Gucci
This achingly stylish, gold-drenched fever dream was acclaimed director Nicolas Winding Refn's very first foray into commercial advertising, coming hot on the heels of his critically celebrated, feature-length cult hit Drive.
Set high in the LA hills at John Lautner’s iconic mid-century architectural marvel, the Sheats-Goldstein Residence, and starring the leading starlet of the moment, Blake Lively, the concept leaned deeply into the dark allure of vintage Hollywood glamour. Every dramatic frame was filtered through Refn's trademark hyper-saturated visual language, impenetrable shadows, and a hypnotic, unhurried cinematic stillness that completely captivated the viewer.
Our treatment design had to masterfully blend Refn's unflinching, edgy auteur style with the ultra-premium luxury required for high-end fragrance advertising. The visual research channelled moody film noir, bold '80s high fashion, opulent textures, and dramatic, sculptural lighting that bathed every surface in rich, golden warmth. But despite this cinematic grandeur, the script concept itself was elegant in it’s simplicity and so we believed that less was always going to be more in the design layout, which was meticulously curated to complement these elements through a slick, minimalistic structure punctuated by striking gold accents and refined editorial typography.
Crucially, our role extended far beyond the visual aesthetic; we also worked intimately alongside Nicolas and the production team on writing and shaping the treatment's narrative. We translated his raw, visceral ideas into an evocative written pitch—a blueprint that perfectly captured the campaign's underlying sensuality, rhythm, and moody narrative tension.
Having the opportunity to work with Nicolas in his absolute creative pomp was an exhilarating thrill for our team. The resulting treatment opened new doors for our studio, paving the way for future creative collaborations with both NWR and his production company, Loveboat. Looking back, we can safely say this was one of the pivotal, defining projects that permanently set us on the ambitious trajectory we are on today.