Cinema Paradiso: watches and cinema - Keith Strandberg
Cinema Paradiso: watches and cinema - Keith Strandberg
Cinema Paradiso: watches and cinema - Keith Strandberg
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42 ARTS & WATCHES europa starject. At times, product placement is about historicalaccuracy, as in the movie "Pearl Harbor",for example,Touchstone Pictures wanted somethingauthentic <strong>and</strong> Hamilton Watch was amajor supplier to the US military during WorldWar II. The result? A huge close up of aHamilton watch, worn by Josh Hartnett, in thefinal cut of the movie.Another example is the Omega Speedmaster"Moon Watch", which played a part in thereal Apollo 13 mission—the astronauts usedit to time the start <strong>and</strong> stop of the engine onre-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere—it wasthe only correct choice of watch for RonHoward’s "Apollo 13".Some watch br<strong>and</strong>s have relationships withactors who wear their products, <strong>and</strong> whenthat actor is in a movie, he or she can help getthe watch in front of the camera (John Travolta,a Breitling ambassador, wore his Breitling in“The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3”).On “Ocean's Twelve”, propmaster Harlockercarried around at least $250,000 worth of<strong>watches</strong> with him every day to satisfy all of theactors' characters. Brad Pitt, for instance, worea Breitling Emergency, a Chronoswiss, a whitegoldRolex, a Patek Philippe <strong>and</strong> a Hermès atdifferent times throughout the movie. GeorgeThe Hamilton watchthat featured in the film 2001: A Space OdysseyClooney wore a classic Hamilton in every scene."I could not have provided those <strong>watches</strong> withoutthe help of the manufacturers," Harlockeradmits. “Brad Pitt, after being exposed to thatBreitling, purchased a half dozen of them forhis co-stars on ‘Oceans Twelve’. In a perfectworld, the actor will appreciate the product,wear it in the movie <strong>and</strong> in real life.”Ann Roth, costume designer on “Julie &Julia” <strong>and</strong> many others, is obsessive aboutgetting the watch right for each character onher projects. “I can hold up a movie set forhours choosing the right watch,” she says. “Ichoose the watch based on the character. Forexample, Ralph Fiennes needed a watch forhis character in ‘The English Patient’. He wasHungarian royalty in the 1920s, got involvedin the Royal Geographical Society, lived inLondon <strong>and</strong> Egypt, so the watch he wore hadto be really particular, I wanted the watch thatguy would wear. I found it in London, in a secondh<strong>and</strong> shop, but I needed two of them, soI had a watchmaker make me another one. I amvery particular about the <strong>watches</strong> that characterswear, as they say so much about them.”John Myhre, the production designer on “Nine”<strong>and</strong> other features, is interested in how awatch “helps with the story telling process,”The Terminator wears Audemars Piguethe says. “It’s a major definition of a person’scharacter. I will meet with the property master<strong>and</strong> we’ll look at all the <strong>watches</strong>. The choiceof <strong>watches</strong> for movies is very important <strong>and</strong>the right watch makes perfect sense, like theHamilton in ‘Amelia’. She wore a Hamilton inreal life, so it’s genius.”Some placements are chosen by the cast <strong>and</strong>crew, some are paid for <strong>and</strong> still others are ajoint marketing effort—it all depends on themovie, the br<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> the situation.“We do not financially support placements orthe gifting of merch<strong>and</strong>ise for participation<strong>and</strong> have been forced to turn down opportunitiesbecause of this,” says Larry Pettinelli,president, Patek Philippe NA.“Therefore, <strong>and</strong> inmost cases, directors, producers, propmasters<strong>and</strong> stylists who have a genuine appreciationfor the timepieces <strong>and</strong> our br<strong>and</strong> approachour team. These individuals ultimately decidethat the inclusion will lend credibility to thestory line or characters involved.We scrutiniseevery opportunity <strong>and</strong> only commit to thosethat reflect our company values.”When product placement works, it is muchbetter than any advertising a company coulddo. The impact is greater, because the audienceis caught up in the plot of a great movie.