CHOPARD LOVES CINEMA, STARRING JULIA ROBERTS America’s sweetheart is now the haute joaillerie brand’s muse for its entire women’s range
Premiering on Monday, the campaign Chopard Loves Cinema comprises a series of video clips to be released over the coming months. Like the brand’s Happy Diamonds campaign in 2021, this one stars Julia Roberts, who was initially the face of Chopard’s Happy Sport and Happy Diamonds collections.
Her role has now expanded to Chopard’s muse for its entire women’s watch and jewellery collection.
The stronger bond between the American actress and the sustainable luxury brand is celebrated by the new campaign orchestrated by James Gray, whose films include Little Odessa, The Immigrant and Armageddon Time.
The award-winning director worked on 12 episodes for Chopard Loves Cinema, which reveals a new facet of the maison’s identity: a feel-good and self-confident vibe instilled by the jewellery and watches worn by Julia Roberts in the campaign.
As the campaign progresses, Gray explores the making of a Hollywood film from a backstage perspective in the antechamber of a vast building full of huge studios bustling with crew members and props.
Going behind the scenes, the director captures the audacity, playfulness and humanity of Julia Roberts and how she brings her magic to the set.
“Julia Roberts is that rare thing: a genuine movie star. She also happens to be a person with a tremendous sense of humour about it all, and somehow, she hasn’t let her legendary status go to her head,” said Gray.
The series of videos portrays the inspiring actress in action, joking around off-camera, spreading her joy and larks. She knits, finds something nice to say about everyone, slips into trainers under her glamorous dresses, takes over the camera herself and interrupts her script rehearsal to cuddle her dog Myrtle that jumps on her lap.
“I always consider my day made if I’ve made her smile. And the work is always a pleasure, if for no other reason than the fact that the camera is as big a fan of Julia as I am! Both Julia and Chopard embody a true sense of happiness, so it was a wonderful opportunity to work with them on this campaign,” Gray said.
Chopard’s global brand ambassador also shines with a brilliant smile in the accompanying advertising campaign featuring visuals by photographer Alasdair McLellan.
Based in Meyrin, Geneva, the company also called upon backstage specialist and photographer Greg Williams to join the team of top-notch image professionals.
The launch date of the campaign was set on March 20, which coincides with the International Day of Happiness.
A UN General Assembly resolution in 2012 recognised happiness as a fundamental human goal and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples”.
In the years since — in fact well before the establishment of International Day of Happiness — Chopard has enthusiastically responded to this universal appeal.
Happiness has long been a theme for its creations. In 1976, the independent and family-owned maison introduced its Happy Diamonds collection featuring gemstones moving freely between two sapphire crystals in its iconic watches.
In 1985, Caroline Scheufele, who is now the brand’s co-president and artistic director, sketched the Happy Clown with a tummy of whirling diamonds and coloured stones.
She later incorporated yet more playful dancing diamonds into the design of Chopard’s Happy Sport steel watch launched in 1993.
The design, also seen in its Happy Hearts jewellery line, expresses a fundamental notion of Chopard’s identity: happiness and joie de vivre.
The Swiss brand reinforces how essential happiness is to life, and calls on everyone to rediscover positive emotions.
For this year’s International Day of Happiness and a joyful March, its boudecked tiques are with symbolic pink roses to arouse feel-good vibes.
Moreover, sales of Happy Hearts jewellery from now to March 26 will benefit the organisations Naked Heart Foundation and All Hands and Hearts (previously called the Happy Hearts Fund).