18 September 2008

Notorious. Ralph Lauren.




Sleek, sexy and stylish is Ralph Lauren's new ad campaign for his latest woman's fragrance, Notorious. The black and white print advertisement is paired by a provocative film aimed at pushing the new scent.

The film stars model, Laetitia Casta. The French beauty fronts the campaign which according to the fragrance's press release aims to embody the sexy, intriguing Notorious woman, whose image was inspired by the iconic actresses of the golden era of Hollywood film.

“Laetitia’s glamour, daring and powerful femininity make her the perfect face for this seductive fragrance,” says Guillaume de Lesquen, President, Worldwide, Ralph Lauren Fragrances. “She is classically beautiful, but lives her life in a completely modern way. Laetitia is Notorious.”

The print campaign was photographed by Michael Thompson where Casta is looking luxurious, seductive and every inch a classic Hollywood screen siren. The accompanying Notorious commercial film was directed by renowned Hong Kong-based filmmaker Wong Kar-wai. While it is very pretty and provocative in nature, the film unfortunately features nothing more that Casta looking seductively at the camera, occasionally joined by a male model. You may watch the Notorious film below.

Notorious, created by perfumer Olivier Gillotin (the man behind Tom Ford Private Blend Tobacco Vanille, Balenciaga Cristobal women and Ermenegildo Zegna Z Zegna to name a few), is classified as an oriental scent with the main feature “a decadent, chocolate-scented burgundy flower exclusive to Ralph Lauren Fragrances” with notes of pink peppercorn, bergamot, blackcurrant, white frost peonies, vanilla and iris.

I believe the ad campaign hits right on the mark. I certainly feel the splendor of Hollywood's golden era and the mystery behind the woman who is "Notorious". Most importantly, Megan thinks it smells great.
























The Notorious Commercial Film: