THE WRITE STUFF: Celebrating the centenary of its emblematic Meisterstück pen, Montblanc has tapped Wes Anderson, a filmmaker gifted in conveying a pleasing retro aesthetic via his studied use of symmetry, corduroy and saturated colors.
The new campaign film, written and directed by the famous American auteur, breaks Wednesday on Montblanc’s digital channels and via outdoor placements, too.
According to Montblanc, the three-minute work brims with “sophisticated wit” and is “filled with both subtle and not-so-subtle references to the maison’s DNA and its luxury companions.”
Anderson conscripted his long-standing creative partners, including Roman Coppola as a producer and co-director; Jeremy Dawson and John Peet as producers; Stephan Gessler as supervising art director, and Linus Sandgren as director of photography.
There are also campaign stills by Charlie Gray and short videos featuring English actor Rupert Friend, American actress Maude Apatow, Indian-American actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, Korean actor Lee Jinuk and Chinese actor Jing Boran.
Vincent Montalescot, Montblanc’s chief marketing and merchandising officer, said the famous Meisterstück has been used to pen countless stories, whether by famous authors or everyday folk.
“It was finally time to make this writing icon the protagonist of the story, but we wanted to do it in a way that was completely unexpected and surprising,” Montalescot said in explaining the choice of Anderson “to put his own unique spin on the world of Montblanc through his inimitable storytelling and unmistakable visual identity. It’s certainly a very different way for our maison to show up.”
Surely Montblanc’s most emblematic product, the Meisterstück is known for its black cigar-shaped design, three gold rings, handcrafted gold nib and the brand’s famous snowcap emblem.
Indeed, the Hamburg-based brand’s Montblanc Haus — which blends elements of a museum, art gallery, hall of fame and school — is located in a striking, low-slung black building designed to resemble historic pen packaging.
It’s located next to Montblanc’s headquarters, and production facilities for its precious resin writing instruments and hand-ground gold nibs.
The German luxury brand, part of Richemont Group, also markets timepieces, fragrances, luggage, leather goods, personal tech and other accessories.