Everything you don’t expect from the sedate world of perfume ads.
The first few seconds of Spike Jonze’s new ad for Kenzo World perfume lull you in to boredom: a beautiful woman in a black-tie scene; just what you might expect from a glossy fashion ad. But then she sneaks out, into an empty hall – and we’re off into the deep end.
Margaret Qualley (Jill in The Leftovers) stars, a spiritual successor to Christopher Walken’s freaky dancer in Jonze’s video for Weapon of Choice by Fatboy Slim. Her hair is out of place, there’s a cheeky glint in her eye and then, to the sound of Mutant Brain by Ape Drums (featuring Sam Spiegel and Assassin), she throws herself through the rest of the ad. It’s a riotous dance, choreographed by Ryan Heffington, (the man behind Sia’s Chandelier video), as she twirls, hops, punches and flies, lost in a moment that is as daft as it is cool. In short, everything you don’t expect from the sedate world of perfume ads.
Spike Jonze x Kenzo World x Assassin, very fresh, haute and cool.
Written & Directed by: Spike Jonze
Actress: Margaret Qualley
Executive Producer: Humberto Leon & Carol Lim
Costumes: Heidi Bivens
Song: Mutant Brain (feat. Assassin) by Sam Spiegel & Ape Drums
Production Design: KK Barrett
Director of Photography: Hoyte van Hoytema
Choreographer: Ryan Heffington
