Pitt's Chanel No. 5 Commercial Causes Confusion

Many of us have seen the new Chanel No. 5 commercial starring Brad Pitt. He is dark and mysterious, almost lingering on the TV. His voice drones on as though he is reading a children's bedtime story to a lover. Even the setting of the commercial makes the viewer wonder "What is going on here?" What is he talking about? I was mostly asleep by the time the commercial had finished. It ended up being one of those advertisements where no one actually knew what it was about until the logo came up on the screen.

Was Brad Pitt a good choice? It is true that he has been deemed "Sexiest Man Alive" twice. For a brand that relies on sexuality to sell, it was a good choice. To confuse the viewer though...

According to Ad Age, about a third of the views for this video come from parodies. Viewers saw this goofy video, then proceeded to create their own. Even SNL created a version on their show.

Although the copy was questionable, and the video direction, this commercial did what it was what it needed. It got the Chanel name out there in a funny way that interacted with its customers. There are more than 20 spoofs floating around the Internet.

But did this awkward move work out in Chanel's favor? Yes. Think about all the videos on YouTube that are parodies. How many Call Me Maybe videos by Carly Rae Jepsen are out there? At least 50 fan-made videos. Another that sticks out: Like a G6. Like It's Quidditch (the Harry Potter parody) has over 5 million views.

Dad always used to tell me, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Read the Ad Age article here.