Review of Balenciaga ‘Valentine Series’ 2025 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Demna and Photographer Emma Alvin with models Elena, Redon, Jay Pak, and Momo
Balenciaga celebrates Valentine’s Day from its own idiosyncratic perspective with a playfully romantic campaign shot by photographer Emma Alvin.
Valentine’s Day tends to be a holiday that you either love or hate, that you celebrate with unabashed joy and indulgence or with a reluctant but loving acquiescence. The campaign cleverly captures all of these competing layers of emotion at once, embracing the season with both irony and affection.
Captured from the perspective of a peephole in a front door, Alvin’s portraits look out into an entryway where individuals and couples dressed in layered, oversized fits await expectantly. With heart balloons, flowers, or balloon flowers, they are ready to shower us with love – even if their emotional attitudes seem enigmatically aloof.
The campaign is another example of Balenciaga’s ability to translate easily executable, low-budget visual approaches into impactful branded storytelling moments. The brand’s approach to marketing seems effortless, but never low-effort: while these visuals feel accessible and off-the-cuff, they form one more key part in a carefully considered digital strategy that emphasizes directness and velocity while making that post-ironic cool factor look easy.
Balenciaga Creative Director | Demna
Photographer | Emma Alvin
Models | Elena, Redon, Jay Pak, and Momo