Daniel Craig cuts loose in Paris for dancy new Belvedere ads

Dive Brief:

• Belvedere Vodka, a LVMH brand, unveiled a global ad campaign that depicts actor Daniel Craig cutting loose by dancing through the streets of Paris, per a news release.

• Taika Waititi (“Thor: Love and Thunder,” “Jojo Rabbit”) directed the video portion of the effort, which features an original song performed by Rita Ora and Giggs. The soundtrack was produced by Invisible Men, Bandits and Hungry Man.

• Promotional photography was captured by Juergen Teller and styled by Christine Centenera. The creative reflects brand themes of self-expression and authenticity and premiered in Times Square on Nov. 9. The campaign will expand to major out-of-home (OOH) venues and events.

Dive Insight:

The new Belvedere ads toy with Craig’s public image, revealing the playful side of a star who’s typically depicted as buttoned-up and steely. Craig recently ended a 15-year run as James Bond, a role that catapulted the actor to international fame but also frequently seemed to frustrate him. The campaign launches ahead of the release of “Glass Onion,” the latest installment in the “Knives Out” franchise starring the actor.

It’s hard not to see a bit of a meta-analysis in Belvedere’s creative, which opens with title cards that state Craig is simply portraying “himself.” The celebrity has often appeared in ads that lean into the Bond persona, including one from Heineken where he keeps being mistaken for the super-spy. Belvedere wants to emphasize themes of self-expression and authenticity without sacrificing a stylish edge, a tricky balancing act that could appeal to consumers curious about Craig’s personality behind the camera.

The hero spot begins in cinematic black and white, recalling Craig’s roots on the big screen. He is wearing a Bond-esque suit and gazing contemplatively out over the water from the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris while surrounded by paparazzi. The scene then transitions to color as the bouncy music kicks in, with Craig pushing through the crowd and swapping his formal wear for a casual black outfit, complete with a rocker-style leather jacket.

Craig then sashays through the city streets into the lobby and eventually the rooftop of the ultra-luxe Cheval Blanc Paris hotel. JaQuel Knight choreographed the dance moves. As the video comes to a close, Craig holds up a glass of Belvedere and says one word — “Finally.” — before Waititi chimes in. The two of them riff in an extended “director’s cut” of the ad on YouTube.

Belvedere has cut the commercial up in various lengths, including 6-, 15-, 30- and 60-second versions. The variety could help the premium spirits marketer spread the message to different audiences, including younger consumers who are hooked on short-form mobile video thanks to the popularity of TikTok. High-profile OOH placements and activations around key cultural events will further amplify the message.

The campaign’s timing comes ahead of the release of the hotly anticipated “Knives Out” sequel, where Craig is reprising his role as gentlemen sleuth Benoit Blanc. Costars who worked with Craig on both the Bond films and mystery series seem to think he’s having a bit more fun these days.

Daniel’s moves – choreographed by Singles Ladies genius JaQuel Knight – had many fans saying the same thing on Twitter...

As James Bond, Daniel was regularly seen sipping a vodka-based Martini, but director Taika knew he didn’t want to go for the obvious angle for the new ad.

“It felt almost lazy to go like, ‘Daniel, can you hold a martini?’” the Oscar-winning filmmaker told GQ. “I was happy to not even have to entertain that very long.”

He added: “There was sort of the fun of playing with [what] people expect, like ‘Oh, we’re going to make some high-class thing in Paris and it’s in black and white, very pretentious, like the beginning of a French noir film’ or something.

“It was just about having fun with the form, and making sure that we never really took any of it too seriously.

“It’s just nice to do something where it’s like, ‘Oh, is this the real Daniel? Maybe this is a different version of Daniel than we’ve ever seen?’...He just was great and he wasn’t cynical about it, and he wasn’t reticent. He just leaned straight in.

“I didn’t know if he could dance or not. It’s risky—what do you do if you find out he can’t dance?” he added. “I mean, luckily he can.”