STAR STUDDED
BRADLEY COOPER STARTS HIS NEW ROLE AS HOUSE AMBASSADOR FOR MAISON LOUIS VUITTON WITH A CAMPAIGN CELEBRATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TAMBOUR WATCH
French luxury house Louis Vuitton has added a new name to its family of brand ambassadors: award-winning actor and filmmaker Bradley Cooper. Of course, “awardwinning” is a bit of an understatement here, as Cooper has so far won nine Academy Award nominations, a BAFTA award, two Grammy Awards, six Golden Globe nominations and a host of other accolades from film festivals, independent award shows and more.
Interestingly, Cooper’s debut campaign with Louis Vuitton will highlight the Tambour Twenty, a limited-edition timepiece marking the 20th anniversary of the Maison’s now-iconic Tambour watch.
When the very first Tambour—the Tambour automatic GMT, to be exact—was released in 2002, it made its mark as an instantly recognizable timepiece. And since then until today, increasingly intricate, complicated and innovative models have joined the family.
As the Tambour turns twenty this year, La Fabrique du Temps introduced a limited-edition anniversary piece that reprises the iconic features of the original Tambour automatic GMT. The aptly-named Tambour Twenty has the same, instantly-recognizable “drum” case as the first Tambour GMT. Furthermore, the letters making up the name “Louis Vuitton” is set across the numbers and indexes.
Moving inward, we find the two chronograph sub-dials. The dial itself comes in brown and features a sun-brushed finish, which contrasts nicely with the yellow chronograph hand.
But this is no ordinary yellow, however, as it resembles the color of the traditional thread used in leatherwork. Underneath all of these historical elements, the watch is powered by the contemporary LV277 high-frequency movement. As a final flourish, each of the 200 exclusive Tambour Twenty watches is paired with a miniature trunk in Monogram canvas.
And no less exciting is how Louis Vuitton found the perfect man to become the face of the Tambour Twenty.
From starring in and producing blockbuster hits to performing one of the most memorable singles of the 2010s—“Shallow” with Lady Gaga in the movie “A Star is Born”—and performing in a number of critically-acclaimed stage plays, Bradley Cooper is in a league of his own.
For his debut collaboration with Louis Vuitton, Cooper appears in a campaign video directed by none other than Damien Chazelle of “La La Land” and “First Man” fame. The campaign evokes a sense of youthful optimism and of dreams taking flight, as a parallel odyssey of man and boy unfolds. The journey leads from lush forest to urban jungle, from the endless possibilities of imagination to a dream accomplished, set amid the streets and skyline of New York City, in the shadow of the iconic Chrysler Building.
The video, titled “Journey Beyond Time,” perfectly pairs Cooper’s strong presence with close-up shots highlighting the Tambour Twenty’s finer details. For his part, Chazelle showcased masterful transitions that flowed perfectly to the accompaniment of a musical score by Justin Hurwitz, an American film composer who worked together with Chazelle on various films.
There’s certainly a strong rapport between the actor, the director and the composer, much like how the many components of a watch work together in perfect unison. Rounding up the campaign for the Tambour Twenty is a series of still images by Boo George, a remarkable fashion photographer known for his realistic style and measured composition, and one who is no stranger to working with Louis Vuitton.
Through a short but powerful visual campaign, “Journey Beyond Time” manages to genuinely highlight the aesthetics of the Tambour Twenty and how it beats in time with the rhythm of the modern urban gentleman. Handsomely rugged and smartly-dressed, Cooper is certainly a great representation of the latter. The way the Tambour Twenty is portrayed, meanwhile, radiates the same energy. From its color scheme to the leather elements, there’s an aura of oldschool masculinity to the watch. At the same time, its refined proportions tell a story of sophistication—it’s a companion for a worldly and contemporary traveler.
Ultimately, what we see is an bona fide icon of haute horlogerie, on the wrist of a bona fide Hollywood icon. As far as 20th anniversaries go, you simply can’t beat a combination like that.
“There’s certainly a strong rapport between the actor, the director and the composer, much like how the many components of a watch work together in perfect unison”