This commercial has been in my head ever since I first saw it many years ago. I know Scott directed other Chanel No.5 commercials, has it been confirmed that he did this one too? VERY Blade Runner inspired - even down to the use of the"Ink Blots - esque" sound track. When did this ad come out?
@thechinadesk That's weird isn't it? Or perhaps it isn't. I recently found out that the two models on the cover of Roxy Music's Flesh and Blood album are unknown or their names have been forgotten, and also the name of a model from France(?) who modelled nude for a poster for the 60s/70s fashion chain of shops called Biba has been forgotten too.
At first the model in this commercial reminded me of Carre Otis who used to be with Mickey Rourke
@thechinadesk Oh yeah in the mean time the model in the YSL Rive Gauche commercial from the early 80s that's here on YT was the actress who played Dan Ackroyd's snooty fiancee in Trading Places with Eddie Murphy.
I was a little girl in the suburbs of London when these aired, and these ads still stick in my mind! It has given me lifelong fascination with Chanel and I have been an avid collector of Chanel handbags! What a great marketing tool! 30 years later and it's still influencing consumers!
I seem to remember there was no voice-over in the British version of this (I could be wrong) but I remember it as the single most evocative advert I have ever seen. The shadow of the plane brushing over the building was especially memorable, and of course the perfect song choice - all recalling the timeless landscapes of film noire. True art on screen
I've searched for this clip many times over the years. It is truly a work of art....focal movement within still images that are visually perfect; one frame fading into the next giving it an etherial feel of free association; the blending of the slightly anachronistic elements suggesting the endurance of romantic love over time. It is brilliant.
Ridley Scott!? This makes sense. Consider the Blade Runner scene when Deckard gives the Voight-Kampff test to Rachel. The visuals are so similar. Absolutely the number one commercial in my memories. And among the greatest of my romantic desires.
@jmk61fhs79xu84 The singer is "The Ink Spots" But be careful, they have several version of this song. I found it at itune and it sound exactly like what's used in this commercial.
@Khantikone123 ......if your read Bobby Short's autobio he mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
@DouglasUrantia I don't doubt what you said is true. But if you have a moment, go to iTunes, and listen to the song sample by The Ink Spots (Re-Record Version). I can assure you, it sound exactly like the one from the Chanel commercial. I also look for Booby Short, and couldn't find the song done by him on iTunes.
@Khantikone123 ..sorry, it is not the same singing voice at all. Bobby did not record a single or album of this song...I already looked. Not all of his song menu was recorded. Look at his bio and you will see that he did sing on Chanel 5 commercials. That's one way I verified that this is Bobby singing in this commercial. His voice is very distinctive.
@DouglasUrantia Bobby Are you just trying to be difficult with me? (haha). Are you sure you listen to the Re-Record Version? I checked Bobby Bio. It says he did sing a commercial song for Revlon Charlies Perfume. But nothing about Chanel No5.
@DouglasUrantia ....the Ink Spots version starts with a guitar [and a very different voice]...this Bobby Short rendition starts with and continues with a piano....Bobby played the piano in his performances.
This isnt the one I remember. There was one in the 80's that had the "world on fire" song, but it was set in a mansion with black and white tile. Has anybody seen it? or found it?
I agree that this is perfectly stunning. Strangely I never forgot it but never thought i would be seen it again. Thank you for posting. Do you know who the singer is?
@thechinadesk .....if your read Bobby Short's autobio he mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
Ah, I know what you mean. This has always been one of my favorite commercials ever since I saw it for the first time years ago. I also thought I'd never see it again until this wonderful video from "thecinadesk". Absolutely beautiful.
I can't really tell, but I downloaded the re-make that the Ink Spots cut. I'm leaning toward it not being them nad possibly Bobby Short. They sound remarkably alike, but I think I can hear some very subtle differences. The most striking is that the commercial starts with a piano, the Ink Spots re-make starts with a guitar...We need a pro to tell us
@heaven4,,,,,, if your read Bobby Short's autobio he mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
@Pactrolus .....if you read Bobby Short's bio it mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
Sadly he never included this number on a CD...unless someone knows of one.
I always felt there were intentional subliminal or obvious (deliberately) suggestions in this video, the airplane shadow (resembling something erect) moving up into the V shaped long channel of bldg. The first of these Chanel No. 5 Videos showed the long rectangular pool with a woman wearing a black one piece swim suit sitting on edge of pool at one end with her legs/thigs jacked up..... AS that long dark shadow of airplane slowly moving thru pool toward her.
Gee, thanks for friendly response. I thought I might get slammed. It's my exquisitely tuned feminist awareness of our shoddy male defined sexual culture, which women of course get totally drawn into and are, alas, flattered by. In the '80's MS Magazine started "No Comment" section on last page of issue, showing 4 or 5 ads, e.g. you started to see lipstick ads with a woman holding her arm up, tube pointed down to her open mouth with lipstick all the way out. Now it's worse and ubiquitous.
I think you are right about the suggestive nature of some of the video. However, unlike you, I think it's rather clever and enjoyable. I think you need to chill out.
It' s in men DNA to find women sexually attractive and it's in womens DNA to try to be sexually attractive for men. This is natures' way of ensuring the species is perpetuated and most of us enjoy it this way. And let's be honest there are enough commercials using attractive men as objects and I bet you don't complain about that.
