“Reinvent new combinations of what you already own. Improvise. Become more creative. Not because you have to, but because you want to. Evolution is the secret for the next step.” – Karl Lagerfeld
Chanel is one of the smartest companies at deploying video in augmenting their brand. Sometimes they make slick commercials, leveraging a big creative name like Martin Scorsese for Blue de Chanel. Other times creative director Karl Lagerfeld will direct ambitious and sometimes bizarre video art projected which can be whimsical or experimental.
In its own industry, Chanel is one of the leaders of YouTube fashion channels. It’s content is very relevant to the industry, featuring everything from interviews with fashion icons to snippets from couture shows, seasonal catwalks and exhibitions, giving further insight into the fashion industry for all enthusiasts. Chanel uses high quality video and keeps its image very true to its established Parisian chic and elegant style.
Through YouTube, Chanel has created miniature films which extends its content and focus towards other art based productions like pop and celebrity culture. Whilst its video campaigns still showcase its high end products the channel has also been used to focus on the brand itself, with a mini series on the history of the brand and its founder Coco Chanel.
Through this, and its beauty tutorials, Chanel has become a much less intimidating and untouchable brand. Instead it impresses and excites by offering more insight and interaction into the glamourous and elegant world of fashion.
Chanel’s heavy use of YouTube in its digital ad campaign could hint at the power of video to convert brand fans into loyalists as time goes on.
“Arrogance is in everything I do. It is in my gestures, the harshness of my voice, in the glow of my gaze, in my sinewy, tormented face.” – Coco Chanel
“Once Upon A Time . . .” by Karl Lagerfeld
The film was first screened on May 8th 2013 at the same time as its premiere in Singapore, the destination chosen by Karl Lagerfeld for his Cruise fashion show. The film is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first Chanel boutique in Deauville Normandy, which Lagerfeld allegedly went to great lengths to reproduce. Keira Knightley stars as the late Coco Chanel.
Coco Mademoiselle: The Film – CHANEL
In the sensual, three-minute spot, Keira Knightley, playing a mysterious modern-day Coco Chanel, dons a skintight camel catsuit and matching helmet and hops a motorbike, riding through the streets of Paris as Joss Stone croons “It's a Man’s Man’s World” in the background.
Chanel No5 – For The First Time – Inside CHANEL
A wonderfully evocative condensed history of Chanel No5, featuring ad campaigns, imagery and footage from the 1920s onwards. The film takes us from Coco Chanel’s original brief to her perfumier – the scent includes 80 different elements – right up to the news that the next face of the brand will be Brad Pitt, the first time in the brand’s history that a man has been appointed to the role.
Marilyn and No5 – Inside CHANEL
A gorgeous film from Inside Chanel celebrating the bond between two beauty icons – Marilyn Monroe and Chanel No 5. The Paris fashion house released a short video with a rare footage and photos of the actress, including audio recording they acquired in which she comments on her famous quote. The quote was never published – until now. The Hollywood legend said she only wears nothing but Chanel No.5 to bed.
The jacket – Inside CHANEL
This is the fourth chapter in the web series “Inside Chanel” that shares stories about the fashion house’s most iconic themes. The video showcases never-before-seen images and videos about the classic Chanel jacket, which was first launched in 1954.