Grunig’s Two-Way Model in the Fashion Films of Chanel N° 5: The Film and the One that I Want

Consolidation of the digital media means that institutions and brands must make a considerable effort to lead the communication drive with their target audiences. The symmetrical two-way model proposed by Grunig, which is considered to be the most appropriate model in terms of maintaining effective public relations, requires authority and leadership so that identity can be communicated without the distortions resulting from excessive symmetry. In recent decades, many brands and institutions have resorted to storytelling in order to maintain this leadership and establish a more persuasive relationship with their target audiences. In the case of fashion brands, many have produced fashion films, a hybrid genre that falls somewhere between traditional advertising and cinema, which has enabled these brands to use film narrative in order to communicate their intangible values. Specifically, here we shall analyze the case of two fashion films made by a brand that has pioneered the use of film narrative: Chanel. The two fashion films analyzed, The Film and The One That I Want, star Chanel N° 5 as the main feature and were made by the Australian director, Baz Luhrmann: the first in 2004, starring Nicole Kidman, and the other a decade later, in 2014, starring the model, Gisele Bündchen.