I respectfully disagree. Please don't tell me to chill out. It's condescending. Most people, including you, just don't get it, even too many women. Men as sex objects is a contradiction in terms, no matter how much you and rest of society try to make issue gender neutral. Women's bodies are entered, penetrated. Kids see this stuff all the time and much worse.
How about two 8 yr old boys in MA who molested 5 yr old girl in back of school bus every time she wore a dress to school. Her parents noticed her losing weight and she was anxious and depressed. So don't patronize me with your biology class lessons about DNA in men/women. That's simplistic reductive nonsense. "Nature's way of ensuring species". REALLY !? BUT that's hardly the topic of discussion that I started out with. I'm frankly tired of TV thrusting FRAT boy humor down my throat 24/7.
Now, now! I think you are going slightly over the top. I am trying to be supportive. Sure there are some truly awful events that happen every day but I don't think you can blame many of them on Chanel No.5. Moreover, womens bodies are designed to be entered and penertrated (by men) and guess what, mostly they enjoy the experience and if you don't believe me, ask a few! I won't hold this against you because it not an issue for me but when you called yourself a feminist did you mean lesbian?
If they were to remake this commercial Charles and Catherine would be replaced by two puerile,A&F style19yo's... with the names of the characters being changed to something like Hunter or Kaitlyn. (no offense to any Hunter's or Kaitlyn's reading).
Naturally, the girl would say her lines in the most bland ,croaky little baby voice conceivable and the guy would channel just another played-out, second-rate, oversexed James Dean...and not one scintilla of sophistication in the whole tacky mess.
The description mentions the Ink Spots recording as a 1950s song. According to Wikipedia, "In 1941, the Inkspots did a cover of the song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" originally written by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin and Eddie Durham." Is this correct?
are you insane? the other commercial is one dimensional and costs about a fifth of the money and time that it took into making this one .... not to mention the fact that this commercial evokes emotion and mystique
Awesome! I remember this commercial as a kid. The music was great and I always thought the woman is this commercial was so HOT! Thanks for posting this classic!
I was working for CHANEL in the late 80's and this commercial played over and over in the stores I was promoting the fragrance in. I probably watched and heard it 10000 times or so :o) and yet watching it now still evokes those same memories and the incredible smell of No.5 still lingers in my mind! What a commercial!!!!
A favorite from the past. The scene where she walks in the room reminded me of Sean Young's entrance into Blade Runner, or vice versa. Turns out Ridley Scott directed these as well. Thanks for posting this.
I love this commercial. I was in my 20's when it came out, and I too, ran to the TV when I heard the music. I tried to find out when the spots ran so I could record it, but had no success. The Charles/Catherine scene so reminds me of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead". This is class. Pure class.
This is my favorite commercial of all time. It's notable that it hasn't dated one iota; played today, all viewers would believe it was filmed yesterday. That's the definition of quality, folks: quality doesn't date.
I find it amazing that not one single negative comment was found in all the comments (I read every single one). That's an extremely rare accomplishment.
this brings back so many memories i was about nine years old when i heard that commercial come on tv i would run to the screen every time and watch it. seeing it now just gives me chills i love the remix of the song that they did from the ink spots this is the best. they dont make commercials like this anymore.this commercial had you thinking ..i know it did when i was little. i didnt understand it but now i do
I too was captivated by this amazing commercial as a child! I couldn't agree more -- an absolutely stunning piece with masterful direction! It's a brilliant marriage of surreal and classic imagery not to mention the stylized music of The Ink Spots. To achieve a sense of intrigue like this in a 30 second spot is, indeed, pure genius! As far as the "personal question" Charles begged permission to ask Catherine, it was probably "What's that nasty stench!?"
This is one of the best commercials of all time. It is abstract, over the top, great use of cinematography. It has a 20's style song ... with some dialogue that leads nowhere leaving you with only your thoughts .... facking AMAZING !!!!! I remember this from when I was a kid !!!!!
It's been 20 + years since I last saw this commercial on T.V. and I've been obsessed with it ever since I saw it the first time. I had no idea it was directed by Ridley Scott. Really magical. My favorite of all time (would kill for a DVD version).
This one was actually from 83. The "Sea of Love" one with Carole Bouquet is from 82. The original with the woman by the pool with the Vangelis music is from 79. Beautiful and timeless.
This is one of my favorites of all time. How appropriate it was directed by Ridley Scott. Thank you for posting. Would love to see the other RS/C#5 ad.
I truly love this commercial. The only commercial I love more is from the same year, for the same CHANEL, also directed by Ridley Scott. Poolside,Nice (I'm guessing) tanned man, aeroplane "I am made of blue skies and will live forever" Up until a month ago I had it saved in my account. Then it disappeared. What happened? If anyone out there has it, please post it again. I'm guessing it had something to do with the department store tag on the end. thanks for posting this =)
How strange the memory. My mind combined the poolside fantasy with this one, so that the plane was flying across the pool, over the woman and up the Pyramid Bldg. Thank heavens for YouTube to bring old commercials to light, and correct the twisted fibres of memory.
I was thinking exactly the same thing! I've thought about this ad for years - the song, the images, all perfect. If only Ridley Scott would make stuff like this now...
