Gucci 'L’Obscur Mascara' Spring 2020 Ad Campaign

Gucci invites us further into the beautifully surreal world of the Gucci Beauty Network.

Conceived by creative director Alessandro Michele as a dreamy, alternate-timeline television channel, the Gucci Beauty Network has formed the basis for a series of digitally-based campaigns for Gucci Beauty this season. This unique platform has allowed the brand to realize a fantasy world that both fits perfectly into the wider Gucci vision and is perfectly suited to showcase ideas of beauty and beauty products.

The Network’s latest installment introduces Gucci Beauty’s new L’Obscur Mascara. Directed by Sean Vegezzi and photographed by Martin Parr with art direction by Christopher Simmonds, the narrative merges a surreal reimagining of vintage Hollywood with an 80’s aesthetic that takes shape in two different looks—a classic one and a bold one—modeled by Mae Lapres and Dani Miller.

These two looks are explored further with a pair of delightfully ironic “two-in-one tutorial” videos. Continuing to play with the 80’s VHS aesthetic, a narrator walks us through the process of applying the mascara, then treats us to another tutorial of something completely and ridiculously unrelated: knitting a sweater for a dog or building a wooden cabinet. It’s a hilarious way to show the functionality of a product and connect with the viewer in a manner that does not take the need to sell the product too seriously.

The Gucci Beauty Network continues to affirm the eccentric genius of Alessandro Michele. It is tremendously successful both promotionally and artistically, as a way of freely connecting with his audience and deeply exploring a unique artistic vision. All eyes are on Gucci.