Christian Dior is returning to the very essence of beauty in its latest campaign effort for the J’adore women’s fragrance collection. Watch the film here…
In a back-to-basics approach, and after a number of opulent campaign narratives, J’adore ambassador Charlize Theron is guided by the elements of water, wind and the fire of the sun to rediscover herself in a natural landscape. Positioned as a continuation of previous J’adore campaigns, keeping Theron on as the face of the fragrance ensures consistency and creates a natural flow of narrative while working to personify the femininity of the perfume.
Dior’s previous effort for the fragrance, for example, saw Theron in a grand hall at the Palace of Versailles before she ascends toward the ceiling by silk rope. The actress then emerges from a window to look out upon a city dripping in gold light.
The latest J’adore campaign is a departure from this storyline, but the element of discovery, confidence and self awareness is upheld.
Directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, J’adore’s 45-second film begins with Ms. Theron standing in a desert at night, storm clouds and lightening bolts surrounding the area. Soon it begins to rain, and Theron says, “I touch the rain” as she runs her hands over her hair, embracing the cool feeling of the storm.
The film then turns to dawn through a time lapse scene of the storm passing and the sun rising. Similar to her welcoming of the rain, Theron basks in the early morning sun before saying, “I look at the sun, and it says, ‘Run.’”
As she speaks, she takes off running through ankle-deep water, likely left from the storm the previous night. As she runs, the song “I Love You” by Woodkid picks up, and Theron slides down to the ground, cupping her hands into the water to pour the liquid over her head and body.
Doing so merges the elements of sun and water and subtly references the experience had when applying J’adore, turning the routine of wearing the fragrance into a transformative experience.
“I watch it all turn, the water, the earth, the sun and me,” she says as she walks toward the horizon.
The video concludes as Theron speaks the tagline of the fragrance campaign “J’adore,” but adds in “We are gold” before a bottle of the perfume appears and is illuminated by the rising sun.
In regard to Theron’s monologue, Dior describes her spoken passage as being a “manifesto of rebirth” after finding herself in an “instinctive and perfect communication with nature” despite the barren and harsh setting.
On the Dior Web site, the LVMH-owned brand includes discovery points, such as notes on the J’adore fragrance’s composition and behind-the-scenes footage of Mondino and Theron on set for the campaign, along with interviews with the actress.