I heard this tune 1st at a wedding on Long Island at the "Swan Club"...I was truly captivated by it...then later I noted the tv
spot...and of course I am a "Chanel girl from my 16th birthday...I got the perfume (I wanted it when I was 9 or 10...my older brother got it for the girl he would buy an engagement ring the next Christmas...(I remember her unwraping the gift...and, I loved the scent..the bottle, the box...everything. I became a "classic woman at 10"...and, so the memory of Chanel...
C.L.A.S.S.I.C Oh, they don' t make them like they use to! WOW! The new Chanel No. 5 commercial pale to commarison. There is the other one with they lady sitting by the swimming pool and a very sun tan man jumps into the pool, it is so awesom! Thanks for thte post!
thats the beauty of the commercial ... its not one dimensional .... it leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering what he wanted to ask her once he disappeares into thin air ... she glances up as if she were in a state of pleasure ..... pure genius !!!!
It could be one of 2 things; one that the voice sounds very much like Bobby Short, he could have done a remake for the ad, but I doubt it. The other being that it is the Ink Spots version with piano and reverb added as well as the bass brought up in volmue for effect. The Ink Spot recording is of a stripped down sound of guitar and voice, very basic.
Love this commercial! I saw this when I was but a lad, and I think it was an early influence in terms of my aesthetic (furniture I liked, homes I liked, etc). Also, this song was the first dance for my wedding.
Some say it's from 1982, but a Wiki article on Ridley Scott says it's from 1979 -- as far as I can make out. Apparently it's somewhere around those two dates.
Thanks for posting , I remember this commercial to the T. When I was a child, I had to have the song by the Inkspots. Not sure if they used the original artists for the commercial. This is just beautiful!
the magritte comparison is a good one--timeless images. I do wonder how much of this ad was conceived by the ad agency vs. Ridley Scott. I know someone who knows him and will try to find out.
(cont.)When Catherine appears, she is perfectly framed by the door behind her. Charles appears on one side of a bifurcated window, his form both balanced and mimicked by the Transamerica Pyramid in the right half of the frame. Finally, when the Pyramid is shown alone, its shape is mirrored by the plane flying (at the precise angle of the plane in the earlier skyscraper frame) over its face.
The geometric composition is surely a factor. Another factor is the images themselves, which border on the surreal. Not the dark surrealism of Max Ernst or Salvador Dali, but the sunnier, less threatening surrealism of Rene Magritte.
I think the key to this ad is the perfect geometry of each frame--the grid that first appears in the formal garden is repeated through a series of dissolves to the piano keys, railroad tracks and windows of the skyscraper.
Thanks for posting. Amazing how it's classy and not dated at all. Neither is Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. I miss the deep voices in the 70's voiceovers.
Sure thing. It belated occurred to me that not only is "Catherine's" red skirted suit not dated, neither is the commercial itself. If you ran this spot on broadcast TV today, many 20 somethings would assume it was just shot yesterday. We're looking at 28 years here. To appreciate how impressive that is, consider how radically different fashions changed between say, 1930 and 1960.
Ditto! Actually I wasn't the first to post this. My post is redundant. Deliberately so. I wanted to make sure that this clip remained available no matter what. Also, I wanted to add my own commentary to it.
Now this brings back some beautiful memories from when I was a child and marvelling at how much class my ever youthful grandmother always seemed to exude. Fashion changes - Style remains.
Should i feel emberassed that my 1st thought when i heard the music was "Fallout"?
Azmodeus87 4 days ago
@Azmodeus87
You should say ten Hail Marys. God is merciful. He will forgive you.
thechinadesk 4 days ago
Comment removed
OPTIMIZEDd 1 month ago 2
For those wondering who the model is, it's Patti Hansen - top model in the late 70s and early 80s, married to Keith Richards.
greenaselderflower 3 months ago
@greenaselderflower
Ah, the miracle of the Internet. Few if any mysteries remain unsolved. Eventually someone somewhere has the information and makes it available.
Thanks!
thechinadesk 4 days ago
The last shot of Catherine made me think he's going down on her.
SparkyYoungUpstart 4 months ago
This commercial has been in my head ever since I first saw it many years ago. I know Scott directed other Chanel No.5 commercials, has it been confirmed that he did this one too? VERY Blade Runner inspired - even down to the use of the"Ink Blots - esque" sound track. When did this ad come out?
Serpico36 5 months ago
@Serpico36
1979, if you can believe it. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away!
thechinadesk 5 months ago
Who was the model in this?
jrmetmoi 7 months ago
@jrmetmoi
That's a very good question.
I searched the web for an answer, but so far no luck.
Anybody?
thechinadesk 7 months ago
@thechinadesk That's weird isn't it? Or perhaps it isn't. I recently found out that the two models on the cover of Roxy Music's Flesh and Blood album are unknown or their names have been forgotten, and also the name of a model from France(?) who modelled nude for a poster for the 60s/70s fashion chain of shops called Biba has been forgotten too.
At first the model in this commercial reminded me of Carre Otis who used to be with Mickey Rourke
jrmetmoi 7 months ago
@jrmetmoi
The model for later Chanel commercials all had name recognition. Many were well known actresses.
But the model in the "I don't want to set the world on fire" spot, which is still the best, remains anonymous for whatever reason.
