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It’s a beautiful life

Posted by Robin on 14 August 2012 20 Comments

Julia Roberts for Lancôme La Vie Est Belle.

Filed Under: perfume in the news
Tagged With: lancome, video

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20 Comments

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  1. Jessica says:
    14 August 2012 at 11:25 am

    “Diktats”? *scratches head*

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    • Robin says:
      14 August 2012 at 11:40 am

      I was surprised to see that they used a relatively obscure word, when something like “restrictions” would have worked just as well. Unusual for a fragrance commercial.

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      • Jessica says:
        14 August 2012 at 11:47 am

        Even “dictate” would make more sense… funny!

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        • Lys says:
          14 August 2012 at 7:16 pm

          Just saw the new Elle – inside the front cover is a fold-over ad of La vie este belle starting with a full page of tagline “In a world full of dictates and conventions, could there be another way?”

          Interestingly, they report in a the Beauty section that JR had a diktat of her own: “No fruity notes.”

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          • Robin says:
            14 August 2012 at 9:39 pm

            Interesting. Maybe this is not the US version.

  2. kaos.geo says:
    14 August 2012 at 12:45 pm

    I think this is very very weird… The idea makes some sort of sense, but the commercial is VERY two-dimensional, all the takes and camera angles are almos the same.

    I am sure it cost quite a bit, but looks amateurish IMHO.

    And regarding “she”, well, I am a fan, she can do no wrong, and she has kept her face “normal”. I used to love Meg Ryan and Melanie Griffith, but both look like Gollum now.

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    • Robin says:
      14 August 2012 at 1:13 pm

      Agree, it’s an odd commercial, and for a few seconds I wondered if it was a fake. But most of the “star power” commercials for perfume are let-downs, IMHO.

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  3. Lys says:
    14 August 2012 at 1:04 pm

    @kaos.geo agree, this is amateurish. Its forcefed symbolism – sooo literal! – reminds me of a student film. Also, the message is that life is beautiful but the whole ad focuses on “ugly” (b/c they’re superficial) people. It says, “You don’t want to be these people – now look at them for thirty seconds.” Could it be part of a larger “film” (a la the Chanel ads) that’s been condensed with a voiceover (and text!) at the beginning to establish the message?

    Anyway, not what I would have done for an ad or what I had expected. Also, Julia Roberts reminds me of Cindy Crawford in this, not a bad thing, just an observation.

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    • Robin says:
      14 August 2012 at 1:13 pm

      Lys, it could well be that this is not the final, “official” commercial.

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      • Lys says:
        14 August 2012 at 2:08 pm

        Could well be! Usually they have the ad out before the launch, not after. Maybe they’re so behind schedule they cobbled together what they had, which is weighted toward the early scenes of the beautiful-ugly party-goers. Maybe a finalized ad will have more of Julia Roberts, maybe after she escapes she’ll even be frolicking.

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  4. CedriCeCCentriC says:
    14 August 2012 at 2:03 pm

    Why is every fragrance ad set at a “soirée”. With a name like La Vie est Belle I would have imagined a less sophisticated setting, something closer to what really makes life more beautiful.

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    • Robin says:
      14 August 2012 at 9:40 pm

      I was surprised by that too…thought it would be JR doing something more peaceful. I guess they can’t stand to leave out the glamour after they’ve paid the hefty bill for her participation.

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  5. Lys says:
    14 August 2012 at 2:13 pm

    @CedriCeCCentriC a good point like that deserves and SNL clip!

    http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/red-flag/1358178/

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  6. sinnerman says:
    14 August 2012 at 4:51 pm

    Agree ! Julia looks like Cindy , and her face looks lovely – soft and very pretty if u ask me . I love her darker hair in this ad. I wonder if she had a mini cringe when she read the story board? It’s very lame , almost like some film clip to a pop song ! I thought the wrist breakout was a real low point ! Are customers going to relate to this message? I think some will and that’s a bit sad ! Well said Lys

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    • Robin says:
      14 August 2012 at 9:43 pm

      Oh, but we know it could have been so much worse!

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  7. Joe says:
    14 August 2012 at 5:55 pm

    Weird ad. I’m not a fan of JR, but I don’t dislike her, I guess.

    Is this already in stores??

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    • Robin says:
      14 August 2012 at 9:43 pm

      Yes! I haven’t tried it though.

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  8. ajuarez says:
    14 August 2012 at 10:07 pm

    I’ll sample if I see it, do not know why Vamp. comes to mind.

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  9. ChocolatEyes613 says:
    14 August 2012 at 10:22 pm

    The song in the background should have been “I’ve Got No Stings To Hold Me Down” from Disney’s Pinocchio.

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  10. RavynG says:
    17 August 2012 at 11:50 pm

    I got the new Vogue today and it had a sample page. To me the sample on the paper smelled like red apples and apple blossom and bug spray. I rubbed my wrist with it and the dry-down took on a Grey Flannel masculinity. It is not really unique enough for me to consider buying it.

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