Chanel N°5 Marilyn Monroe

In this advertisement for the perfume Chanel N°5, you can hear the melodious voice of Marilyn Monroe explaining to French journalist Georges Belmont why she said she wore nothing but “a few drops of Chanel N°5” to bed. You can also see images of the famous actress looking more glamorous than ever.

What is interesting is that she never was a Chanel celebrity endorser, it was just an honest confession.

Even if Marilyn Monroe is an icon of the 50s, I think these advertisement targeted women of generation Y (born between 1977 and 1994).

I think generation Y needs references and as they don’t really have iconic celebrities they just steal some from the past. James Dean, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy have never been so popular! Also cinema, music and fashion are key touch points for Yers. In a globalised world, where young women want to be strong and fragile and independent and sexy at the same time, Marilyn Monroe seems to be the perfect icon.

This TV commercial is also playing on the fact that vintage style is trendy. It is a short video clip and the message is clear and easy to distribute on massive media. For instance, the first time I saw this video was before a YouTube video.

For me this advertisement works. Using 50s icon for a perfume created in 1921 by Coco Chanel this advertisement could not be more adapted for generation Y.

Generation Y is my generation and I might not be very objective, but I think this advertisement is brillant. Actually, I did buy this perfume to know how it feels to smell like the wonderful Marilyn Monroe…

Marilyn

Marilyn and N°5 (30" version) - Inside CHANEL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6AtDQZ8K28