More than 500 guests attended the event, which attracted celebrities from film, fashion, music and sports. The idea of possession, or sokubaku -- to restrain or hold captive -- is Fallon's key campaign concept behind Cartier's relaunch of a set of rings, pendants and bracelets that originally debuted in New York in 1970, and range in price from ¥70,000 to ¥100,000 (US$600 to $860).
"Cartier challenged us to create something completely audacious," said Fallon managing director Phil Rubel. "The concept of sokubaku measures high on the audacity scale." The centerpiece of the collection is the Love bracelet, which has numerous tiny screws that, once tightened, lock the bracelet to the wearer's wrist -- a process that requires two people --hence Fallon's concept of twisted interdependence.
The Love campaign blurs the lines between love and freedom, unity and co-option, commitment and captivity, and, ultimately, bracelets and handcuffs. And in conjuring up images of bondage, Fallon may be crossing the line, not blurring it, with a concept that it admits was chosen in part for its strong emotional and sexual connotations. The assignment marks the first time that Cartier has worked with Fallon, which last year won the coveted account following a five-agency pitch that included Hakuhodo, ADK and Dentsu-affiliated Beacon Communications.
"We chose Fallon's plan because it was truly original, by far the most original one we saw," said Cartier marketing and communications director Arnaud Carrez. "It's got everything. It's spicy, it's controversial and it's complex, with lots of integration and various phases built into it."
In addition to traditional luxury-brand media such as fashion magazines, the campaign will include online, transit, viral and buzz elements. Rubel hopes this integrated approach will enable Cartier to distinguish itself from "the vast majority of jewelry products, which are devoid of real branding ideas and reliant on the brand strength of the actual company".
The campaign will continue through the Christmas shopping season and features celebrities such as Ken Watanabe, Lucy Liu, Olympic figure skater Miki Ando and Chara (Japan's answer to Bjork), who performed at the kick-off party.
