Hermès, the art of telling stories

The ever fascinating world of the Hermès ad campaigns. I’ve selected my summer favourites just to have them at hand to admire and let myself captivated by their magic over and over again. Does anyone do it better than the house of Hermès? In a sea of rarely breakthrough fashion advertisments, they always try something new. I like that. Their campaigns are always narrative, it’s either imagining life as a tale, with Karlie Kloss seen here as Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella…or seeking inspiration in the vibrancy and heritage of amazing India, with a pathway of zillions of flower petals and brightly painted elephants…a different story unfolds every year. It’s a piece of fantasy, a taste of their passion for authenticity and excellent craftsmanship passed down through generations. Beautiful.

photos: 1,2-Hermès ss 2010 campaign, Karlie Kloss photographed by Paolo Roversi, styled by Jacob K./ 3,4-Hermès ss 2009 ad campaign, Angela Lindvall photographed by Darius Khondji/ 5,6,7-Hermès ss 2008 ad campaign, Lakshami Menon photographed by Thierry Le Gouès/ 8,9-Hermès ss 2006 ad campaign, Gemma Ward photographed by Greg Kadel/ 10,11,12- Hermès ss 2000 ad campaign photographed by Philippe Cometti/ link

21 Responses to Hermès, the art of telling stories

LatteLisa wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 8:27 am

gorgeous photos! Love the ones with the elephant.
Shawna wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 8:28 am

Amazing photos!!! The plates in the water is beautiful! LOVE that!
My Fashion Tale wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 9:03 am

I agree! Their campaign always amaze me!
Kellie Collis wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 10:23 am

How fabulous! Enjoy the gorgeous day, Kellie xx
LittleRus wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 10:27 am

I love them too! Hermes always turns their campaigns into art and I could never get enough of them. My favourite ones are, probably, the 2006 with Gemma, especially the one where she is wearing a white suit and gooooorgeous sandals (I wish I could have those shoes!) as well as the ads for Un Jardin Sur Le Nil.
Have a wonderful day!
xxx
Captivated by image wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 3:17 pm

Your words are perfect to describe their campaigns 🙂 These photo’s are so gorgeous, I love how they used the light to draw a bit more attention to the most important subject in the image. The truly master the art of storytelling and activating imaginations. Read a very interesting article about narratives in high fashion ads recently.
dallas wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 3:33 pm

your blog is really pretty. we are going to add it to our daily reads-
dallas
https://dillydallas.blogspot.com
sandy@oohlafroufrou wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 5:11 pm

Absolutely beautiful ads! I also love Hermes ~ wish I had a huge Hermes scarf collection … and that’s the first time I’ve seen the dishes … can you imagine setting a table with that gorgeous gold “H”? Thanks so much for stopping by the Ooh La Frou Frou blog party, love!
mary jo wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 5:24 pm

Ada, these are just stunning! Thank you for sharing–I am in love with all of them. The plates in the water are so magical and shot with her running in front of them is just genius. Of course the elephant and black horse moving through the bright flowers is insanely gorgeous too! I just love this spread, and you’re right–it’s so much better than many of the current campaigns.

Hope you are having a wonderful week!
xo Mary Jo
Gabriella {sensiblyluxe} wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 6:20 pm

Oh my, I had never noticed before but their ads truly are lovely.
My favorite is of the girl skipping china. There is so much whimsy in that one.
zarna wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 7:30 pm

what a gorgeous campaign!! i love hermes!
Dawn {The Alternative Wife} wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 8:24 pm

Every single one is more gorgeous that the last! Thanks for sharing, Ada! 🙂
M wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 8:26 pm

Love in my eyes Hermes can do no wrong! love it!

~M
Classy & Fabulous
julie at BV wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 8:47 pm

Nobody does it better than them Ada and sometimes I find myself perusing their website and just being delighted by it. They are really the best. Love all your images.
ashley wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 10:25 pm

totally agree! the hermes ads are captivating..gorgeous colors, angles, framing, movement..and so often the ocean as a backdrop. love.

thanks so much for your sweet comment, ada! i’m over the moon and can’t wait to start planning!

xo.ashley
Shin wrote on
--> 10 May 2011 at 11:52 pm

I’m in awe by how creative Hermes is with their compaigns! The first one with Karlie Kloss is so breathtaking! I love when fashion brands put so much effort into their ads and present their ideas in such a visually spectacular way! Wishing you an amazing week too Ada! xoxoxoo
design elements wrote on
--> 11 May 2011 at 12:49 am

i want to be the girl from the 3rd image just because of the location!
A Casa da Vá wrote on
--> 11 May 2011 at 1:26 am

So dreamy! I love when they use the elephant, adorable!

Hugs & kisses from Rio!
https://acasadava.blogspot.com
amourette wrote on
--> 11 May 2011 at 9:20 pm

i love the one with the geometric print scarf and in the upper corner… a little hermes orange balloon floating away. perfect.
Joanna wrote on
--> 11 May 2011 at 10:36 pm

This campaigne is so lovely, it looks like photos from a fairytale 🙂
But to be honest, I haven’t seen a single bad campaigne of Hermes, so I’m not surprised this one is also so good 🙂 I totally agree with your point of view. Kisses!
María wrote on
--> 12 May 2011 at 10:36 am

Hermes advertising is always stunning!