How Emporio Armani’s Latest Fragrance Campaign Was Actually Made
Normally, you only have to go as far as your nearest department store to experience the newest fragrances. But, when we heard about Emporio Armani’s Because It’s You and Stronger With You perfumes, we ended up embarking on an adventure to Milan, Italy to get the real scoop behind the scent duo — and learned a lot along the way. For starters, the campaign features its own trailer and was released in three separate installments acted out by James Jagger and Matilda Lutz. Suffice to say, it’s not your usual launch.
To get the behind-the-scenes details from the ones who know best, we caught up with James and Matilda on the balcony of the Armani hotel, just before they officially debuted the fragrances. While both are clearly always on-the-move (James is set to shoot a war film called The Last Full Measure, while Matilda has a psychological thriller coming up in Greece), they took a break to tell us how a perfume campaign really gets made. Click through for all of the details!
Giorgio Armani Fragrances1/8It might be the first time Matilda and James have fronted a fragrance for the brand, but their history with Armani actually goes way back.
“When I was 17, I got asked to go to Madrid to interview Beyonce at her concert for the new Emporio Armani fragrance, which was ‘Diamonds,’” recalls Matilda. “So that was my first experience with them. It was funny when I got the call for the campaign because my dad actually modeled for Armani when he was younger.”
For James, it was all about the clothes — specifically, a vintage Armani tracksuit he got at 16. “I just loved it,” he says. “I used to rock it.” Still, his current relationship with the brand came as a total surprise. “I was like, ‘Are you sure that they want me to do it?’” he says. “I was really honored when I found out.”
Giorgio Armani Fragrances2/8Instead of releasing a single campaign, Armani chose to direct three episodes (one featuring a locked door, one with a series of challenges, and one on a roof) that show slightly different takes on the olfactory experience — and gave Matilda and James the additional challenge of improvising without scripts. So, to get into character, both actors drew on their own personalities.
“She’s very instinctive and happy, and that’s how I am as well,” says Matilda. “Of course, I brought part of myself to the character; it’s not like a movie where you have time to prep a character. I just tried to have fun on set.”
That directive happened to fit perfectly with James’s acting method. “That’s a motto I have with work and life,” he explains. “Have fun. If it’s not fun, make it funny. I think Paul, my character, was a real romantic and a joker, like me. There were some things that I don’t share with Paul, though. He’s very good at drawing and he’s an architect — I can’t draw a straight line to save my life!”
Giorgio Armani Fragrances3/8If there’s one similarity between the vastly different Because It’s You and Stronger With You, it’s that they both smell amazing. In fact, we had a hard time choosing which one we liked more between the two — and it seems we weren’t alone in our dilemma.
“Because It’s You smells so summery and fresh,” says Matilda. “And then Stronger With You is more wintery and I like that musk note.” For James, Stronger With You is the winner. “I like the fact that it isn’t overtly masculine,” he says. “It has a nice balance to it. I like the way the fragrance mixes with your own natural scent.”
Giorgio Armani Fragrances4/8Knowing the duo’s current favorite scents, we also had to ask what their very first olfactory memory was. And surprisingly, they both remembered right away.
“For me, it was chestnuts during Christmas in Milan,” shares Matilda. “They had trucks where they sold them. It makes me happy; it makes me think of Christmas and snow and lights.”
James’s first scent memory happens to be one of the notes in Stronger With You: leather. “My granddad used to have an old car and when I was a kid, he used to drive me around in it,” he explains. “So whenever I smell leather or leather polish it really reminds me of all the things he used to take me to when I was a kid.”
Giorgio Armani Fragrances5/8Nowadays, Matilda and James have slightly different relationships with their favorite perfumes. “It’s the one thing I take with me everywhere and I wear it every day,” says Matilda. James takes a more occasional approach. “It’s more of a special occasion thing for me,” he says. “Almost like an accessory. There are times when I like to feel a bit more special or elegant, and that’s when I’ll use it.”
Giorgio Armani Fragrances6/8While both had plenty of thoughts to share on the scent, where their expertise really lies is in front of the camera. And while they’re both pros at this point — breezing through the scenes with an impressing amount of improv — things didn’t start out that way for either of them.
“Toward the end of school in England, they really got on your case about what you were going to do as a career and what you were going to be,” shares James. “We did this program on the computer and they told me I was going to be gold greenskeeper and I was really kind of put out by it. Luckily, my drama teacher was like, ‘You’re pretty good. You might think about going into drama.’ He was really inspirational for me and I owe him a lot.”
Meanwhile, Matilda found her path by total chance. “I finished high school and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I decided to take a year off from studies,” she says. “I went to New York — I was actually really shy and just the idea of acting in front of people scared me. So, I thought that going to a city where I didn’t know anyone would help me fight the shyness and the fear of public speaking. I realized when I was acting I felt so free and I didn’t feel judged. Nobody was judging Matilda; they were judging a character. I could do and say whatever I wanted and I fell in love with that feeling.”
Giorgio Armani Fragrances7/8Now that they’ve gone global with their new campaign, both actors are noticeably aware of their increased visibility. And knowing that fact, they left us with a few key words of advice.
“When you inhabit a character, you’re always going to draw on your personal experiences and I think it’s important to be in touch with yourself emotionally,” notes James. “I think that having a strong sense of self is important when you’re kind of flip-flopping around, inhabiting these different characters. When you go home at night, it’s important that you remember who you are and be true to yourself, even though you’re spending your days as someone else.”
Similarly, Matilda just wants her followers to learn how to block out the noise. “I feel very strongly that you should do what you want in life,” she says emphatically. “I’ve had down moments but that’s what keeps me excited about life and what I do. I never thought I was going to be an actress and now I’m acting — so follow your instincts and do what your heart tells you.”
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