Ads by Ridley Scott

Very few directors in the film industry can navigate from historical to futuristic pieces in the way Ridley Scott does. From Gladiator to the Martian, from Napoleon to Alien or Blade Runner, Scott creates unimaginable worlds and fills it with tension and small details to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat.

But his work is not only found on the silver screen, but also on the small screens with ads. Ridley Scott has reportedly done over 2,000 commercials throughout his career! 

Let's dive a little into his advertising works.

Chanel

La Piscine

L'Invitation au Rêve, le Jardin

Monuments

La star

Alain Wertheimer, chairman and chief executive of Chanel, once quipped about the brand's advertising philosophy: “We have a bad habit of not being able to do things cheap.” 

This tongue-in-cheek statement perfectly embodies Chanel's commitment to extravagant aesthetics and artistic collaborations – and none shines brighter than their longstanding partnership with Ridley Scott.

Fresh off the heels of his sci-fi masterpiece Alien, Scott stood at the apex of his career when Chanel tapped him to direct an ad for their iconic Nº5 fragrance. The resulting collaboration was pure magic. 

Their partnership flourished, due to the creative synergy they shared. For over a decade, Scott directed other Chanel campaigns, each a unique visual poem celebrating the brand's luxurious essence.

It was a collaboration that redefined fashion advertising, proving that luxury could be not just opulent, but also artistic and enduring, a look we see until today on fashion ads.

Apple — Macintosh

Ridley Scott's 1984 Super Bowl masterpiece for the Macintosh is etched into advertising history. With a budget shrouded in mystery (rumored to be anywhere from $300,000 to $900,000), this electrifying ad teased the imminent arrival of a machine that would forever change the personal computer landscape.

The Mac's impact was immediate and undeniable. In less than 100 days, 50,000 units flew off the shelves. By year's end, that figure had ballooned to 250,000, doubling again before the second year even closed. By 1987, a million Macs had conquered the market, a monumental feat in the early days of personal computing.

But the ad's legacy transcends the sales figures. It's hailed as one of the most important commercials in advertising history, revolutionizing the way tech companies approached marketing. 

The Macintosh launch was a cultural touchstone, and the ad, a testament to Scott's visionary genius, remains a timeless classic.

Fun fact: Few realize that before conquering the silver screen, Ridley Scott honed his craft not in film schools, but in the vibrant industry of advertising. In the 60s and 70s, he co-founded a company with his brother and helmed an estimated 2,000 commercials, mastering the art of storytelling in miniature. When the siren song of cinema called, he boldly financed and directed his own feature debut, “The Duelists.”

This Cannes Film Festival finalist catapulted him onto the world stage, and soon Ridley was directing two genre-defining masterpieces: 1979's “Alien” and 1982's “Blade Runner.” His journey from adman to auteur boils down to one fact: it was commercials that gave one of the greatest directors of all time the foundation to illuminate the big screen.

Wrapped up by the sound of Greta Van Fleet — Highway Tune