As Tim Girvin, brander extraordinaire, says it best, “Ravens as the dark storyteller, the mythic black rainbow.”
Is the etymology of corvid derived from the ancient Proto-Indo European seed sound kos, for shout? That would seem appropriate – ravens for shouting. Marketing as the shout, raven-style. But it’s the sound of the kraaak and croak that reaches to the heart of the word and the story – and running the linguistic gauntlet for several thousand years, the sounds of the black one, the ravening clan, that first bespeak the legend.
To Tom Ford, and the raven as a stylistic emblem, the commentaries are interesting to Tom’s shooting of eyewear/ware that is inter-played with corvids. Noting sensuality, Anne of Caverville’s reflections offer Tom Ford’s use of ravens in his Fall 2010 ad campaign for Tom Ford Eyewear with Freja Beha Erichsen and Nicholas Hoult can be interpreted as his belief in a female-centric, new consciousness. Ford is the ace of sensual branding or hot, sexy, sizzling marketing whichever you prefer. The sexy marketing maestro has always pushed the envelope, roaming through the closed doors of repressed sexuality and leaving them slightly ajar upon leaving.
According to Anne’s review, “If ravens seem a bit dark and disturbing, consider them not only symbols of death, degeneration and bad luck. Tom Ford grew up in Austin, Texas – not Santa Fe, of course — but near America’s Indian Country, where ravens are the hallmark of shape-shifting. Ravens can see all things that are hidden. In addition, ravens brought light into the darkness of the world and transformed part of Maka, Mother Earth. A raven named plants and taught animals. After the success of his debut film A Single Man, a more thoughtful Tom Ford may be evolving into a mythical storyteller.”
The campaign features Freja Beha Erichsen and Nicholas Hoult plus a bunch of ravens. (the story continues right after the jump with more images!) There’s something undoubtedly, unquestionably strange about the imagery and people’s reactions. Kissing ravens? Devilishly smiling while being surrounded by ravens? Breastfeeding a raven? Now that’s something only Ford will be able to get away with. As much as they hate admitting to it,” the fash-people love to feel shocked and appalled. Disgusted, even. I’s in their uberfashionable nature. We, the mere mortals we’ll only see Hitchock all over again and think – oh, look, there’s Freja looking like Harry Potter! – say you didn’t thought about that!”
"Ravens and the corvid class are, in the mythic mind, a grouping of creatures that, spread all over the world, cast a sight into the legendary mind of man and their link to the archetypal experience of the dark mystery and beauty of natural experience. Gathering the raven clan to the notion of brand, or telling experience, is entirely personal - what does this bird say to you? To each, their own, in the cast of Raven shadow and call to themselves. For me, their call always means one thing - pay attention!"
References:
Tim Girvin “The Legacy Of The Corvid In Retail Brandstory And Merchandising.” , Sensuality , Stylefrizz , OpticalVision
