Galliano has pushed creative boundaries to celebrate the launch of the Lady Dior bag and accessories, by ‘Hitching’ onto the film noire genre.  The new ‘Lady Noire’ 6 ½ minute film short, starring Marion Cotillard, was directed by Oliver Dahan, who also directed her Oscar winning performance in ‘La Vie en Rose’.  Premiered this week at Cannes and now released only online, this moody ‘thriller’, condenses a dramatic love story into a film short, with a striking musical score, along the stylish streets of Paris.

There is now something of a trend for luxury brands to try and deepen consumer engagement through film and digital creative.  High profile examples have included Kidman for Chanel, directed by Baz Luhrmann in the style of her Moulin Rouge performance and Gwyneth Paltrow directed by Dennis Hopper for Todd 

The Dior ‘Lady Noire’ execution builds some degree of dramatic credibility – perhaps until the point of a tight close up shot of Cotillard and her Lady Dior bag.  She slowly unveils and places on the counter top, in what has been described by some as a ‘department store saleswoman fashion’, a range of ‘affordable’ entry level accessories such as a Dior purse and key ring – is this genuine brand building, or just a more elegant form of advertising and product placement? 

Dior argues that the execution overcomes consumer cynicism with celebrity endorsement, by putting Cotillard to work in ‘plying’ her trade, rather than just having her appear in static form in their print ads.  Consumers have definitely embraced the hype, with lots of positive comments on social networking sites about the ‘Lady Noire’ execution.  Check out what has set consumers atwitter with 82,414 views and followers on the Lady Noire blog – and decide for yourself: 

Jane Kuria