Cartier thinks inside the box

Sometimes great ads are made from strong stories, killer jokes and clever effects; sometimes they simply comprise a short burst of rousing sound and gorgeous visuals. 

This enjoyable ad, created by Publicis Luxe and directed by British director and fashion photographer Charlotte Wales, through Colors, is a fine example of the latter.

Subtly using the parameters of Cartier's iconic vermillion box as a design motif, the spot A Celebration of Love, revels in racy red and diamond lights and boasts an impressive array of beautiful people – including such celebs as Monica Bellucci, Willow Smith, Jackson Wang, Lily Collins and Melanie Laurent – cavorting around in pleasing threads. 

Gleefully expressing their personalities, rather than being mere po-faced clothes horses, this lot scamper around with gusto, sometimes running upside down in cubes, all the while singing along to a thoroughly cracking tune – Love is All, the anthem composed in the 70s by Roger Glover. 

Cartier’s red box is a signature creation that dates back to brand's early days in the Paris of the 1840s. Collectable in its own right, the box has appeared on the Broadway stage (in the 1926 production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) and was even turned into a cinema screen for Cartier’s 2013 pop-up exhibition at London’s Selfridges store.