Saint Laurent 'The Director’s Cut⁣' Spring 2023 Ad Campaign

Review of Saint Laurent ‘The Director’s Cut⁣’ Spring 2023 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello and Photographer & Director David Sims⁣ with Talents David Cronenberg, Pedro Almodóvar⁣, and Jim Jarmusch⁣

Saint Laurent makes the cut with a new campaign that puts iconic film directors in front of the camera for a new kind of movie magic. Titled “The Director’s Cut,” the Men’s campaign was shot by photographer David Sims.

The campaign sees Sims and Anthony Vaccarello partner with three of today’s most iconic maestros of filmmaking: Spain’s most famed director Pedro Almodóvar, hero of indie cinema Jim Jarmusch (who has created commissioned work for Saint Laurent before), and cult legend master of body horror David Cronenberg.

While Sims applies his iconic black-and-white style in the same way to creating each of his portraits of these icons, the accompanying short videos allow for a surprising amount of difference and depth to each persona, even in their brief run times, a feeling that is supported by the smart use of distinct music. With melodramatic violins and horns, Almodóvar is stoic and stable as he confronts the camera with defiant wisdom. The offbeat eccentric, Jim Jarmusch is washed in post punk as he etches initials with a safety pin. Finally, Cronenberg meets the camera with a hawkish gaze while a solo pianist punches out an eerie theme.

Yes, it would have been nice to see a celebration of more diverse cast of directors, but the silver-fox aesthetic definitely does hit a striking level of visual consistency while lending a distinct sense of character to the campaign. In addition to boasting excellent portraits of some of the most important figures of modern cinema, the campaign shows an impressive flexing of Saint Laurent’s broad cultural cachet, while seamlessly incorporating these unexpected icons into the brand’s unmistakable aesthetic and identity.