Aaron Taylor-Johnson Named Face of Gentleman Givenchy Scent
PARIS — Givenchy has a new gentleman in the house.
The LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned fragrance brand signed on English actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson to be the face of its upcoming new men’s scent, Gentleman Givenchy.
Taylor-Johnson will appear in the fragrance’s advertising campaign — details of which still remain firmly under wraps — starting in August.
Givenchy executives chose him for the role for numerous reasons. “Firstly, because he is an artist we like a lot, because, in fact, he knows how to do everything,” Romain Spitzer, Givenchy Parfums chief executive officer, told WWD. “He is capable of playing in blockbusters, in art house films. He is able to act in major roles…and lighter roles, parodies and more intense parts.
“He knows how to dance. He knows how to sing. He’s funny, intense. He is very nice and has an energy that we like a lot,” Spitzer continued. “For me, his personality is a mix of elegance, charisma, generosity and singularity.”
The executive added that Taylor-Johnson at Givenchy “is for us an occasion, as well, to potentially touch a new public, which is younger, a fan of his work. He is a rising star.”
The actor’s breakout movie was in a biography of John Lennon, “Nowhere Boy,” dating from 2009. Following that, Taylor-Johnson appeared in “Kick-Ass” and as the lead in “Savages,” “Anna Karenina,” “Godzilla” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
For his performance in Tom Ford’s thriller “Nocturnal Animals,” out last year, Taylor-Johnson was bestowed the Golden Globe Award for best supporting actor in a motion picture, plus a BAFTA nomination for best actor in a supporting role.
Next up: He is to appear in Doug Liman’s movie “The Wall,” which is set for a May release.
Givenchy initially broached the concept of a gentleman in 1975, when its founder, Hubert de Givenchy, stoked masculine elegance with the woodsy fragrance Givenchy Gentleman.
Then Gentlemen Only, released worldwide in 2013, was positioned to bring Givenchy in touch with the modern gentleman — a global, connected, charming, polished and humorous individual, who hasn’t forgotten time-honored values and isn’t afraid to care about how he looks or smells. Australian actor Simon Baker fronted that scent.
Spitzer called Gentleman an emblematic and strategic brand for Givenchy. “We evidently have the intention to reenergize it,” he said, calling the new face “a great opportunity.”
Alongside trying to lasso the interest of Millennials and other new consumers, Gentleman Givenchy is also meant to please longstanding fans of the existing Gentlemen franchise.
“We touch a lot of generations,” said Spitzer, who said such consumers will rediscover the brand from a new angle — somewhat “freer and a bit more audacious.”
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