Turns out there's a male prequel to 'Hermès surf'

In an update from yesterday's post about Hermès using images of women surfing to promote their very expensive scarves, I give you, Dior and men who longboard!!



I know! Wheardo linked to this clip in the comments, for which I'm very thankful. I'm not sure how a bloke from the Central Coast links in with luxury brands, but my gosh, they've done wonders with Harrison Roach's hair.


Seriously, it looks amazing! And his skin is so perfect and smooth and glowing! I know that sounds patronizing, but I really don't mean it to be. He looks incredible. Even though, to go surfing sometimes he has to drive kilometres along the beach, because that's how far surfers will go for a wave. Kilometres! Good one, y'all.

But hell, isn't that another beautiful piece of filming. The images and perspectives are stunning and I love the stormy colours. And that last wave was pretty great.


Seriously, good for you, Harrison!

Still as, beautiful and mesmerising as this Dior, and the Hermès clips are, I cannot help but this of Mabeth's sililoquy (words by Shakespeare):

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

While I didn't have much more to say about the images of and links to women and surfing in Hermès's clip, I have a few more feeling about this offering from Dior. Not really from a surfing perspective -although some of those lines are hilarious! - but instead a critique about the links they drawing between their perfume Sauvage (trans. = wild) and masculinity.

The issue I have here is that the face of this campaign is none other than Johnny Depp. This was a fine association, I guess, except that they launched the images for this campaign for Sauvage - meaning 'wild' - a couple of days after allegations of domestic violence were levelled against Depp. The kindest thing I can say about the decision to launch the campaign with Depp is that it's distasteful.


Around this time, Amber Heard had released images of her bruised face, and later a video of him ranting and yelling and slamming cupboard doors and smashing bottles, all quite early in the morning. Wild, most certainly, but other descriptors could include aggressive, violent, and frightening. And in this image, they have him rolling up his sleeves, as though he's about to get to some kind of physically demanding work, the kind of work he can do in a waistcoat and a full face of makeup, like yelling at or hitting someone. Probably not the plan, but for me the link between the two will never be separated.

Allegations, not charges, against Depp they may have been, but with domestic violence against women a major problem in Australia and elsewhere, using the image of Depp as the face of a marketing campaign about wild men is pretty fucked up. Companies take a gamble when they pay individuals to represent their products and their brand. So often it works out, but when it doesn't, they should cut their losses.

This image, released after allegations of domestic violence, has created absolute links between this product, this campaign and violence against women.

Comments

  1. Ugh.
    The whole thing.
    Ugh.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I mean, the movie is very pretty, for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's pretty, but... ugh.

    Also, meh.

    The thing is, I'm not sure how much use pretty for it's own sake really is right now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great visual, bad concept. e.g. Burning boards????? In fairness to Harrison (who's from Noosa) he is a nice guy, surfs amazing on any board and is a friendly surfer. And yes he looks like that in "real" life. It's a shame that petulant tennis players and footballers get gazillions of endorsement bucks while Harry (or any human with talent) has to do these pieces.

    ReplyDelete

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