I'm sure someone in the modeling business knows who she was. I wonder if some modeling business forum might be able to tell us?
thechinadesk 7 months ago
@thechinadesk Do youknow which forums those might be? I haven't a clue LOL sorry!
jrmetmoi 7 months ago
@thechinadesk Oh yeah in the mean time the model in the YSL Rive Gauche commercial from the early 80s that's here on YT was the actress who played Dan Ackroyd's snooty fiancee in Trading Places with Eddie Murphy.
jrmetmoi 7 months ago
Comment removed
greenaselderflower 3 months ago
Very Ridley Scott. Just like looking out over the dystopian Los Angeles from the windows of the Tyrell building in Blade Runner.
SphinctersForever 8 months ago
Thanks so much for posting. I've been haunted by this commercial for years and never thought I'd see it again. Perfect!
Lolabelle59 9 months ago
@Lolabelle59
To be honest I merely mirrored louisadeck's posting.
I wanted to make sure it didn't suddenly disappear.
But it is a great commercial isn't it?
thechinadesk 9 months ago
I was a little girl in the suburbs of London when these aired, and these ads still stick in my mind! It has given me lifelong fascination with Chanel and I have been an avid collector of Chanel handbags! What a great marketing tool! 30 years later and it's still influencing consumers!
Ruthiebaby30 11 months ago
Funny you should mention BLADE RUNNER, as this commercial was directed by Ridley Scott.
TheRealNormanBates 1 year ago
I seem to remember there was no voice-over in the British version of this (I could be wrong) but I remember it as the single most evocative advert I have ever seen. The shadow of the plane brushing over the building was especially memorable, and of course the perfect song choice - all recalling the timeless landscapes of film noire. True art on screen
WhoDoYouWant 1 year ago
I remember this old commercial, too... a real stunner!
NCTaikoDrumboy 1 year ago
I've searched for this clip many times over the years. It is truly a work of art....focal movement within still images that are visually perfect; one frame fading into the next giving it an etherial feel of free association; the blending of the slightly anachronistic elements suggesting the endurance of romantic love over time. It is brilliant.
Shrink59 1 year ago
Ridley Scott!? This makes sense. Consider the Blade Runner scene when Deckard gives the Voight-Kampff test to Rachel. The visuals are so similar. Absolutely the number one commercial in my memories. And among the greatest of my romantic desires.
imnotbuddha 1 year ago
i never forgot this!! it used to give me chills when i watched it .. the shadow of that plane. thank you for posting this! :)
lunadaisy223 1 year ago
Wonderful. But, I love :26 grill.
Brambleiah 1 year ago
I don't know the singer, but it's an Ink Spots song.
LucyMelwood 1 year ago
i love this commercial
coolperson154 1 year ago
i love this commercial
coolperson154 1 year ago
I've been trying to find this commercial for years...thank you so much! Who is singing, "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"?
jmk61fhs79xu84 1 year ago
@jmk61fhs79xu84 The singer is "The Ink Spots" But be careful, they have several version of this song. I found it at itune and it sound exactly like what's used in this commercial.
Khantikone123 1 year ago
@Khantikone123 ......if your read Bobby Short's autobio he mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
DouglasUrantia 1 year ago
@DouglasUrantia I don't doubt what you said is true. But if you have a moment, go to iTunes, and listen to the song sample by The Ink Spots (Re-Record Version). I can assure you, it sound exactly like the one from the Chanel commercial. I also look for Booby Short, and couldn't find the song done by him on iTunes.
Khantikone123 1 year ago
@Khantikone123 ..sorry, it is not the same singing voice at all. Bobby did not record a single or album of this song...I already looked. Not all of his song menu was recorded. Look at his bio and you will see that he did sing on Chanel 5 commercials. That's one way I verified that this is Bobby singing in this commercial. His voice is very distinctive.
DouglasUrantia 1 year ago
@DouglasUrantia Bobby Are you just trying to be difficult with me? (haha). Are you sure you listen to the Re-Record Version? I checked Bobby Bio. It says he did sing a commercial song for Revlon Charlies Perfume. But nothing about Chanel No5.
Khantikone123 1 year ago
@DouglasUrantia ....the Ink Spots version starts with a guitar [and a very different voice]...this Bobby Short rendition starts with and continues with a piano....Bobby played the piano in his performances.
DouglasUrantia 1 year ago
@thechinadesk: I could not agree with you more, this commercial has stuck me over three decades.
davidy323 1 year ago
This was a very 'classy' ad!
16elcl 1 year ago
This isnt the one I remember. There was one in the 80's that had the "world on fire" song, but it was set in a mansion with black and white tile. Has anybody seen it? or found it?
possum902 2 years ago
I agree that this is perfectly stunning. Strangely I never forgot it but never thought i would be seen it again. Thank you for posting. Do you know who the singer is?
Pactrolus 2 years ago 2
@Pactrolus
Another reader said it was Bobby Short.
It does sound very much like him.
But I can't vouch for it 100%
thechinadesk 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@thechinadesk .....if your read Bobby Short's autobio he mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
DouglasUrantia 1 year ago
@thechinadesk
Originally the song was done by The Ink Spots. That's how I found this on youtube...
kayspinner 1 year ago
Ah, I know what you mean. This has always been one of my favorite commercials ever since I saw it for the first time years ago. I also thought I'd never see it again until this wonderful video from "thecinadesk". Absolutely beautiful.
