Prada’s new boys for the S/S 2013 menswear campaign

Prada, synonymous with fashion and style, have added a very Hollywood-like edge to their recent advertising campaigns. They have recruited “leading men” for their spring/summer 2013 menswear campaign. The selected actors for this line-up are Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Benicio Del Toro, Dane DeHaan and Harvey Keitel.

We have seen celebrity branding before. Mango has been doing it with Kate Moss for a while now. Nicole Kidman has been the face of Chanel No 5, Keira Knightley for Coco Chanel, Gwyneth Paltrow for Hugo Boss. The list is endless.

Prada are not new to this advertising method either. They did use a similar strategy for their last autumn/winter 2012-13 menswear collection that featured actors Gary Oldman, Willem Dafoe, Jamie Bell and Garrett Hedlund. 

The Italian fashion house has released this statement: “Four leading men – two of them iconic stars and two trailblazing new talents – bring their individual sense of style to the spring/summer 2013 menswear campaign. With a stark minimalism, heightening attention to detail, the perfection of the collection is infused with each of the actors’ strong attitudes. Their laidback and playful insouciance mixed with the quiet intensity of the tailoring is a silent revolution in men’s styling.”

The photo shoot was carried out in London by world-renowned portrait photographer David Sims. He created a series of black-and-white images highlighting the brand’s impeccable tailoring, lightweight coats and jackets, and casual daywear shirts. Could these men look any steamier?!

Prada describes their fresh theme as: “A painterly use of shadow and brightness creates striking silhouettes, the actors at times almost engulfed by darkness, then completely framed in blinding light.” It is about taking the classic style and jazzing it up a bit, giving it a modern yet subtle twist.

It seems that celebrity branding is here to stay! It is a great marketing tactic, drawing consumers closer.

“In a world filled with white noise, the effect is both modern and timeless.” – Prada. 

 Pooja Sahny
Photos: Courtesy of Prada