We’ve all seen the new CHANEL advert featuring Kiera Knightley having the time of her life at a Parisian party, but what makes it interesting is the music, an original soundtrack composed specifically for the short film by Krister Linder.
The latest advert for CHANEL‘s Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum Intense sees the return of Keira Knightley in her third TV appearance for the brand. The ad is a shortened version of a one minute film which follows Keira as she retraces her steps from the night before, discovering lost possessions and recovering memories of a trendy Parisian house party. What has become a signature mark of CHANEL ads, the narrative is accompanied by a striking piece of music, however in this instance, the music is an original soundtrack composed specifically for the short film by Swedish electronic musician Krister Linder.
CHANEL‘s creation of short films is nothing new. The first Coco Mademoiselle film featuring Keira Knightley is a whole three and half minutes long! Furthermore, the soundtrack has always been an important part of CHANEL adverts, from Joss Stone‘s cover of ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s World’ to the use of ‘Runnin” by Naughty Boy ft. Beyoncé, and they always honourably credit the artists on their YouTube channel (which is sadly a rare occurrence). However, the use of an original score is atypical for any advert.
Krister Linder first collaborated with CHANEL in 2016, creating the original soundtrack for the N°5 L’eau film featuring Lily-Rose Depp. The shortened version regularly aired on TV and has received over 7 million views on YouTube. However Linder’s contribution is rarely mentioned.
Currently based in New York, Linder began his career as the vocalist of the Swedish band Grace in 1987 and has since enjoyed a fairly successful solo career as an electronic artist as well as composing scores for a number of low-budget films. Linder’s work with CHANEL is responsible for bringing the short films to life and providing the brand with a sonic identity. One can only hope this relationship between composer and brand continues to thrive and acts as a successful example for other brands, opening up more opportunities for the plethora of budding composers out there.