Timothee Chalamet’s commercial for Chanel has finally dropped, more than one year after a viral video showed the actor getting hit in the chest by a camera.
On 17 May, the French luxury label released the long-awaited ad for its Bleu de Chanel men’s fragrance. The 90-second spot – directed by Martin Scorsese – features the 28-year-old Oscar nominee in a dream-like version of New York City, as he breaks free from the bounds of fame.
Set to “Rockit” by Herbie Hancock, the commercial begins with Chalamet waking up in his fictional Soho apartment and immediately launching into his busy, A-list schedule: being snapped by paparazzi to guest starring on a late-night talk show. The film-within-a-film shows Chalamet haunted by his new project, which depicts a mysterious blue world, as it’s displayed on a billboard across from his apartment and on his TV screen.
The Dune actor is then seen running away from the set and finding himself at an elevated subway stop in Queens, New York. As he gets on the train, Chalamet steps into the mysterious blue world, where he can finally express his authenticity as an artist.
“The new Bleu de Chanel film is an invitation to discover the many facets of a man who is forging his own path,” the description for the ad reads. “An actor’s conflict between celebrity and staying true to himself. A dialogue between Timothée Chalamet’s artistic sensibility and Martin Scorsese’s virtuosity.”
The campaign – which was inspired by Federico Fellini’s 1968 short Toby Dammit – comes one year after the Wonka star was announced as the newest ambassador for Chanel’s best-selling men’s fragrance. Since then, several photos and videos of the actor-director duo parading around New York City have garnered excitement for the collaboration.
Most notably, Chalamet became the subject of online sympathy after a viral video showed the actor being hit in the chest with a massive camera while filming the ad. Scorsese’s daughter Francesca, who also had a cameo in the short film, could be seen standing next to Chalamet with a surprised look on her face after the incident.
Following the release of the Chanel ad, Chalamet revealed to GQ that the accidental collision was actually used in the short film’s final cut. “It’s a lesson worth learning a thousand times, whether it’s as an actor or as a director or as a creative in general, that, you know, mistakes are your best friend, even when you’re Martin Scorsese,” he told the magazine.
French actor Gaspard Ulliel originated the role as the face of Bleu de Chanel upon the product’s launch in 2010. He starred in his own short film for the fragrance, which was also directed by Scorsese. Ulliel held the position as Chanel’s first male ambassador until his death in 2022.
Bleu de Chanel is an aromatic scent with notes of sandalwood, citrus, labdanum, vetiver and mint. The fragrance was originally composed by Jacques Polge, and is now care-taken by Chanel’s in-house perfumer Olivier Polge, who is also Jacques’ son.