Dsquared2 'Icon Ibrahimović X Dsquared2' Spring 2021 Ad Campaign Film

Review of Dsquared2 Spring 2021 ‘Icon Ibrahimović X Dsquared2’ Ad Campaign by Dsquared2 Creative Directors Dean & Dan Caten and Photographer/Director Giampaolo Sgura with Zlatan Ibrahimović

Football star Zlatan Ibrahimović takes on Icon status in a new Spring 2021 capsule and campaign for Dsquared2. Seen through the technically excellent eyes of photographer and director Giampaolo Sgura, Ibrahimović thoroughly embodies the energy and outlook of Dsquared2.

With his larger-than-life persona and status as one of the best footballers alive, Ibrahimović personifies the brand’s spiritual hometown of Milan, where he currently plays for club A.C.Milan. Its status as both a major seat of the fashion aristocracy and a worldwide hub of clubbing and nightlife make Milan the perfect adopted home for Dsquared2’s proprietary blend of sophistication and gonzo sexuality.

The new Icon capsule collection features personalized elements which pay homage to Ibrahimović. A pop-art like portrait appears on graphic tees, as does a print of one of his many tattoos. Detailed elements combine the brand’s iconic visual identity with personal touches from the star.

Sgura’s portraits of Ibrahimović bristle with an energy that balances sexiness and athleticism. Masculinely styled in the capsule’s denim and leather jackets in various states of undress, he looks confidently into the camera, which faces him head-on. We can’t quite tell whether he’s getting ready to embrace and kiss us tenderly or to kick our head off – but either way, we’re kinda into it.

Utilizing an interesting mixture of movement drawn from the worlds of runway, sports, and dance, Sgura’s short film heightens this sense of energy through motion and music. Videographers Andrea Dutto and Domenico Nicoletti, the secret stars of the film, employ brilliant camerawork to heighten the sense of motion and energy. They use almost unbelievable camera angles to fill a blank studio with a constantly shifting sense of space and depth. Mind-blowing editing stitches shots together so that we experience both a continuous sense of motion yet never feel like we know where we have been looking from, or where we will go next.

The campaign has a strong basis in its unique and smartly chosen star. From here, the creative team does excellent technical work to convey his sense of character and strength through motion and image, while slick art direction caps everything off and situates it in the wider world of Dsquared2. We can think of no better way to create an Icon.