I am a big proponent of not entering the Uncanny Valley when it comes to technology, however, in my opinion, the new Dior ad not only travels through the Uncanny Valley, but goes into unprecedented territory. I don’t even know what to call that territory–the Uncanny City? I don’t know.
What I do know is that the ad creeps me out. In the ad, Charlize Theron, the face of Dior since 2004, is late for a couture show at the Galerie des Glaces. She runs through the building to backstage, where she kisses Grace Kelly on the cheeks, passes Marlene Dietrich, who’s modeling for the cameras, and gives Marilyn Monroe the Dior fragrance, “J’Adore.” The song “Heavy Cross” by Gossip plays in the background. It’s one of my favorite songs, but I couldn’t even remember there was a song playing due to the fact that I was paying attention to the actresses who had been brought back from the dead.
It’s creepy–especially Marilyn Monroe–but at the same time, it’s slightly awe-inspiring. I didn’t realize I missed those ladies that much, and seeing them actually “alive” in a contemporary commercial was inspiring, in a way. Still, there are some ethical conversations that could be started–is it ever okay to re-appropriate someone’s image to the point of bringing them back to life via technology? That’s a question that can be left for you to come to your own conclusions.
Here’s the ad below. Write what you think about it in the comments section below.
