Words by Farhan Shah
TAG Heuer has been on a roll recently. First, it announced Hollywood star Ryan Gosling as its brand ambassador. It’s a significant announcement because this is Gosling’s first-ever partnership with a brand. The celebrity has been careful about attaching his name and face for commercial reasons, so the fact that he chose TAG Heuer speaks volumes.
For this partnership, the watchmaker gave Gosling complete creative rein for the campaign photoshoot. The 40-year-old went with renowned photographer Pari Dukovic and worked together to create vibrant, neon-tinted visuals reminiscent of a Gosling film, Only God Forgives.
“Ryan said he wanted to do something completely different. Colour has emotion, and it’s completely unexpected. In creating these portraits, it was about creating something timeless and timely at the same time. TAG Heuer’s watches have a timeless quality to them and that’s exactly what we wanted to do with the campaign,” says Dukovic in the press release.
(See also: TAG Heuer introduces a Golf Edition for its popular Connected watch)
Of course, with an announcement as big as this, TAG Heuer released a new watch alongside it. Gosling is sporting a new iteration of its classic Carrera Three Hands on his left wrist. There are 13 pieces in the range, presented in varying sizes and complications, ranging from a 29mm date-only Carrera to a Carrera Day Date 41mm.
All the references are offered in a stainless steel case with black, blue, white or silver dials that feature the new Carrera logo. The steel bracelets are equipped with the new and ergonomic H-shaped links.
And unusual for a celebrity and watch brand partnership, Gosling was the one who picked the Carrera range because of its links to racing. He said: “I appreciate its timeless design. I like clean designs. Growing up, we lived on a pretty tight budget. I gravitated towards things that were simple and timeless, so I didn’t have to think about keeping up with trends.”
