Natalie Portman for Rouge Dior
French couture house Christian Dior is making a connection between red lipstick and a playful-yet-sexy lifestyle in a feel-good film.
Starring frequent brand face Natalie Portman, the brand’s launch campaign for its Rouge Dior lip color sees the actress mugging in a photo booth and frolicking around Paris. A crimson lip can portray chameleon-like qualities such as classicism and a rock ‘n’ roll edginess, traits that Dior’s effort plays into.
“Red lips never go out of style,” said Lauren Bates, storyteller at Blue Moon Digital, Denver, CO. “And really, never does Natalie Portman.
“Portman has been a brand ambassador for Dior since 2010,” she said. “Most notably, for her role as the face of Miss Dior. So, Dior casting her for their new Rouge Dior doesn’t come as a surprise.
“I think that Dior chose Portman for two reasons. The first being that she is timeless, elegant and a classic beauty, which is largely what many French women and French fashion houses are associated with.
“And secondly, her report. She is smart, beautiful and classy. Either women want to be like her, or have her as a friend. She is the perfect mixture of girl-next-door and ethereal beauty.”
Ms. Bates is not affiliated with Dior, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.
Dior Beauty did not respond before press deadline.
Sugar and spice
Dior’s short video begins as Ms. Portman slides a coin into a machine. A flashbulb slowly lights up as James Brown’s “I Feel Good” starts to play.
Close-up shots of the actress’ eyes and lips are shown as she preps for her first photo. She adjusts her hair and runs a finger over her lips after the first flash, primping as she goes.
Taking a playful approach, she kisses the back of her hand and captures the lipstick print on film. For other shots, she throws on a pair of black sunglasses or looks coyly at the camera.
The actress steps out of the booth and onto the street, dressed in a red frock and black ankle boots and swinging a black motorcycle jacket. Her outfit portrays a mix of pretty and punk.
She dances and twirls in front of a fountain, a smile spread across her face.
Rouge Dior, the new lipstick – The new campaign
At the end of the film, a collage of photo booth snapshots fills the screen, painting a more thorough portrait of who this woman is.
A coordinating image shows Ms. Portman mid-application, as she holds the Rouge Dior tube up to her lips.
Rouge Dior is described by the brand as “couture color.” Designed to offer 16 hours of comfortable wear, the highly pigmented product gives a matte or satin finish.
Rouge Dior cap
The lipstick comes in a black tube with a quilted pattern metallic closure. Regardless of the product’s hue, each cap is lined with the Rouge 999 shade.
On the dedicated Dior Makeup Instagram account, the brand offers an inside look into the product with a behind-the-scenes shot from the set, capturing an interaction between Ms. Portman and Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior Makeup.
Behind the scene of the Rouge Dior The New Lipstick campaign shooting in Paris with Natalie Portman looking good, feeling good. @peterphilipsmakeup #ifeelgood
A photo posted by Dior Makeup (@diormakeup) on
Aug 25, 2016 at 5:18am PDT
Dior launched this product almost immediately following its effort around its Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming fragrance, for which Ms. Portman is also the face, reaching out to consumers while the actress was still top-of-mind (see story).
Classic color
Dior’s celebrity faces frequently lend their talents for multiple product lines. Tapping into their familiarity may help the brand reach out to entry-level clientele.
For instance, Dior encouraged readers of New York magazine’s blog The Cut to #ShineDontBeShy with sponsored content for its Dior Addict lipstick Line.
With Jennifer Lawrence as the face of the campaign, Dior is pushing the Dior Addict lipstick collection heavily on its own social media after teasing the young actress’ role as ambassadress. In its own communications for the lipstick, Ms. Lawrence is said to be a “symbol of femininity, self-assurance” while being “modern, natural,” qualities shared with the Dior Addict product (see story).
“Dior is no stranger to featuring actresses in their fragrance campaigns—who could forget Charlize Theron’s J’adore commercial?” Ms. Bates said. “But actresses for cosmetics? Why not? Chanel has done it with Kristen Stewart and now Portman for Dior.
“I think it is more about keeping pace with the luxury cosmetic industry. Traditionally, makeup ads and campaigns have included beautiful models with the right features for whatever the cosmetic is—think full lips for lipstick, high cheek bones for blush, etc.,” she said. “Now, luxury is testing the waters with actresses.
“Actresses, for the most part are more relatable than models. We get to hear them talk and see them at award shows. Maybe they played a character that resonated with us on an emotional level. The emotion is what the luxury brands are starting to bring into the mix. They are beginning to realize that emotion is a big part of today’s purchasing behavior.”
Beauty is having a love affair with red, as the classic cosmetic hue serves as the inspiration for one or a plethora of products.
French fashion house Chanel is delving into the dominant properties of red as it launches its first cosmetic collection designed by global creative makeup and color designer Lucia Pica.
A favorite hue of brand founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, red served as the muse for Ms. Pica’s Le Rouge Collection N°1, giving lipstick, nailpolish and eyeshadow added depth and intensity. This collection reflects a modernization of a house code, enabling Ms. Pica to leave her mark while keeping within the boundaries Chanel consumers are familiar with (see story).
“Red lips will always be a symbol of classic elegance and the French fashion houses know this,” Ms. Bates said. “They pretty much invented it. Ok, obviously they didn’t invent it, but they have capitalized on it.
“I don’t think that it is a coincidence that two of the most recognizable French fashion houses are featuring ads with a red lip this fall,” she said. “In addition, Christian Louboutin is also featuring a red lipstick, though unsurprising given that red is their signature color.
“I don’t think that red is going to be the ‘it’ color for fall, these fashion houses simply know that red lips will never go out of style.”