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Martin Scorsese’s vast filmography has been explored in depth seemingly countless times throughout his nearly 60-year career. But less appreciated are his directorial efforts on commercials, which have ranged from comedic to sumptuous to somewhat bewildering. With his latest advertising endeavor, a Bleu de Chanel short film starring Timothée Chalamet, he has only added to his unique and surprising body of work. As we explore Scorsese’s most memorable commercials — including collaborations with Chanel, American Express, Apple, Armani, and others — we’ll see how he delivers some of his signature trademarks, while also exploring new and unexpected territory.
Martin Scorsese’s Funniest Commercial Is “One Hour Photo” With American Express
The best Scorsese ad might be, ironically, one he didn’t direct. Marty starred in this comedic commercial for American Express, playing an only lightly-fictionalized version of himself as he picks up a roll of photographs from a pharmacy and proceeds to scrutinize his own work. The photos are of his nephew’s birthday party, and Marty is so disgusted by the poor quality of the images that he demands a reshoot. Scorsese has dabbled in acting from time to time, most notably as Vincent van Gogh in Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, as himself in Curb Your Enthusiasm, and as the voice of Sykes the pufferfish in Shark Tale. Despite being such a dedicated and serious filmmaker, he’s always maintained a sense of humor, both in his work and about his work. No other performance brings out his signature self-deprecating humor quite like this AmEx ad.
Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson Star in Scorses’s Dolce & Gabbana Commercial “Street of Dreams”
Any dramatic actor worth their salt would jump at the chance of collaborating with Scorsese, which helps explain why Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson are in this Scorsese-helmed Dolce & Gabbana ad shot on the streets of New York. The music cue, “Il cielo in una stanza” by Italian soprano Mina, was used in Goodfellas. Both the song and the commercial itself are about fleeting moments between two people who probably once loved each other (and maybe still do). Marty is not necessarily a director who spends a lot of time depicting romantic love (although he’s certainly done so in films like The Age of Innocence and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore), but when he does tackle the subject of romance, it tends to be bittersweet and tragic. There are shades of those feelings in this brief but memorable ad.
Scorsese Uses The Rolling Stones in His First Bleu de Chanel Commercial
Nothing says Martin Scorsese like The Rolling Stones and men’s fragrance. This commercial is beautiful to behold and stuffed full of wild stylistic choices. Some are signature Scorsese, such as the intense flashing camera lights (most famously seen in Raging Bull), the fourth-wall breaking, and the shots of film projected onto a man’s body (as seen in The Aviator). But he’s also paying homage to Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up here and celebrating the ’60s and ’70s artistic cool of a bygone era. In terms of pure style, this is definitely Scorsese’s most interesting commercial work. The implied jealous lover plot also seems to harken back to his 80s Armani ad.
After His Armani Commercial, Scorsese Directed the Short Documentary ‘Made in Milan’
In 1986, Scorsese directed this elegant ad for Italian fashion house Armani. Although featuring camera moves typical of Scorsese, the spot is surprisingly aggressive considering it’s designed to sell fragrance. A story revealed in only a handful of shots seems to suggest a woman discovering that her lover is married. She’s furious but then distracted by the aroma of Armani’s latest intoxicating scent. Marty is a long-time fan of the Armani brand. In 1990, Scorsese directed the short documentary Made in Milan, a portrait of Giorgio Armani himself. Armani also lended his services to Scorsese’s costume department in The Wolf of Wall Street. As recently as 2015, Marty penned a tribute to the designer in Vanity Fair.
Scorsese Channels Alfred Hitchcock in the Freixenet Cava Champagne Ad, “The Key to Reserva”
This bizarre half Alfred Hitchcock imitation, half mockumentary is about the supposed discovery of three unproduced pages from an abandoned Hitchcock script that Scorsese has decided to direct. Although the blend of Hitchcock and Scorsese should excite any film fan, this is nonetheless a decidedly weird idea for a champagne commercial. The end result is (or would be, if a higher quality version of the ad existed online) a gorgeous homage to the master of suspense blended with some attempts at humor that mostly miss the mark. The Alfred Hitchcock sequence is a fun tribute that makes the wacky idea of Scorsese directing a film in another helmer’s style surprisingly appealing.
Star Power Like Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt Can’t Save This Studio City Ad
Marty directed this 16-minute, $70 million ad for the Studio City Resort in Macau that stars Robert DeNiro, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt. The ad is meant to make a big splash in terms of star power, and it certainly does. But it’s easily one of Scorsese’s least interesting commercials. It tells the story of DiCaprio and DeNiro competing over a role in a Scorsese project, with both of them ultimately being bested by Pitt. It’s a fun premise that doesn’t yield much fruit. Much of the ad looks like it was shot on green screen (one has to assume the bulk of the $70 million budget went to the actors’ salaries) and the dialogue is remarkably unfunny. We do get another Goodfellas nod with the use of the Hoagy Carmichael song “Stardust.” But other than that, this one is about as beautiful and compelling as a slot machine in Macau.
Scorsese Brings the Humor in His Collaboration With AT&T
Marty’s comedic talents are milked once again for an AT&T ad in which Scorsese berates a mother and her small child for their “ordinary and pedestrian” phone call. The joke is that one shouldn’t interrupt calls just like one shouldn’t interrupt a movie-viewing experience, and regardless of your cell phone carrier, that’s a message we can all get behind. Although the humor is a bit darker, this spot is arguably just as funny as the AmEx ad. The rule of thumb seems to be the faster Scorsese talks, the funnier he becomes.
Scorsese Teams Up With Jonah Hill for a Coca-Cola Energy Super Bowl Ad
Marty might hate sports (he once famously quipped, “Anything with a ball, no good”), but that didn’t stop him from co-starring with Jonah Hill in this Super Bowl ad for a Coke energy drink. For some reason, Scorsese is at a costume party by himself and desperately wants Jonah to show up. Only after a sip of the latest Coca-Cola product can Jonah summon the energy to join his Wolf of Wall Street director. Although this commercial makes no sense and really has nothing to do with either Martin Scorsese or Jonah Hill, it nonetheless speaks volumes about the level of celebrity that Marty has achieved over the years. Whether in front of the camera or behind it, Scorsese has used his commercial work to experiment with style, poke fun at himself, and enhance his status as one of the most talented and celebrated American filmmakers alive.
The Big Picture
- Martin Scorsese’s commercials range from comedic to sumptuous to somewhat bewildering, showcasing his unique and surprising body of work.
- Scorsese brings his signature trademarks to commercials, while also exploring new and unexpected territory, delivering his self-deprecating humor and bittersweet and tragic moments.
- His commercial work includes collaborations with high-profile brands such as Chanel, American Express, Apple, Armani, and others, incorporating his distinctive style and paying homage to various artistic influences.
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