A short film for Marc Jacob's new fragrance, Daisy, courtesy of YouTube. The song is Modern Girl by Sleater-Kinney.
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Cute. Do you thnk they're aiming this at a very young demographic? The models look about fourteen, so presumably it's intended to be aspirational for girls even younger.
OK, I watched this with the sound off because I couldn't stand the fact that Sleater Kinney have sold out to Marc Jacobs and this was my primary thought:
“Oh look! Anorexics gamboling about in the field! Ah, now they have to lie down because they're so tired and hungry. Oh well, at least they're nice to each other.”
I was particularly tweaked by the moment where one of the girls pretends to make a muscle. I really am grateful that the girls are shown as friends (and that there are three of them, warding off the most obvious girl-on-girl Lolita fantasies) but please, God or Goddess or Someone, when will we let our girl models (and role models) be STRONG?
I would have been all over this ad at 15 — its got that special combo of playfulness and moodiness that just *is* adolescence.
So treacherous. Shame on you S-K.
Supposedly 18-24, but I always figure they make these figures up to look more respectable. I'd guess they're looking for something more like 13-20. But, it has that clean & crisp, universally popular kind of pleasantness that will sell to much older women too.
Interesting. I didn't know SK so wasn't offended (as I often am when my faves sell out), and the music is the best part of the video IMHO.
That particular shot of the model trying to make a muscle cracked me up — I'm sorry, but her arms look just gross. If they must have thin, don't know why they can't at least have thin & muscular. Perhaps the girls eat too little to have the strength to exercise?
well that didn't excite me in the least….
Nope, can't say it is very exciting, although I kind of like the low-key attitude, and really like the song.
I think my response to your “Daisy” review didn't post, Robin; I was happy to find I wasn't alone in thinking “Daisy” smells suspiciously like “Light Blue” (at least, as you offered, there is some common undercurrent between the two) .
The “Daisy” ad: Very “Calvin Klein”, circa 1993…except, the models of that era were 16 year olds sexualized as 18-19 year olds (made to seem more mature and streetwise)—whereas, in MJ's “Daisy” ad, it almost seems like we have three 14-15 year olds who are being sexualized as 11-12 year olds (the super-youth fixation and focus on older girls who are more innocent and naive than their peers). They're like baby-women…not even girl-women like we were conditioned to accept earlier in the 90's. Even the training bras and distorted baby doll dresses accentuate this. Perhaps it isn't really about sexuality at all, but it does feel more voyeuristic in mood, rather than playful. It's not like everyone is running around in their underwear and jumping into leave piles or the ocean, it's more about making the whole experience “sexy” rather than just fun. Which, I guess, is the actual common attitude of young women growing into adulthood—but it's a bummer that society trains them to be more excited about gaining sexual power, rather than feeling more capable of doing the interesting things they always wanted to do as a little child.
There is something fun about ads featuring older women inspired to be playful in a youthful way, but when the idea of child-like freedom gets extended to investigate the rowdy forest romp of three pre-adolescents, there is something creepily voyeuristic about it. I'm sure Marc Jocobs got the same slack when he featured Dakota Fanning in his ads, posing like a mini-adult who had either too much expresso…or “white powdered” stilmulant (didn't we already see that sort of thing with Drew Barrymore?). MJ's print ad was actually quite artistic–as there was no training-bra exploitation going on–but this ad, it just feels too “Pretty Baby”. What gives?
No, it did post and I responded!
Interesting take on the ad, and hope others will respond. I didn't find it sexy and/or voyeuristic and/or “pretty baby” at all, despite the training bras (bathing suits? not sure) and baby doll dresses. Maybe I'm just too dense and/or naive.
This is the sort of thing that can make teenage girls have eating disorders. It's kind of pretty, the way it's shot and all, but please someone feed them.
(Yes–the comment did post!)
I suppose I found it voyeuristic because the focus was less on the girls making contact with their surroundings (and when they did, they seemed content to just thrash around instead of actually doing anything), and more about making contact with eachother. Perhaps MJ was just referencing a “Daisy” hippie-world where we all run around in swimsuits or undewear and cuddle eachother! 😉
Daisy hippie-world might be closer to how it struck me, LOL…
They really look unattractively thin, don't they?
S-K was one of several bands in the early 90's who were part of the Riot Grrrl movement/moment — the energy of punk claimed and re-invigorated by young women (Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill was also a big figure). The subculture was also fueled by the rise of personal home pages and “zines” — little personal magazines, usually made by cut-and-paste hand work and stapled together at Kinko's. It grew up into into music festivals, magazines like “Bust” and “Bitch”and some girl oriented festivals around the country. In some quarters it was hailed as part of the “Third Wave” of feminism (Second Wave having started in the 70's). I don't think much of Third Wave as a category, but you can see why I was disappointed to find S-K lending their feminist punk energy to the ad…
Spent some time listening to clips on iTunes, and Modern Girl has a very different feel from most of their music, doesn't it? Just based on MG, you'd never peg the band as part of any post-punk movement.
Anyway, I feel your pain. It seems like there is literally no music that is off limits to advertising except the Doors, and maybe they've fallen by now too. If they have, don't tell me.
They do! It's the tiny arms and legs…fashion is so weird sometimes.
I love perfume, and I love Sleater-Kinney, but did watching this make anyone else think of the line from their song #1 Must Have?
“Watch me make up my mind instead of my face…”
Hmm.
Don't know that one, but did notice that they couldn't have gone much farther than they did into the song…the later lyrics…
Anger makes me
A modern girl
I took my money
I couldn't buy nothin'
I'm sick of this
Brave new world
…aren't maybe a good fit with selling perfume.