“Product placement provides third partyendorsement for audiences,” adds Pettinelli.“If it occurs in an organic <strong>and</strong> appropriate setting,the results can serve to reinforce our br<strong>and</strong>message. The most successful placements forus have occurred when a timepiece becomesa natural part of the character or scene.”It's also possible that a watch supplied for amovie or TV show <strong>and</strong> worn during the shootwill never appear on screen, despite everyone'sbest efforts. After all, movies aren't editedwith watch placement in mind <strong>and</strong> what wasa great shot for the watch might not make itinto the final edit.Watch creation for moviesSome <strong>watches</strong>, like the watch in StanleyKubrick’s "2001: A Space Odyssey", aredesigned specifically for films. Hamilton Watch
44 ARTS & WATCHES europa starThe Hamilton <strong>watches</strong> featured in the “Men In Black” seriesSpecial award <strong>watches</strong>by Jaeger-LeCoultreCompany was commissioned to make the"2001" watch, a special multi-timezone timepiecefor the film <strong>and</strong> the company never evenconsidered selling the watch commercially, asit was too complicated (for the time). In 2006,Hamilton finally made a limited edition reinterpretationof this watch, 30 years after theoriginal film. How limited was this timepiece?You guessed it, 2001 pieces."For Russell Crowe in 'Master <strong>and</strong> Comm<strong>and</strong>er',I contacted Breguet to duplicate a watch thatthey had made in the 1700s to use in thefilm,” Harlocker remembers. “They took it onas a challenge <strong>and</strong> delivered a magnificentpocket watch absolutely authentic to theperiod at no charge to us. What did they getout of it? Well, people saw that movie <strong>and</strong> sawRussell using it. It is a strong association.”Arnold Schwarzenegger has worn AudemarsPiguet <strong>watches</strong> in movies for quite some time,including "End of Days", the "Terminator"series <strong>and</strong> more. For "End of Days",AudemarsPiguet created a new Royal Oak Offshore.Schwarzenegger even worked with the companyon the design of the watch.Impact on salesThough watch manufacturers are reluctant tosay that the appearance of their productboosts sales dramatically, watch retailers domention that an increase of interest <strong>and</strong>awareness, if not sales, occurs.Hamilton Watch has had a host of movie tieins,the most successful <strong>and</strong> visible being theirinvolvement with the "Men in Black" movies—where they took a classic Hamilton design <strong>and</strong>put it on the wrists of the two leads, TommyLee Jones <strong>and</strong> Will Smith.The result? The watchbecame a sales leader.Retailers report customers coming in <strong>and</strong>asking for the <strong>watches</strong> by the name of themovie or the character, not even knowing thebr<strong>and</strong> name.Next time you're at the <strong>cinema</strong>, or just watchingTV at home, pay attention to the wrist<strong>watches</strong>that the characters wear. If you can barely seethe wristwatch, chances are it's not a productplacement. If you can see the br<strong>and</strong> clearly, <strong>and</strong>the watch itself has its own tight shot, then it'smore than likely a product placement.As <strong>watches</strong> continue to increase in popularity<strong>and</strong> visibility, you can expect to see moreplacements in the movies <strong>and</strong> TV.The red carpetRed carpet events are the height of Hollywoodglitz <strong>and</strong> glamour—a showcase of entertainment’selite—where the stars come out toshine <strong>and</strong> where high-end designer fashiontakes to the spotlight. It is the stage on whichthe crème de la crème of luxury retail flextheir muscles in an all-out star-studded advertisingaffair. And, now, more than ever before,watchmakers are figuring prominently inred-carpet looks across the awards seasonl<strong>and</strong>scape.How it startedWhen “Who are you wearing?” became a commonquestion shouted by reporters <strong>and</strong> photographers,br<strong>and</strong>s hustled to provide the answer.Fashion designers <strong>and</strong> jewellery companieswere the first to respond, with <strong>watches</strong> cominga little later to the party. After all, womenget most of the attention with their colourful<strong>and</strong> unique dresses, <strong>and</strong> most women don’twear a watch with a beautiful gown. Watchcompanies have recently been working hardto change this by putting their <strong>watches</strong> onboth celebrity men <strong>and</strong> women.