1970's compared to 00's

Year: 1979
Brand: Chanel No.19
Model: Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley is a well known model from the United States. She is also a writer, photographer, designer and actress amongst other things.
She was 25 years of age when this photograph for Chanel No.19 was taken.
Using a women with such a diverse range in careers must have been incredibly influential in the campaign due to the context of the 70's.
At a time when the Women's Liberation Movement was in full swing, this particular advertisement coincides with the 'strong, independent' women attitude that this particular movement was trying to enforce.
Evidence for this is provided within the tag line: "Witty. Confident. Devastatingly feminine" and even "The Outspoken Chanel", implying that women are all of these things and therefor, so is the perfume.
Her pose and the way she is 'grabbing' the male model also suggests that she is a female who takes what she wants when she wants it. Reflecting the views of the society at the time.



Year: 2012
Brand: Chanel No.5
Model: Brad Pitt
Ad Director: Joe Wright

In complete contrast to the advertisement of the 1970's, Chanel released this ad in 2012 starring the well known and recognised actor, Brad Pitt. One of the first male models to promote the brand, ever.
Although this immediately seems to be different from the Chanel No.19 advert in the use of a male model rather than a female model, the black-and-white image, and the brand number itself, there are actually many similarities between the two campaigns.
According to Vanity Fair writer Amy Fine Collins, she claims that "in anointing Pitt the new face of its signature fragrance, the House of Chanel is subtly circling back to its gender-twisting origins". Which relates heavily to the previous advert of the 70's in its role of gender empowerment (although they may have been more likely to have chosen Brad Pitt as a new and refreshing way of advertising the product, or simply to make more men buy the product).

References:

Anon (2013) Christie Brinkley Biography [Online] http://christiebrinkley.com/bio.html

Sowray, B. (2012) Chanel No.5 director [Online] http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9742060/Chanel-No.5-ad-director-I-dont-know-what-the-dialogue-means-either.html

Collins, A.F. (2012) Smelling Them Softly [Online] http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/11/brad-pitt-chanel-no-5-perfume

Image links:

http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f135/vintage-ads-1970s-fragrance-beauty-misc-68886-2.html

http://www.selectism.com/files/2012/10/chanel-no5-brad-pitt-11.jpg