The Lady in Red

Franz in high places

French fashion house Dior have recruited UK indie band Franz Ferdinand to record the track ‘Eyes of Mars’ for the latest Dior Lady Rouge bag campaign. The song features vocals from French actress Marion Cotillard – winner of an oscar for her role as Edith Piaf in the film ‘La Vie En Rose’ – who portrays Lady Rouge, a character who moves from working woman to nightclub singer in New York.

The campaign, with its distinctive red palette, is the second part in an ongoing series by Dior – the first being Lady Noire, which consisted of a Film Noire styled movie. Lady Blue, set in Shanghai, is coming soon. An instrumental version of the Franz Ferdinand track is also available, plus a ‘Making Of’ video offering a behind the scenes look at the Annie Leibovitz photo shoot that comprises the print promotion. The content can also be shared via Twitter, Facebook and a Lady Rouge widget via the Lady Dior website.

The endorsement by Franz Ferdinand is interesting, particularly given the bands recent Twitter outburst against endorsements. Lead singer Alex Kapranos offered up some choice words aimed squarely at his US record label after they decided to use one of his tracks as musical accompaniment on a McDonald’s website. The song was subsequently removed and appeared to be an error on the labels’ part (not McDonald’s, who had used it in good faith). Interestingly, Franz Ferdinand drummer Paul Thomson kept a diary of tastiest burgers he ate while on tour in America last year on the band’s official website – so this is a partnership that could have worked, had the band been open to the idea.

The Dior campaign itself is much more a cinematic fit, with the band composing more of a movie sound track than a mere jingle for the luxury brand. It’s a striking example of the quality of music that can be utilised by aligning directly with a particular act – and in this case one that was not an obvious choice. In many ways the inclusion of Franz Ferdinand and Marion Cotillard can be seen as a bid to appeal to aspirational luxury shoppers who, amid a new found frugality, have all but disappeared during the recession. Luxury is aspirational and brands such as Dior are aiming to stimulate a renewed interest for high end goods. Music – which can be fine-tuned to appeal to both McDonald’s $1 menu buyers and Dior’s most devoted fans  – has the ability to be molded to fit the full spectrum of brand needs.

Luxury jewellery brand Cartier promoted its Love – By Cartier collection in 2008 with a major music focus on a global scale. Prada too embarked on a similar campaign to Dior’s when it teamed with Antony and the Johnsons on a specially composed track to tie in with the launch of its Fall/Winter ‘08 women’s wear collection.