just like the little media-powered robot that advertising agents would like me to be I toddled down to Boots large drugstore chain and bought the new Gucci fragrance. Even as I was paying for the perfume I found myself flummoxed by my submission to the corporate will.
Things end well if you believe that we’re often unwilling victims to corporate manipulation. The bad news for Gucci is that Dr. O’C was apparently not as enchanted as I by their ad. I need to put this gently, because she has so many truly lovable qualities (and reads this blog regularly). Let’s say that she can, on occasion, be a difficult person for whom to buy gifts (and one who’s going to be peeved to have this part of her personality revealed on the interwebs). Sorry, fashion giant, but you get an A for effort.
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“The Best of Blondie” is available from 
and Amazon
Here’s the ad via YouTube:
14 responses so far ↓
1 Nathan B. // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:01 pm
You are on target about “Twin Peaks” being short-lived…loved that show.
2 Jessica K // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Funny how the person you love above anyone else can be so hard to buy gifts for. I’m glad my boys are old enough to make gifts now, because Jeff always likes those.
Jessica K’s last blog post..Dumpster Divers Club
3 CDV // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Well, it’s particularly hard when they’re fussy as hell.
4 Sinead // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I think someone is trying to get a rise out of one Dr O’C. I can’t help it if you suck at buying me presents, others do a great job:)
5 CDV // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:19 pm
The worst thing is that, as Arizaphale pointed out, we’ll be in Oz for Australian Mother’s Day so we just have to go through it all again. I tried pointing out that Zach doesn’t actually have any money, so can’t be buying gifts. But that flew a lot like a lead balloon.
6 Matthew // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I agree with most of you David Lynch comments, but I liked “The Straight Story.” I thought it was a damn fine piece of character driven cinema.
7 Nathan B. // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Chris, the trick is to give one really horrible gift to set the bar low…every gift after that is brilliant in relation to that one bomb.
8 CDV // Mar 3, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Matthew - it was 112 minutes of a dude on a lawn mower.
9 Maggie // Mar 3, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I know the guy who wrote the Straight Story! He’s really funny, and he won an Emmy for it. We write for the same magazine. It’s a brilliant movie!
(OK, fine, dammit, I’ve never actually SEEN it. Just felt the need to grab my fellow Wisconsinite’s back. Shit, I’d better go rent it.)
Maggie’s last blog post..Sister.
10 Sinead // Mar 4, 2008 at 12:57 pm
ok, i just watched the ad and can’t believe you were sucked in by that! and what show were you watching when you saw the advert? americas next top model?
11 arizaphale // Mar 4, 2008 at 9:30 pm
The trouble with fragrance ads is that…..you can’t smell em. Er Chris…did you sample said perfume before handing over the cash? Or just accept long blonde gold girl’s visual for it? A gift buying tip…My husband learned from experience that you only buy perfume that you have previously seen on the dressing table or which has been explicitly noted in a list
arizaphale’s last blog post..Tax Gripe
12 Sinead // Mar 4, 2008 at 10:24 pm
There is no Gucci perfume on my dressing table and I agree it is a very good tip not to buy perfume unless you have seen it on a dressing table. And I doubt Chris actually smelt the perfume.
13 arizaphale // Mar 5, 2008 at 1:15 pm
But he was thinking of you. Or was it the gold girl? hmmmmmmm…..
arizaphale’s last blog post..Why Our Kids Grow Up Too Quickly
14 CDV // Mar 5, 2008 at 11:15 pm
All this speculation about suitability and motive. What happened to “It’s the thought that counts”?
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