The above ad for Louis Vuitton by Olgivy and Mather tells a narrative without words using video clips only from shots in what looks like East and Southeast Asia as well as Paris. The story is not clear, but provides a nostalgic collection of visual material and subjects that reminds me of Isak Dennisen and Out of Africa. This lengthy film does have drama, as characters leave, say goodbye, and cry, but the reasons are not clear. And this is most likely intentional. The purpose is to provide beautiful and exotic cinamatography that prompts the question, "where will life take you?"

This video clip pairs lovely with the print material in this campaign. I saw some recently in Architectural Digest and it too has a smokey atmosphere, is set somewhere in let's say the foothills of Mongolia, and shows the legs of a "well-heeled" lady walking aside a vintage train car stopped on the tracks. She, of course, carries a Louis Vuitton bag.

Art direction is fabulous. The pairing of a timeless (so it seems today) bag with such history and culture in foreign places is appropriate for the target market that has a romantic notion for what it means to travel and "experience." These consumers want drama and passion and movie-worthy experiences without the cost of roughing up those $1300 heels. Coach has done a similar move in recent campaigns with motifs of exotic travel, trains, smoke - nostalgia at its highest. Almost Ernest Hemingway. And on that note, Hemingway gone Ethan Allen.

Also worth noting is that the bag and labels are rarely shown until the end when a short clip manages to fit in the classic pattern. The bag sells itself and Ogilvy clearly knows this. Better to create possible experiences the consumer dreams of having with the bag.