SebastopolQueen 2 years ago
I'm pretty sure it's the Ink Spots.
heaven4 1 year ago
I can't really tell, but I downloaded the re-make that the Ink Spots cut. I'm leaning toward it not being them nad possibly Bobby Short. They sound remarkably alike, but I think I can hear some very subtle differences. The most striking is that the commercial starts with a piano, the Ink Spots re-make starts with a guitar...We need a pro to tell us
KDAVIS5069 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@heaven4,,,,,, if your read Bobby Short's autobio he mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
DouglasUrantia 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Pactrolus -I don't know the singer, but it's an Ink Spots song.
LucyMelwood 1 year ago
@Pactrolus - I don't know the singer, but it's an Ink Spots song.
LucyMelwood 1 year ago
@Pactrolus
This song is by The Ink Spots.
DIGBY67 1 year ago
@Pactrolus
The song is by The Ink Spots
DIGBY67 1 year ago
@DIGBY67 .....the song in this commercial is being sung by Bobby Short. It was one of his songs that is not included on his CDs. Listen carefully.
DouglasUrantia 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Pactrolus .....if you read Bobby Short's bio it mentions that he sang tunes for Chanel commercials. This is not Ink Spots....it's the great Bobby Short.
Sadly he never included this number on a CD...unless someone knows of one.
DouglasUrantia 1 year ago
I always felt there were intentional subliminal or obvious (deliberately) suggestions in this video, the airplane shadow (resembling something erect) moving up into the V shaped long channel of bldg. The first of these Chanel No. 5 Videos showed the long rectangular pool with a woman wearing a black one piece swim suit sitting on edge of pool at one end with her legs/thigs jacked up..... AS that long dark shadow of airplane slowly moving thru pool toward her.
bon1042 2 years ago
Well spotted, I didn't notice it at the time and wouldn't have noticed it now but I think you are right!
Pactrolus 2 years ago
Gee, thanks for friendly response. I thought I might get slammed. It's my exquisitely tuned feminist awareness of our shoddy male defined sexual culture, which women of course get totally drawn into and are, alas, flattered by. In the '80's MS Magazine started "No Comment" section on last page of issue, showing 4 or 5 ads, e.g. you started to see lipstick ads with a woman holding her arm up, tube pointed down to her open mouth with lipstick all the way out. Now it's worse and ubiquitous.
bon1042 2 years ago
I think you are right about the suggestive nature of some of the video. However, unlike you, I think it's rather clever and enjoyable. I think you need to chill out.
It' s in men DNA to find women sexually attractive and it's in womens DNA to try to be sexually attractive for men. This is natures' way of ensuring the species is perpetuated and most of us enjoy it this way. And let's be honest there are enough commercials using attractive men as objects and I bet you don't complain about that.
Pactrolus 2 years ago
I respectfully disagree. Please don't tell me to chill out. It's condescending. Most people, including you, just don't get it, even too many women. Men as sex objects is a contradiction in terms, no matter how much you and rest of society try to make issue gender neutral. Women's bodies are entered, penetrated. Kids see this stuff all the time and much worse.
bon1042 2 years ago
How about two 8 yr old boys in MA who molested 5 yr old girl in back of school bus every time she wore a dress to school. Her parents noticed her losing weight and she was anxious and depressed. So don't patronize me with your biology class lessons about DNA in men/women. That's simplistic reductive nonsense. "Nature's way of ensuring species". REALLY !? BUT that's hardly the topic of discussion that I started out with. I'm frankly tired of TV thrusting FRAT boy humor down my throat 24/7.
bon1042 2 years ago
Now, now! I think you are going slightly over the top. I am trying to be supportive. Sure there are some truly awful events that happen every day but I don't think you can blame many of them on Chanel No.5. Moreover, womens bodies are designed to be entered and penertrated (by men) and guess what, mostly they enjoy the experience and if you don't believe me, ask a few! I won't hold this against you because it not an issue for me but when you called yourself a feminist did you mean lesbian?
Pactrolus 2 years ago
Thank you for posting. Possibly the most brilliant combination of sound and vision ever. I never thought I'd see it again.
ZZebidee 2 years ago 8
Actually we both need to thank louisadeck for being the first to post this.
thechinadesk 2 years ago
The entrance of "Catherine" against the dappled, bronzy background always reminds me of the introduction of "Rachael" in "Blade Runner".
gandy74 2 years ago 9
Dear gandy74,
Interesting.
I'll have to look at "Blade Runner" again. It's been a while.
thechinadesk 2 years ago
That's no accident. This was directed by famed director Ridley Scott who also directed Blade Runner.
ucruci 2 years ago
If they were to remake this commercial Charles and Catherine would be replaced by two puerile,A&F style19yo's... with the names of the characters being changed to something like Hunter or Kaitlyn. (no offense to any Hunter's or Kaitlyn's reading).
Naturally, the girl would say her lines in the most bland ,croaky little baby voice conceivable and the guy would channel just another played-out, second-rate, oversexed James Dean...and not one scintilla of sophistication in the whole tacky mess.
gandy74 2 years ago 2
Dear gandy74,
LOL!
Great comment!
At the risk of sounding like Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard," consider "Love Affair," the abortive remake of "An Affair to Remember."
Warren Beatty and Annette Benning just didn't cut it as stand-ins for Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.
