Anderson Brings the Iconic Writing Instrument 100-Year History to Life in his Signature Style
In celebration of the centenary of its signature Meisterstück pen, Montblanc has tapped iconic American filmmaker Wes Anderson to direct a cinematic campaign.
Over the course of its 100 years of existence, the Meisterstück has become perhaps the most well-known luxury writing instrument, helping writers both iconic and everyday to pen their stories. With his offbeat literary quality, Anderson feels like the perfect choice to bring this story to life and help write its next chapter.
“It was finally time to make this writing icon the protagonist of the story, but we wanted to do it in a way that was completely unexpected and surprising,” Montblanc’s chief marketing and merchandising officer Vincent Montalescot said in explaining the choice of Anderson “to put his own unique spin on the world of Montblanc through his inimitable storytelling and unmistakable visual identity. It’s certainly a very different way for our maison to show up.”
Set in a mountain chalet with design and styling that draws inspiration from the year of the pen’s birth, 1924, as well as mid-century modern and contemporary aesthetics, the campaign imagery sees Anderson deploy many of his signature style traits: neurotically symmetrical frame composition, vintage set design that features warm yellows and wood paneling, and a whimsical atmosphere of twee politeness. Fittingly, the narrative centers around the act of writing a story, as well as tapping into a theme of adventure that provides an opportunity for the brand to showcase some of its leather bags.
Anderson collaborated several of his his long-standing creative partners, including Roman Coppola as a producer and co-director, Jeremy Dawson and John Peet as producers, Stephan Gessler as supervising art director, and Linus Sandgren as director of photography. The impressive and eclectic cast features Rupert Friend, Maude Apatow, Waris Ahluwalia, Lee Jinuk, Jing Boran, and, of course, Jason Schwartzman.
The campaign is set to launch via Montblanc’s digital channels as well as out-of-home activations.
