A Look Back at the FW0708 Chanel Ad Campaign

Freja was the face of Chanel for two consecutive seasons, and the ads from each couldn't be more different. The SS07 season was bright, minimalist and open. The FW0708 was exactly the opposite as you can see below. Karl opted for a palette of black and more black, most likely to coincide with the darker mood of the fall/winter season. However, I think he went too far by slapping that black wig on Freja and converting her into a Morticia Adams lookalike.

Generally I like the use of shadows in photography because I think they can bring great contrast and complexity to images. Here, the shadows are overwhelming and distracting. They are too opaque and I find myself straining to look past them at the clothes. Needless to say, I'm not really a fan of this campaign.

These days it has been very quiet on Freja front. We haven't had any news other than the upcoming Chanel campaign, which is why my excitement level is very high. We know it was shot up in Vermont at Karl's new home. I just wonder how different the ads will be compared to last seasons', also shot up in Vermont. Will Karl employ the same strategy as he did for SS07 and FW0708 and turn out two diametrically opposed campaigns in terms of appearance? Guess we'll just have to wait and see!



Image Credits: Freja's thread at tFS