They just don't make 'em like they used to.
thechinadesk 2 years ago
This is still amazing after almost 30 years. The opening is somewhat reminisceint of the garden scene in Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad.
arycroft7 2 years ago
Dear arycroft7,
You know your film history!
It does look a bit like a scene from Last Year at Marienbad.
I'm sure Scott's surrealist reference was intentional.
I remember watching the film in college many years ago. The projectionist got one of the reels out of sequence, but nobody noticed!
That was of course because the film kept flashing back and one had trouble keeping the flashbacks in sequence!
thechinadesk 2 years ago
Surely this ad was directed by Ridley Scott??
universalcitylights 2 years ago
Yes it was!
See Information section at right.
thechinadesk 2 years ago
Don't you think it's sort of exagerated to say that's the best commercial ever made?
I've seen better TV ads about nappies, instead...
argentik82 2 years ago
Well, you have to take expressions of opinion such as mine for what they are, subjective preferences.
Strictly speaking things like this really can't be quantified as "best" or "worst."
It's just a way to make things interesting.
thechinadesk 2 years ago
The description mentions the Ink Spots recording as a 1950s song. According to Wikipedia, "In 1941, the Inkspots did a cover of the song "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" originally written by Eddie Seiler, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin and Eddie Durham." Is this correct?
jem2017 2 years ago
Looks like you're right.
Have updated the description.
Thanks!
thechinadesk 2 years ago
Now the only mystery that remains is, what was the "personal question" that Charles wanted to ask Catherine?
thechinadesk 2 years ago
I think it was, "What kind of perfume are you wearing?"
annexkatherine 2 years ago
Uh..sorry,but the "share the fantasy" spot for Chanel no.5 is WAY,WAY BETTER,than this one.
joker3092 2 years ago
are you insane? the other commercial is one dimensional and costs about a fifth of the money and time that it took into making this one .... not to mention the fact that this commercial evokes emotion and mystique
ogunz1877611 2 years ago
Is that Leonard Nimoy doin' the VoiceOver?
pittedthighs 2 years ago
9/11 anyone?
Golemzzz 2 years ago
Ink Spots wuz better
ARandomCanadian 2 years ago
Comment removed
lmaxl 3 years ago
Ridley Scott's best work EVER!
...THIS IS LEGION!
oshan 3 years ago 2
GOD!
oshan 3 years ago
Awesome!
nativesun 3 years ago
Awesome! I remember this commercial as a kid. The music was great and I always thought the woman is this commercial was so HOT! Thanks for posting this classic!
mrmoore1970 3 years ago
c´est qui cette pov nana?
verrebleu 3 years ago
I was working for CHANEL in the late 80's and this commercial played over and over in the stores I was promoting the fragrance in. I probably watched and heard it 10000 times or so :o) and yet watching it now still evokes those same memories and the incredible smell of No.5 still lingers in my mind! What a commercial!!!!
HoverCorte 3 years ago 3
A favorite from the past. The scene where she walks in the room reminded me of Sean Young's entrance into Blade Runner, or vice versa. Turns out Ridley Scott directed these as well. Thanks for posting this.
Bd951 3 years ago 2
I love this commercial. I was in my 20's when it came out, and I too, ran to the TV when I heard the music. I tried to find out when the spots ran so I could record it, but had no success. The Charles/Catherine scene so reminds me of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead". This is class. Pure class.
LilithMars 3 years ago
Dear LilithMars,
Had to chuckle at the Fountainhead reference. It does have some of that Art Deco, Howard Roark, Dominique Francon flavor, doesn't it?
I used to be a "Student of Objectivism" as well as a practicing architect, registered in Texas.
I say used to, because I'm now an acolyte who sides with Nathaniel Branden rather than officially designated "heir" Leonard Peikoff.
Oh well.
thechinadesk 3 years ago
This is my favorite commercial of all time. It's notable that it hasn't dated one iota; played today, all viewers would believe it was filmed yesterday. That's the definition of quality, folks: quality doesn't date.
I find it amazing that not one single negative comment was found in all the comments (I read every single one). That's an extremely rare accomplishment.
jeremynv89523 3 years ago 3
this brings back so many memories i was about nine years old when i heard that commercial come on tv i would run to the screen every time and watch it. seeing it now just gives me chills i love the remix of the song that they did from the ink spots this is the best. they dont make commercials like this anymore.this commercial had you thinking ..i know it did when i was little. i didnt understand it but now i do
tsd701 3 years ago
I too was captivated by this amazing commercial as a child! I couldn't agree more -- an absolutely stunning piece with masterful direction! It's a brilliant marriage of surreal and classic imagery not to mention the stylized music of The Ink Spots. To achieve a sense of intrigue like this in a 30 second spot is, indeed, pure genius! As far as the "personal question" Charles begged permission to ask Catherine, it was probably "What's that nasty stench!?"
