& … XCX. (We’ll get to her later)

If you haven’t been living under a rock (respectfully), you’ll know a film by Emerald Fennel is about to come out in a few weeks that will be the talk of the town (as it already has been at every stage, from final casting, to trailer drops, to the soundtrack announcement). Before hitting a single theater, Wuthering Heights has already caused quite a stir. Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, this classic reimagined has been added to the list of one of the most highly anticipated films right now.

And where did we see this powerhouse duo acting together recently? In a Chanel perfume spot. If you remember an older blogpost (scorsese & chalamet & chanel), I spoke on the brilliance that fashion houses bring to their perfume ads. They’re more than just commercials; they’re stories, short films, completely captivating and world building, all in the span of a few minutes or even less. Specifically, I talked about the iconic collaboration between Scorsese and Timothee Chalamet in Chanel Bleu. Now THAT was a great ad.

“See You At 5” directed by Luca Guadagnino with music by Daft Punk is a stacked creative pursuit that brings together some of the most talented names, both on and off camera. With such a powerhouse team, you’d expect something crazy, right? Something riveting, exciting, and attention grabbing. While those are the words I’d expect, they aren’t the ones I’d necessarily use to describe it. It was a slower, more serendipitous take. Following Elordi and Robbie driving across the stunning California roads in pursuit of each other, the ad is a visual and sensory treat rather than a full fledged narrative and visual sensation. While I was expecting “Challengers”-esque fast-paced, head turning visuals, we received a slower but sweeter “Call Me By Your Name”-esque scene. Something to slowly sip on rather than immediately indulge in.

While I would venture to say Scorsese and Chalamet definitely delivered a more robust and inspired commercial and story, Guadagnino knew the art behind this collaboration wasn’t in the storyline itself but in who he was showcasing, which is why I wouldn’t completely write this ad off. It’s a mark of the current scene in pop culture where fashion is a catalyst or vessel for these iconic moments across industries. A strong fashion house like Chanel knows to capitalize off of that in order to stay in the conversation.

Now how does Charli XCX play into this? Well, Wuthering Heights is coming out shortly, and we all know Charli is gracing its soundtrack with her musical genius after the trailer debuted with a remix of “Everything is Romantic” that I’m sure we’ve all heard at least once a day ever since. When showcasing Elordi and Robbie together, Wuthering Heights comes to mind, and when thinking of Wuthering Heights, Charli XCX comes to mind. So this isn’t necessarily just a commentary on Chanel’s perfume ad but more so the genius behind marketing and putting all of these names in one sentence and bringing Chanel into the broader conversation, which in this case is the highly anticipated Wuthering Heights film where Chanel really has no defining place in. Again, Chanel capitalizing off the conversation they’re interjecting. Well played Chanel, well played.