“The problem is that actresses’ arms are normallynot covered so they don’t want to weara big wristwatch,” says Jérôme Lambert, presidentof Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre,a long-time sponsor of the Venice, Abu Dhabi<strong>and</strong> San Sebastián film festivals <strong>and</strong> others.“We have some beautiful tiny <strong>watches</strong>, <strong>and</strong>these <strong>watches</strong> can fit quite well on the redcarpet. More <strong>and</strong> more actresses are considering<strong>watches</strong>, rather than going with huge
europa star ARTS & WATCHES 45Niels Schneider wearing Choparddiamond necklaces, bracelets <strong>and</strong> earrings, asthere is a lower insurance risk.“For men, we are getting more <strong>and</strong> moreactors, directors <strong>and</strong> producers wearing our<strong>watches</strong>,” Lambert continues. “The Jaeger-LeCoultre br<strong>and</strong> is getting much more awareness,<strong>and</strong> creating strong relationships withcreative people, <strong>and</strong> that’s how we have beenable to get our <strong>watches</strong> on the Red Carpet.”Harry Winston has perhaps the longest historyof working with celebrities—it was in 1944Jude Law wearing Chopardthat Harry Winston began to solidify his reputationas the “Jeweller to the Stars”, when thebr<strong>and</strong> became the very first jeweller to dressan actress, Jennifer Jones, for the AcademyAwards. The red carpet tradition, with bothjewellery <strong>and</strong> <strong>watches</strong>, is still very much a partof the company today.Chopard has been involved in an officialcapacity with red carpet events for more than15 years, starting with jewellery <strong>and</strong> goinginto <strong>watches</strong>, most visibly with the CannesFilm Festival. "I have always loved film, <strong>and</strong> itwas in 1998 when I was asked by the CannesFilm Festival’s president, PierreViot, to redesignthe coveted Palme d’Or that Chopard becamethe Official partner of the Cannes Film Festival,”says Caroline Scheufele, co-president <strong>and</strong>artistic director of Chopard. “Our involvementwith these prestigious events solidifies ourlove for the art of film <strong>and</strong> beautiful jewellery<strong>and</strong> watch creations.”Piaget has also been quite visible on the redcarpet. Explains Larry Bol<strong>and</strong>, president, PiagetNorth America, “Piaget <strong>watches</strong> <strong>and</strong> jewelleryhave always been a favourite of high-profileindividuals <strong>and</strong> the br<strong>and</strong> has a longst<strong>and</strong>inglove affair with <strong>cinema</strong> <strong>and</strong> the arts. Dressingcelebrities exposes us to new audiences <strong>and</strong>helps attract new consumers <strong>and</strong> brings glamour<strong>and</strong> excitement to the br<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> strengthensour relationship with Hollywood.”Swiss watchmaker Baume & Mercier launchedan advertising campaign a few years ago thatfeatured Andy Garcia, Teri Hatcher, AshtonKutcher <strong>and</strong> other red carpet regulars. “Thiscampaign caught the attention of both consumers<strong>and</strong> professionals in Hollywood <strong>and</strong>inspired many to make Baume & Mercier theirtimepiece choice for everyday wear as well asEmmanuel Chriqui wearing Baume & MercierBianca Balti with Fawaz Gruosi of de GrisogonoOwen Wilson wearing Piaget
46 ARTS & WATCHES europa starHarrison Ford at the Hamilton “Behind the Camera” awardsNicole Kidman for OmegaLeonardo DiCaprio for TAG Heuerfor special occasions,” Rudy Chavez, president,Baume & Mercier North America, says. Morerecently, Baume & Mercier has become thelead sponsor of the Hamptons InternationalFilm Festival.Hamilton Watch, in addition to being veryactive in product placement around theworld, is the official sponsor of the “HamiltonBehind the CameraAwards”, held in Hollywood<strong>and</strong> Beijing. “The recognition of these offscreentalents is underlined with the presentationof the awards by leading actors, actresses<strong>and</strong> other movie professionals, who are wearingour <strong>watches</strong>,” says Sylvain Dolla, CEO,Hamilton International.