Legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has been named the new face of Louis Vuitton. Richards will head a campaign to promote the company's Core Values line, which includes branded travel luggage and accessories.
“Keith Richards needs absolutely no introduction,” said Antoine Arnault, head of communications for Louis Vuitton. “He is a global icon, an inspiration to millions, and we are honored that he has agreed to represent Louis Vuitton.”
Produced by Ogilvy & Mather, the campaign restates travel as the fundamental and defining value of Louis Vuitton, interpreting it as a personal journey and a process of self-discovery. In the visual, photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Richards is pictured cradling his guitar in a hotel room he has transformed by draping black scarves with skull motifs over the lamps and placing a skull on a bedside table.
The tagline states simply: “Some journeys cannot be put into words. New York. 35am. Blues in C.”
“This is the first time ever that Keith Richards has participated in an advertising campaign of any sort, and it is hard to imagine a more compelling embodiment of a personal, emotional journey,” Arnault said.
As in the first wave of the campaign, Louis Vuitton is making a donation to The Climate Project, spearheaded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, on behalf of Richards.
The visual, the first in a new series of portraits of exceptional people, will appear in major international titles as part of Louis Vuitton's continuing Core Values advertising campaign.
A PRAIRIE HOME NEEDS A NEW COMPANION
Humorist Garrison Keillor has put his historic St. Paul, Minn., home up for sale, a few weeks after a dispute with his neighbor over her building plans ended up in court.
The host of public radio's “A Prairie Home Companion” is asking $1.65 million for the seven-bedroom, five-bath home, according to its listing on Realtor.com.
In January, Keillor and his wife sued next-door neighbor Lori Anderson to stop her from building a two-story garage-and-studio addition to her house. Keillor's lawsuit said the project would “obstruct the access of light and air” to his property.
The lawsuit was settled through mediation about a week later. The terms were not made public.
Real estate agent Mary Hardy told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that the dispute isn't why Keillor is selling the house. She said he wanted a house with an airy, first-floor studio where he can work, and to that end he's made an offer for a nearby house on a bluff with 4,000 square feet more space and a larger lot.
That house's listing price is no longer public, but its taxable value was listed at a little less than $1.6 million.
Keillor had not commented on the sale, his spokesman David O'Neill told the Star Tribune.
HIGH-PRICED TOTS
What's the difference between Christina Aguilera's new baby, Max, and Nicole Richie's new tyke, Harlow, both of whom were born Jan. 12 in the same Los Angeles hospital?
About half a million dollars.
Gawker.com reports that while People magazine paid $1 million to run photos of Harlow, they paid $1.5 million for Max's photos.
– COMPILED BY CAROLINE DIPPING FROM NEWS SERVICE REPORTS
