Givenchy "Play" Fragrance : Justin Timberlake by Tom Munro

[Street_a_Licious]

street, that's an excellent point. and an interesting topic.

I was thinking in terms of the way Riccardo Tisci has forged a new direction for the entire Givenchy womens division, even the store in Paris was re-vamped to reflect the darker mature aesthetic, we've been seeing evolve from the house. All divisions have been integrated, which creates a strong and recognisable identity.

I personally feel the mens division is lacking this clarity, the menswear flails in comparison to that of the womenswear, in terms of fabrication, cut and general design.
Additionally this campaign, in my opinion certainly doesn't help define the label, and suggests the transparent mere money making.

Like Balenciaga, it would be much more successful, if not, interesting, if the mens side of the brand reflected the level of direction we see in the womens, addressing all aspects.

that's what YOU say as someone who follows the brand. fragrances are generally aimed at the mass-market (except for the more exclusive fragrance lines, say, Tom Ford Private Blend or Armani Prive). so, with that in regards, it's a smart choice.

and don't forget, fragrances are MEANT to bring in the money.

anywho, i like the bottle and hope i can sample the frag soon. tho i believe it will be a fresh-fruity-masculine scent.

 

[Mirik]

from Cosmopolitan Russia September 2008 by me

 

[surrealseven]

I think the campaign doesn't fit well for what Givenchy stands for. Come on, the advertisement feels cheaper than a Hugo Boss perfume ad, which is ridiculous for Givenchy.

 

[softgrey]

meh...
looks like an AD for HEADPHONES......

SONY or BOSE or APPLE should hire him...

...

 

[ricardamanutd]

Justin is everywhere now... I don't like this at all. Maybe just the bottle

 

[lucy92]

Do you want to know what Justin smells like? Well, chances are these days, it’s Givenchy’s men’s scents Play and Play Intense, which the singer signed on to be theface of last year. With his magazine ads breaking in the U.S. in September magazines, the singer dished on his own scent preferences exclusively to PEOPLE. So what smells good to the sexy star? “The greatest scents in the world are pheromones,” he confides. “Just the actual smell of a person’s skin.” But that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t worn his own fair share of fragrances. “I was 13 or something. I thought [Polo fragrance] was cool. I remember when [ck One] was, like, a big deal. Everybody from my school smelled exactly the same.” No more generic scents for Timberlake, though. Although the Givenchy’s scents don’t bear JT’s name, he admits to having a hand in creating the scent. “I think the way we did [it] was kind of cool,” he says, “because [I got ] to pick notes. I’m not a scientist, I won’t be in there doing the chemistry or mixing the chemicals, [but] I really enjoyed the process of working with Givenchy and getting involved in the actual fragrance. It means more to you. It feels more personal. I actually wear it,” he says. But the big question is, what does girlfriend Jessica think? “I get a lot of compliments [from her] when I wear it,” he says. Sometimes, though, even the sexy face of a fragrance brand prefers to go all-natural. “I actually like my own funk smell sometimes,” he says.

people.com

 

[Squizree]

Givenchy just went down a notch for me. Justin Timberlake is such a tasteless choice....for any high fashion campaign for that matter.

He doesn't represent the classic Givenchy man in any way imaginable. The Givenchy casting agents look like idiots right about now.

My toilet plunger makes better music than Justin.

 

[Flashbang]

Do you want to know what Justin smells like?

No, thank you.

 

[FashionPower]

Are you kidding me?
Timberlake for a brand like Givenchy?This must be a joke
Justin is more like a William Rast guy type,the funny thing is that he's acting like a classy man in the ads while he usually wears casual jeans and sneakers,this is so forced
But I wanna be positive...better him than JESUS LUZ!

 

[mikeijames]

this is utter perfection. i love all of the furor this has caused in this itty bitty thread when we see nothing but lamentations over in the lacroix insolvency thread. what better way for tisci to raise the profile of his brand and rake in much needed cashflow than go with one of the most fashionable and recognizable male celebrities today. this collaboration not only creates buzz around the brand but it lends mr. timberlake more fashion cred as he tries to build his own brand -- which, btw, sells just fine without this.

also, with this money, tisci can continue to output the edgiest of edgy rtw and couture without compromising his vision at all.

