YSL subverts fragrance ad format for abuse awareness
What starts as a fairly generic advert for a fragrance turns into a powerful commentary on abuse.
Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Beauty has consistently pushed boundaries in advertising. Its Opium Perfume (2000) campaign starring Sophie Dahl featured the model reclining nude with an expression of ecstasy. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority promptly banned the campaign after complaints, deeming it too sexually suggestive.
Its Black Opium (2014–Present) campaign, meanwhile, combined apparent drug-like highs and female rebellion.
Its latest campaign stands out, not just for its aesthetic appeal but for the underlying message addressing the complexities of human relationships.
The advertisement begins in typical perfume commercial fashion: evocative imagery showcasing romance, opulence, and sensuality. Viewers are introduced to a couple navigating picturesque settings, all in a manner typical for luxury fragrances.
However, as the narrative unfolds, subtle anomalies emerge. Moments of discomfort, inexplicable actions, and shots that seem jarring begin to surface. These elements, initially fleeting, coalesce into a realisation that the relationship portrayed is marred by underlying tensions, hinting at the presence of emotional abuse.
This deliberate shift highlights the often-hidden facets of abusive relationships. YSL's approach is neither overt nor sensationalised; instead, it emphasises the subtler signs of abuse, questioning our assumptions about how relationships can appear on the surface.
The creative agency behind the project was Baron & Baron, led by art director Fabien Baron. Baron's career includes transformative work with publications like Harper's Bazaar and collaborations with iconic brands such as Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani.
Directing the commercial was Julia Ducournau, a French filmmaker celebrated for her Palme d'Or-winning work. The visual narrative was enhanced by the expertise of Tom Pecheux, YSL Beauty's global beauty director.
Our take
This was a brave and unexpected campaign by YSL in that it shatters two of the fashion and fragrance industry’s sacred cows: glamour and escapism.
With an entire industry hinging on these tropes, YSL has made a judgement call that society, post recession, post Weinstein, is able to handle some nuanced realities.
In a political climate where campaigns can - often too cynically - be labelled as ‘pandering’, using shock value as a gimmick, or even using a popular cause as a cash cow, it’s hard to argue that that’s the case here.
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