:D
jester720000 3 years ago
Man I just love this commercial. I was a kid when this came out and it's one of those commercials I never forgot!
ride80 3 years ago 3
You are RIGHT! I couldn't get this song nor commercial out of my head when I was a kid, and still it lingers!
acetjimmy 3 years ago
This is one of the best commercials of all time. It is abstract, over the top, great use of cinematography. It has a 20's style song ... with some dialogue that leads nowhere leaving you with only your thoughts .... facking AMAZING !!!!! I remember this from when I was a kid !!!!!
ogunz1877611 3 years ago 3
what is the building in the end?
beautiful song, never saw this I was too young maybe
snappycruise 3 years ago
The Transamerica Pyramid, in San Francisco.
annexkatherine 3 years ago
thank you very much :) beautiful building
snappycruise 3 years ago
Remember searching for info on this ad before the 'net, no one else I knew remembered it. Timeless. Anyone know who plays Catherine and Charles?
colmdurrus 3 years ago
Yeah, leave it to old Ridley to do such a phenom classic job. Reminds you a little of Blade Runner...in an odd sort of a way.
greedygretch 3 years ago
It's been 20 + years since I last saw this commercial on T.V. and I've been obsessed with it ever since I saw it the first time. I had no idea it was directed by Ridley Scott. Really magical. My favorite of all time (would kill for a DVD version).
OVDJOE 3 years ago 2
There was a Chanel comercial with an Ella Fitzgerald tune also
vitoduval 3 years ago
Thank you so much for posting my most FAVORITE commercial of all times. The BEST ever!!!
sobebrett 3 years ago
Luisadeck deserves the credit for posting it first. But you're welcome anyway!
thechinadesk 3 years ago
This one was actually from 83. The "Sea of Love" one with Carole Bouquet is from 82. The original with the woman by the pool with the Vangelis music is from 79. Beautiful and timeless.
kodachrome71 3 years ago
you're absolutely on point...i first saw this ad when i was about 5yrs old and i'll remember it forever
mackennie 3 years ago
This is one of my favorites of all time. How appropriate it was directed by Ridley Scott. Thank you for posting. Would love to see the other RS/C#5 ad.
waybo 3 years ago
I remember perfectly well this advertisement. It's fantastic, and the song is beautiful. If someone knows who is the singer, I would appreciate it.
solemavri 3 years ago
Classic and stylish to the last.
satterp 3 years ago
Who sings this song?
Grendel10000 3 years ago
I truly love this commercial. The only commercial I love more is from the same year, for the same CHANEL, also directed by Ridley Scott. Poolside,Nice (I'm guessing) tanned man, aeroplane "I am made of blue skies and will live forever" Up until a month ago I had it saved in my account. Then it disappeared. What happened? If anyone out there has it, please post it again. I'm guessing it had something to do with the department store tag on the end. thanks for posting this =)
stvnrbbns 3 years ago
How strange the memory. My mind combined the poolside fantasy with this one, so that the plane was flying across the pool, over the woman and up the Pyramid Bldg. Thank heavens for YouTube to bring old commercials to light, and correct the twisted fibres of memory.
gryphonisle 4 years ago
I was thinking exactly the same thing! I've thought about this ad for years - the song, the images, all perfect. If only Ridley Scott would make stuff like this now...
Thanks for posting it. I love youtube!!!
djgastapo 3 years ago 2
This is some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard.
jeremynv89523 4 years ago
I heard this tune 1st at a wedding on Long Island at the "Swan Club"...I was truly captivated by it...then later I noted the tv
spot...and of course I am a "Chanel girl from my 16th birthday...I got the perfume (I wanted it when I was 9 or 10...my older brother got it for the girl he would buy an engagement ring the next Christmas...(I remember her unwraping the gift...and, I loved the scent..the bottle, the box...everything. I became a "classic woman at 10"...and, so the memory of Chanel...
x
suziestew 3 years ago
The best. Thanks again lauermar.
greedygretch 4 years ago
C.L.A.S.S.I.C Oh, they don' t make them like they use to! WOW! The new Chanel No. 5 commercial pale to commarison. There is the other one with they lady sitting by the swimming pool and a very sun tan man jumps into the pool, it is so awesom! Thanks for thte post!
greedygretch 4 years ago
We love this commercial, we'll never forget it! But we never could figure out what was the personal question Charles was going to ask Catherine?
lauermar 4 years ago
Dear Lauermar,
We can only assume it was too personal to divulge.
Bevin
thechinadesk 4 years ago
What could be more personal than asking the perfume she is wearing...
That's what I think.
thomas6900 4 years ago
thats the beauty of the commercial ... its not one dimensional .... it leaves you on the edge of your seat wondering what he wanted to ask her once he disappeares into thin air ... she glances up as if she were in a state of pleasure ..... pure genius !!!!
ogunz1877611 3 years ago
hahah, almost 30 years later and we are still wondering what it was !!! PURE GENIUS !!
ogunz1877611 3 years ago 2
dry
DivaKG 4 years ago
wonderful wonderful commercial.
wenjing050713 4 years ago
who can kindly tell me what is the name of the song playing in the background?
wenjing050713 4 years ago
The Ink Spots "I Don't Want To Set The Earth On Fire"
gillmanoneone 4 years ago
thank you!
wenjing050713 4 years ago
Strictly speaking it's a cover of the Inkspots' version of the song. It's not actually by the Inkspots, but it's sung the way the Inkspots sang it.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
Who sang the cover?
gil166 4 years ago
I really don't know.
If anyone knows, please write in.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
This is sung by Bobby Short....it is mentioned in his official biography.
DouglasUrantia 3 years ago
This is the Bobby Short version of this song.
