30 October 2010

What Becomes A Legend Most?

Unless you've been hiding under a furball for the season, you would already know that Janet Jackson is the latest 'legend' to be featured in the iconic Blackglama fur ads.Ms Jackson has joined a group of legendary fashion figures that have been photographed, wrapped in the famous furs. The list of stars to pose in the ads over the years include Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Ray Charles, Sophia Loren, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Lauren Bacall, Lena Horne, Liza Minelli, Judy Garland, Faye Dunaway, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and many more. With each famous face featured in the ad, the slogan reads:"What becomes a Legend most?"Ms Jackson said: "What makes a legend, to me, is someone who has made a major mark on the world that lasts forever. Not just with their art, but for example, Elizabeth Taylor is a legendary actor, but [there is] also her humanitarian efforts, working with AIDS and AIDS research," she says. "That, to me, is what really makes someone a legend. I have too much to accomplish to consider myself a legend."Rocco (who?) Laspata (huh?) was the photographer, not a good follow up to the legends of yore, who were shot by the legendary Richard Avedon. The legends were never named in the ads; And they were paid with the Avedon portrait and one fur coat of their choice. The first in this series of ads ran in 1967.

5 comments:

  1. Everyone on the list is a true legend except naomi, cindy and janet. when Janet said a legend is " someone who has made a major mark on the world that lasts forever ", I fear she may be referring to her wardrobe malfunction? Even then, this phrase wasn't coined by her so it doesn't count. And they have stretch her bardy a tad too much. Everybody knows her navel starts immediately where her breasts end.

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  2. Dear Beauty: I agree in both instances. In the case of naomi and cindy especially. And indeed Ms Jackson's torson does seem to have been stretched out of all commonsense.

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  3. Did you know that former copywriter Norman Sunshine (who claims to have created this slogan) has a book coming out where he talks about the origins of this campaign? Double Life, October 18, 2011. Link: http://amzn.to/o7Pjd8

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  4. Dear Anon: Thanks for the tip - I shall go ferret out more info about this iconic campaign!

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  5. Does anyone know which year the Audrey Hepburn ad first appeared.?
    Thanks in advance

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