 

[Squizree]

this is utter perfection. i love all of the furor this has caused in this itty bitty thread when we see nothing but lamentations over in the lacroix insolvency thread. what better way for tisci to raise the profile of his brand and rake in much needed cashflow than go with one of the most fashionable and recognizable male celebrities today. this collaboration not only creates buzz around the brand but it lends mr. timberlake more fashion cred as he tries to build his own brand -- which, btw, sells just fine without this.

also, with this money, tisci can continue to output the edgiest of edgy rtw and couture without compromising his vision at all.

People in this thread aren't complaining about money, everyone's pissed off because nobody here sees Justin Timberlake as a good representation of the imperial class that Givenchy stands for.
There are other (and certainly more) fashionable and recognizeable men out there who would represent Givenchy better, who would rake in just as much (if not more) cash; George Clooney, Bruce Willis, Johnathan Rhys Meyers, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jude Law, Ashton Kutcher.
Timberlake IS probably becoming more fashion credible by doing this campaign, but I think everyone here agrees that Tisci's fashion credibility just went down a notch.
And of course Justin Timberlake's rubbish sells. Just about anyone can wear it and he has the advantage of being famous, "talented" and just happens to be the crush of millions of girls. Of course people are gonna buy his stuff.

 

[mikeijames]

...George Clooney, Bruce Willis, Johnathan Rhys Meyers, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jude Law, Ashton Kutcher.

are you kidding me with the near-and-over-forties stars like george clooney and bruce willis?! this is not some brand that needs to reach out to the older man demographic. i mean, we're not talking about paul smith or brioni here.

with respect to leonardo dicaprio and ashton kutcher, i'd argue that most of the commenters in this thread would raise similar objections as both have less personal style and less a role in the fashion community than justin timberlake.

finally, jonathan rhys meyers JUST DID versace a number of seasons ago. did we witness a spike in sales for versace menswear? also jonathan rhys meyers currently fronts the hugo boss fragrance "element" which -- again, i'm not sure -- sells as well as other fragrances in the same category. i mean, olivier martinez for ysl? definitely. james franco for gucci? measurable.

Timberlake IS probably becoming more fashion credible by doing this campaign, but I think everyone here agrees that Tisci's fashion credibility just went down a notch.

tisci's fashion creditability remains untouched because this is a fragrance concern and campaign. it's not like he roped in timberlake to model his menswear designs. he's leveraging the accessibility of fragrance -- men have worn givenchy fragrances without necessarily knowing about the clothes for years -- to raise the profile of the entire house. on the womens' side, it's like getting theron for dior or kidman for chanel.

And of course Justin Timberlake's rubbish sells. Just about anyone can wear it and he has the advantage of being famous, "talented" and just happens to be the crush of millions of girls. Of course people are gonna buy his stuff.

you don't get anna wintour to sit in your front row by producing rubbish. what sets william rast apart among celebrity brands remains the seriousness -- we can argue whether it's self-seriousness -- with which he's taken to the endeavor. further, he's not only the crush of millions of GIRLS, but millions of BOYS: boys, who, i'd argue, have more disposable income in this time of economic turmoil. also, girls buy their boyfriends, husbands, fathers, brothers, etc. fragrance during the upcoming holiday season. justin timberlake has lent his proven power at the cash register -- those william rast jeans ain't cheap -- to givenchy in exchange for more entree into the world of fashion. i know many of the brands -- which so many of the commenters here love -- that shower him with free clothes on the OFF CHANCE that he'll wear it on a red carpet, on tour, or in a music video, givenchy has won an HUGE coup by getting him to do an actual campaign with a product he stands behind.

 

[Mirik]

ELLE USA September 2009 via journal-plaza.net

 

[Mirik]

as the pic is no longer visible, here's the repost

 

[mackos]

i think he has just lowered the brand for me

My thoughts exactly, he's so not Givenchy

 

[m.j.]

justin for Givenchy

if someone told me this, i woudn't belive them!!!

 

[Northern Star]

New womens ad for the fragrance featuring Justin & Noot Seear.



(my own scan from Elle UK Sept)

 

[Jesuz]

He looks very perv/drunk in the photo and sort of outshines her considering they are introducing a women perfume.

A pink bottle for her... very creative.

 

[Mirik]

Instyle UK October 2010 ebook30

 

[Mirik]

Pink Ukraine September 2010 journal plaza net