Review of Chanel ‘Iconic Handbag’ 2024 Ad Campaign by Photographers & Directors Inez and Vinoodh with Talent Penelope Cruz and Brad Pitt
Chanel updates a classic of French cinema for a campaign that celebrates romance and an enduring history of sophistication, highlighting the house’s iconic bag as an emblem of all things chic. The campaign was shot and directed by Inez and Vinoodh.
For the Fall 2024 collection, creative director Virginie Viard took as inspiration Claude Lelouch’s 1966 film Une homme et un femme. Drawing inspiration from that film but updating it with a more contemporary spirit, anchored with the renowned talents of Penelope Cruz and Brad Pitt, the campaign debuted as an opener to the runway show itself.
Set in the resort town of Deauville, the boardwalks of which provide much of the setting for the original film, the campaign follows a budding romance between two sophisticated socialites. They stroll along the shore, go for a drive, and take their time over choosing a wine (while Rianne Van Rompaey, a go-to Chanel model, makes a fun cameo as their waiter). All the while, the atmosphere is one of wry and subtly charming Frenchness, which is deepened by the music and black-and-white cinematography.
The runway show that this campaign arrived with felt too concerned with nostalgia and exploring the history of the house and its cinematic connections without considering why they might or might not be relevant now. Thankfully, this campaign does a much better job of staying true to that cinematic old-world glamor while giving it a smart contemporary edge. It successfully demonstrates the way in which to own a Chanel Iconic handbag can be to bridge that legacy of classic romance with contemporary individual style. It helps too to have such a great cast.
Chanel Creative Director | Virginie Viard
Photographer | Inez and Vinoodh
Models | Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt, and Rianne Van Rompaey
Location | Deauville, France