“Celebrities attendingthe Hamilton Behind the Camera Awardscome because they want to support one ormore honourees they worked with on differentprojects.”Dressing the starsWatches or jewellery on celebrities might havegotten there in a number of ways. Sometimes,the celebrities themselves, who might be fansof the br<strong>and</strong>, request to wear a piece or theagent/manger/stylist makes the initial contact,looking to borrow a watch or a piece ofhigh jewellery for their clients. In other cases,the br<strong>and</strong>s reach out to celebrities.“We love to dress friends of Piaget,” Piaget’sBol<strong>and</strong> says.“If celebrities make a request <strong>and</strong>we are able to accommodate them, we do.Other times, we are captivated by the performanceof a certain star, or we feel that theyexemplify the ideals of the br<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> we letthem know it would be our pleasure to dressthem in Piaget.”Working with actors <strong>and</strong> celebrities isn’t easy,as they are notoriously dem<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong> knowwhat they like <strong>and</strong> want.“When a client selectsa piece of high jewellery or a fine watch, theyare looking for something very meaningful<strong>and</strong> very unique,” says Frédéric de Narp, president,Harry Winston. “It is an extension ofwho they are—their personal style, taste, <strong>and</strong>even comfort—so it’s about finding somethingtruly exceptional just for them. This intimate<strong>and</strong> highly personalised approachallows us to give the clients we work with thecomplete Harry Winston experience at thehighest level.”Some companies set up suites where thecelebrities or their representatives come into choose what <strong>watches</strong> <strong>and</strong> jewellery theywill wear. Other times, they will come intothe LA offices or boutiques of a br<strong>and</strong> tomake their choices.“At Cannes for example, the celebrities like tocome to our suite at the Hotel Martinez tochoose for themselves, while other times thecelebrity works with a stylist who comes to usto see the entire collection <strong>and</strong> selects a fewitems from there,” says Fawaz Gruosi, presidentof watch <strong>and</strong> jewellery company de Grisogono.Do red carpet placements have any effect onsales? There is no empirical data, but the generalconsensus is that it certainly helps awareness,<strong>and</strong> these placements certainly can’t hurt.“When a famous celebrity is seen wearingone of our <strong>watches</strong> or a piece of jewellery,we will often see an immediate increase indem<strong>and</strong>,” Piaget’s Bol<strong>and</strong> says. “Celebritiescan also spark trends. When Rihanna wore aclassic gold Piaget Polo in her music video,‘Take a Bow’, <strong>and</strong> on the red carpet, it quicklybecame popular with fashion editors <strong>and</strong>other celebrities.“Sometimes the pieces worn on the red carpetare on loan <strong>and</strong> sometimes they have actuallybeen purchased by the celebrity,” Bol<strong>and</strong> continues.“Once a person wears a Piaget timepieceor jewellery, they often fall in love withit, <strong>and</strong> buy it.”Because of the efforts of watch companies,more <strong>and</strong> more actors, directors <strong>and</strong> producersare wearing <strong>watches</strong> on the red carpet."The trend on the red carpet for men is classic<strong>and</strong> timeless,” Bol<strong>and</strong> adds. “It's why you'reseeing Hollywood's leading men wearingdress <strong>watches</strong> again. The actors are choosing
48 ARTS & WATCHES europa starCameron Diaz for TAG Heuerslim, elegant dress <strong>watches</strong> to complete theirlooks. Our Black Tie Collection <strong>and</strong> Altiplanosare in huge dem<strong>and</strong> during awards seasonbecause they are so discreet <strong>and</strong> slip easilyunder the sleeve of your tux.”Actors as ambassadorsAs long as celebrities have been celebrities,they have been associated with selling products.Thereare many companies, like Baume &Mercier, TAG Heuer, Roger Dubuis, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Breitling <strong>and</strong> more, who activelyuse actors as ambassadors.