DouglasUrantia 3 years ago
It could be one of 2 things; one that the voice sounds very much like Bobby Short, he could have done a remake for the ad, but I doubt it. The other being that it is the Ink Spots version with piano and reverb added as well as the bass brought up in volmue for effect. The Ink Spot recording is of a stripped down sound of guitar and voice, very basic.
jeanclaude4 4 years ago
Huey Long is the only living member of the Ink Spots living in the Houston Heights; he recently turned 104...
montrosepatriot 3 years ago
This song is sung by Bobby Short as it is mentioned in his official biography.
DouglasUrantia 3 years ago
Now that is interesting indeed!
thechinadesk 3 years ago
This is Bobby Short. It's mentioned in his official bio. Good guess...!!
DouglasUrantia 3 years ago
This Bobby Short singing this song. Its mentioned in his official bio.
DouglasUrantia 3 years ago
This song is sung by Bobby Short, it's mentioned in his official biography. The Ink Spots had a different version of it.
DouglasUrantia 3 years ago
Love this commercial! I saw this when I was but a lad, and I think it was an early influence in terms of my aesthetic (furniture I liked, homes I liked, etc). Also, this song was the first dance for my wedding.
incady 4 years ago
"Also, this song was the first dance for my wedding."
haha, thats in fact awesome!
Dreadfultime 4 years ago
God I wish theyd play it on tv.Thank you chinadesk and You Tube!
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
I would love to take credit for it, but I can't. We both have to thank louisadeck. She's the one who posted it first.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
a commercial that makes you proud of the human race and achievement.pure class.
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
My god! this is just pure elegance.one of my faves.
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
This tells us that anything, even a 30 second commercial spot, can be done in a way that makes a difference.
Think of how many people remember this ad?
Chanel deserves credit for being willing to go along with Scott.
My architecture professor once told me that great architecture requires great clients. The architect can't do it by himself.
Ditto something as mundane as a commercial spot.
Bravo Chanel!
thechinadesk 4 years ago
Is it REALLY from 1979?first and only time Isaw this was in 1982.timeless.WHY doesnt this get played today?
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
Some say it's from 1982, but a Wiki article on Ridley Scott says it's from 1979 -- as far as I can make out. Apparently it's somewhere around those two dates.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
I think it would!real classics never get old.
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
Wow! Ridley Scott, I should have guessed, so many of the scenes foreshadow Blade Runner. Loved the train when I was a kid, too.
StratCatGenius 4 years ago 2
Scott is a real class act.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
WHY doesnt this get played today?Ive missed it since 1982.
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
It probably would make another splash, wouldn't it?
thechinadesk 4 years ago
Is it really 28 years?First and only time I saw this masterpiece was in 1982.Until now of course.
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
WHO directed this? Did it get a Cleo? Ditto!
tomterahedrob 4 years ago
The great Ridley Scott. Click on "more info"
Did it get a Cleo?
No idea. But it certainly ought to have.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
Thanks for posting , I remember this commercial to the T. When I was a child, I had to have the song by the Inkspots. Not sure if they used the original artists for the commercial. This is just beautiful!
ts4them 4 years ago
the magritte comparison is a good one--timeless images. I do wonder how much of this ad was conceived by the ad agency vs. Ridley Scott. I know someone who knows him and will try to find out.
underthesign1 4 years ago
(cont.)When Catherine appears, she is perfectly framed by the door behind her. Charles appears on one side of a bifurcated window, his form both balanced and mimicked by the Transamerica Pyramid in the right half of the frame. Finally, when the Pyramid is shown alone, its shape is mirrored by the plane flying (at the precise angle of the plane in the earlier skyscraper frame) over its face.
underthesign1 4 years ago
The geometric composition is surely a factor. Another factor is the images themselves, which border on the surreal. Not the dark surrealism of Max Ernst or Salvador Dali, but the sunnier, less threatening surrealism of Rene Magritte.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
I think the key to this ad is the perfect geometry of each frame--the grid that first appears in the formal garden is repeated through a series of dissolves to the piano keys, railroad tracks and windows of the skyscraper.
underthesign1 4 years ago
I think it's the greatest commercial ever made, too--and one that I remembered vividly 28 years later. Thanks for posting!
underthesign1 4 years ago
Amazing isn't it? We still remember 28 seconds after 28 years.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
Thanks for posting. Amazing how it's classy and not dated at all. Neither is Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. I miss the deep voices in the 70's voiceovers.
riotgear1974 4 years ago
Sure thing. It belated occurred to me that not only is "Catherine's" red skirted suit not dated, neither is the commercial itself. If you ran this spot on broadcast TV today, many 20 somethings would assume it was just shot yesterday. We're looking at 28 years here. To appreciate how impressive that is, consider how radically different fashions changed between say, 1930 and 1960.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
Ditto! Actually I wasn't the first to post this. My post is redundant. Deliberately so. I wanted to make sure that this clip remained available no matter what. Also, I wanted to add my own commentary to it.
thechinadesk 4 years ago
Now this brings back some beautiful memories from when I was a child and marvelling at how much class my ever youthful grandmother always seemed to exude. Fashion changes - Style remains.
dastonm 4 years ago
How very true.
As Coco Chanel herself noted,
"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
Her awareness of this manifested itself even in a 30 second commercial spot run by her company.
thechinadesk 4 years ago