Anyone who thought we might see models return to high profile advertising campaigns this season, instead of celebrities, was sorely mistaken. In fact, if the spring campaigns are any indication, the celebrity spokesperson trend is hotter than ever. Unfortunately, there’s no denying the fact that the best way to draw attention to your ad campaign is by hiring a bold face name (unless you follow Givenchy’s lead and hire a buzz-worthy transgendered model instead).
What’s bothersome about this trend, is that so often the celebrity-designer brand pairings do not make sense. For the most part, models are blank slates – enough hair and makeup, and most of the time we can’t tell if it’s Daria or Lara! – but stars carry with them a carefully crafted image, not to mention an entirely curated personal style. What are we to make of Katie Holmes as the face of Ann Taylor for their Spring 2011 campaign? This is a woman who outfits her four-year-old daughter in Valentino. Are we to believe she would slip on an Ann Taylor ensemble were she not paid to do so? Or perhaps the executives at Ann Taylor thought there was more versatility in her awkward facial expressions than that of her predecessor, Heidi Klum. Either way, Ann Taylor is not alone.
Leighton Meester appears in the Spring 2011 Missoni campaign, and will star in a forthcoming Vera Wang perfume ad, while fellow Gossip Girl star Blake Lively is now the face of Chanel’s Mademoiselle bag range.
Taylor Momsen shows off her best disheveled Courtney Love look in John Galliano’s latest perfume ad. Even B-list celebrities like Rumer Willis and Bryce Dallas Howard are scoring high-profile gigs. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis’ daughter will star in the Badgley Mischka Spring 2011 campaign, while Dallas Howard marks a turning point at Kate Spade as the brand’s first celebrity face.
Amanda Seyfriend is the new face of Clé de Peau Beauté and blogger Julia Frakes is in Gap’s latest ads.
Thankfully, some models are still in the limelight! Karlie Kloss will remain at Christian Dior; Anja Rubik is sticking to Fendi; Lindsey Wixson is the face of Mulberry; Iselin Steiro strikes a pose for Chloe; Elisa Sednaoui goes sultry for Giorgio Armani; Karolina Kurkova shines for Bottega Veneta, and Kasja Struss was signed to star in the Spring 2011 Miu Miu campaign. My personal favorites, Daria Werbowy and Gisele Bündchen, glow in the spring 2011 Salvatore Ferragamo and Balenciaga campaigns, respectively.