“Omega ambassadors play an important role—they bring a human face to the values of thebr<strong>and</strong>,” explains Stephen Urquhart, Presidentof Omega. “Because our ambassadors havegenerally achieved great international popularity<strong>and</strong> success, they bring instant worldwiderecognition to Omega—something thatcannot be easily matched through traditionalmarketing channels. Our culture loves celebrities<strong>and</strong> working with people who are notonly well-known but remarkably talented <strong>and</strong>public-spirited is an essential part of our marketingmix.“We can certainly point to our association withJames Bond as a success story. Each time anew film is released we clearly see a renewedinterest in the Seamasters 007 wears in theRolex mentor Martin Scorsese with protégée Celina Murgafilm. Of course, we have James Bond, the character,<strong>and</strong> Daniel Craig, the actor, as ambassadorsso our connection to the franchise isvery strong.”TAG Heuer also uses actors successfully, likeBrad Pitt, Cameron Diaz <strong>and</strong> Leonardo DiCaprio.“Buying a luxury watch is not only about buyinga product but also about buying a dream,”says Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO, TAG Heuer.“A relevant ambassador contributes to createa universe, a lifestyle, a success story around aspecific range.“Actors <strong>and</strong> celebrities help to attract attentionwithin a wide offer <strong>and</strong> allow the br<strong>and</strong>to differentiate itself from others,” he continues.“In a given magazine where you can have upto 50 pages of advertising, it is key to st<strong>and</strong>out from the crowd. Of course the first leverageto do so is the design of the <strong>watches</strong>, buta famous icon such as Leonardo DiCaprio orCameron Diaz makes it more special <strong>and</strong> createsa recall in consumers' minds.They will alsogenerate storytelling <strong>and</strong>, as a consequence,editorials. Finally, during events, celebritiesbring their glamorous aura <strong>and</strong> generate ageneral feeling of prestige.”In the past, TAG Heuer used athletes asambassadors <strong>and</strong> this resulted in achievinggreat success as a sports watch br<strong>and</strong>. TAGHeuer felt that this designation was holdingthem back from realising the br<strong>and</strong>’s potential.“Therefore we decided to balance our communication<strong>and</strong> added Brad Pitt to our ambassadorsteam,” Babin details. “He strongly contributedto developing our Carrera line as anicon. Now Leo <strong>and</strong> Cameron do the samething. Thanks to them, we can say today thatwe are not a sports br<strong>and</strong> anymore, but a luxurybr<strong>and</strong> inspired by sport.”Other <strong>cinema</strong>tic effortsMontblanc focused on <strong>cinema</strong> with its recent“Beauty of a Second” short film contest.Presented in 2011, Montblanc asked the publicto submit one-second videos, reinforcingthe value of time <strong>and</strong> Montblanc’s place in it.To raise its br<strong>and</strong> awareness in films <strong>and</strong>media even more, Hamilton Watch has partneredwith film schools around the world,spreading the Hamilton message to writers<strong>and</strong> directors before they even get into theindustry. In exchange for funds to buy equipment,Hamilton has these students producingshort works that it uses on its website <strong>and</strong> inits promotions.In 2009, Hamilton began working with theOsaka Communication Arts School in Japan.In addition, they are working with otherschools, including Webster University inGeneva, Switzerl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> other premiere communicationschools around the world.Rolex has been working in <strong>cinema</strong> with itsMentor & Protégé program. Some of the luminarieswho have been involved with the programinclude Martin Scorsese, Zhang Yimou,Walter Murch <strong>and</strong> Stephen Frears [See PierreMaillard’s article on the Rolex Mentor & ProtégéArts Initiative in this issue].There are many ways the watch industry <strong>and</strong>the entertainment world work together. Asconsumers continue to get bombarded bythous<strong>and</strong>s of media messages a day, br<strong>and</strong>swill continue to find new <strong>and</strong> inventive waysof st<strong>and</strong>ing out from the crowd.And you can bet that means more involvementin entertainment. O