Review of Calvin Klein “CK One Essence” Ad Campaign by Creative Director Ben Keren and Photographer Alasdair McLellan with models Abby Champion, Blesnya Minher, Cheikh Dia, Finley Prentice, Kit Butler, Mathilda Gvarliani, Noor Mutsaers, Troy Untalan, and Yenni Schwan
Calvin Klein celebrates intensity for all with the launch campaign for its new CK One Essence. The campaign features creative direction from Ben Keren and was shot and directed by Alasdair McLellan.
Calvin Klein revolutionized the perfume industry in 1994 with the original CK One, the first major fragrance that was explicitly marketed as gender-neutral. That game-changing launch was heralded with a similarly iconic campaign: a simple black and white short film shot in-studio featured a diverse group of individuals dressed minimally in cotton tanks and denim who danced and/or made out, before ending with an appearance from the iconic Kate Moss.
The newest iteration of the fragrance offers the same notes while upping the concentration for greater intensity. The new campaign riffs on the original, taking a similar minimalist approach while deepening the emphasis on dance and heightening the sensual details. This time around, the soundtrack is New Order’s legendary and enduring banger “Blue Monday.”
The boundary-breaking concept of a gender-neutral fragrance is just as relevant now as ever. Thirty years later, Calvin Klein is brilliant to revisit this defining moment while revitalizing it with new clarity and intensity.
Creative Director | Ben Keren
Photographer | Alasdair McLellan
Models | Abby Champion, Blesnya Minher, Cheikh Dia, Finley Prentice, Kit Butler, Mathilda Gvarliani, Noor Mutsaers, Troy Untalan, and Yenni Schwan
Stylist | Camilla Nickerson
Casting Director | Mark Foltz