6 campaigns that changed fashion (and maybe your next purchase too)
- Fotoprostudio
- Jul 9
- 6 min read
In the age of visual zapping, where images last only as long as a scroll and brands compete for seconds of attention, a powerful campaign is more than a good ad—it’s a visual manifesto. Here, we analyze six campaigns that didn’t just sell clothes. They redefined what it means to see, desire, and belong. This isn’t a ranking. It’s an analysis of impact, disruption, and meaning.
Índice
1. Calvin Klein – "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins" (1981)
Model: Brooke Shields | Photographer: Richard Avedon
Why it was impactful: At just 15 years old, Brooke Shields looked straight into the camera with a line that would be unthinkable in today’s briefings: “You wanna know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” The campaign sparked a wave of criticism for its sexualized portrayal of a minor, but also gained unprecedented notoriety.
Visuals: Extreme minimalism. Brooke Shields against a neutral background. Direct gaze. A loaded phrase. The entire image is ambiguity. No action, yet full of tension. Sexuality isn’t shown—it’s suggested. And that’s what made it unforgettable.
Analysis: It turned a pair of jeans into an erotic symbol. The body wasn’t the product, but the medium. Shields’ face, caught between innocence and provocation, created a new form of advertising desire.
What made it special:
It broke taboos, for better or worse.
It put attitude, not the garment, at the center of the message.
It elevated jeans to a sexual object of desire.
What it achieved:
Sales doubled in one week.
Calvin Klein went from promising designer to cultural icon.
The ad was banned on several networks… and that became the best marketing.
Fun facts:
Avedon used a deliberately minimalist approach to reinforce the message.
Shields didn’t wear underwear during the shoot, which she confirmed years later.
Opinion: Was it provocation or exploitation? Both. But above all, it was a demonstration of how a bare image can hold a symbolic bomb.
Reference: Interview in vogue — The ad that changed fashion advertising
2. Benetton – "Unhate" (2011)
Agency: Fabrica | Creative direction: Alessandro Benetton
Why it was impactful: Benetton has always been synonymous with controversy, but this campaign exceeded all expectations: world leaders kissing on the lips. Obama and Chávez. The Pope and an Egyptian imam. The image wasn’t selling clothes—it was selling a political stance.
Visuals: Photojournalistic aesthetics. Flat colors. Classic framing. The impact didn’t come from how it was shown, but from what was shown: the impossible kiss. The Pope and an Islamic leader. Obama and Chávez. It didn’t look like advertising. And that was its power.
Analysis: By removing the product, Benetton placed its brand in the realm of discourse. This was pure storytelling, where the image replaced the logo.
What made it special:
Complete removal of the product.
Photojournalistic narrative, not commercial.
Use of deepfakes before they became mainstream.
What it achieved:
Awards at Cannes Lions.
A Vatican condemnation.
Unprecedented global virality for a clothing brand.
Fun facts:
The images were highly advanced digital compositions for their time.
The campaign was pulled after 48 hours due to diplomatic pressure, but it had already achieved its purpose.
Reference: UNHATE Foundation - Benetton Group
3. Gucci – "The Fall Winter 2018 Campaign: The Collectors"
Creative direction: Alessandro Michele | Photographer: Glen Luchford
Why it was impactful: Gucci presented its collection as if it were part of a cabinet of curiosities. Inspired by obsessive collectors and kitsch, the campaign embraced a cluttered, almost baroque aesthetic that broke away from the prevailing minimalism.
Visuals: Contemporary baroque. Saturated settings, eccentric characters, wild color palettes. Each image was a painting. Nothing asked for permission.
Analysis: Gucci broke away from the standard beauty canon. Here, the ugly, the strange, and the kitsch were celebrated. The campaign embraced dissonance as its own aesthetic.
What made it special:
Fragmented cinematic storytelling.
Over-the-top set designs bordering on visual chaos.
Inclusive and eclectic cast.
What it achieved:
Established Michele as a complete reinventor of Gucci’s image.
Attracted a young audience that valued eccentricity.
Influenced the creative direction of other houses (including Balenciaga).
Fun Facts:
The photos were inspired by real collectors, like those at the Museum of Anomalous Medical Objects.
No retouching was done on the poses or bodies.
Reference: Gucci Campaigns Archive
4. Dior – "J’adore" with Charlize Theron (2004-present)
Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Visuals: Charlize Theron bathed in gold. Slow steps. Sculpted body. Palace of Versailles. Every shot is a promise: if you wear this, you shine like this.
Analysis: Few campaigns have maintained such visual consistency over two decades. Dior chose continuity as its core aesthetic strategy.
Why it was impactful: A campaign that hasn’t changed in 20 years—and still works. Charlize Theron, drenched in liquid gold, walking alone through the Palace of Versailles. Pure opulence, timeless luxury, and empowered femininity.
What made it special:
Sophisticated use of slow motion and CGI for its time.
A single face for two decades: extreme brand consistency.
Almost no dialogue. Just body, gold, and power.
What it achieved:
Made J’adore Dior’s best-selling perfume.
Maintained a coherent visual identity for 20 years.
Associated luxury with female self-sufficiency.
Curiosities:
Each new version of the spot is filmed at Versailles or digitally recreated.
Theron earns between $3 and $5 million per contract renewal.
Reference: Charlize Theron for J’adore – Visual history
5. Diesel – "Be Stupid" (2010)
Agency: Anomaly | Director: Melina Matsoukas
Visuals: Images resembling teenage parties—broken cameras, wild jumps, defiant gestures. Amateur style with precise direction.
Analysis: This campaign was a direct response to the era of calculation and obsessive branding. It celebrated mistakes, clumsiness, and spontaneity.
Why it was impactful: It launched a manifesto against logic. Celebrated stupidity as a synonym for boldness. People doing crazy things, breaking rules, provoking.
What made it special:
Aggressive, countercultural copywriting.
Punk-pop aesthetics with analog filters.
An anti-intellectual message in an era of excessive rationality.
What it achieved:
Grand Prix award at Cannes.
15% increase in brand awareness.
Built a community of fans who felt “outside the system.”
Curiosities:
The slogans were printed as illegal posters in key cities.
Inspired fan imitations sharing their own "stupid moments."
Reference: Diesel “Be Stupid” Campaign Case Study
6. Balenciaga – Campaign FW 2022 "The Mud Show"
Creative direction: Demna Gvasalia | Photographer: Daniel Roché
Visuals: Mud-covered runway. Artificial storm. Models drenched in water and dirt, with icy expressions. More of an art installation than a fashion show.
Analysis: Demna turned fashion into an act of resistance. Mud symbolized the post-crisis world. The aesthetics of collapse as a form of protest.
Why it was impactful: Models walking through a mud pit amid a storm. Destruction elevated to aesthetics. Mud as a metaphor for crisis—post-Covid, war, climate collapse.
What made it special:
Location as a political statement.
Non-verbal dystopian narrative.
It didn’t sell glamour, but resistance.
What it achieved:
Sparked global debate on the limits of luxury.
Inspired editorials and visual responses in contemporary art media.
Redefined the fashion show as a critical performance.
Curiosities:
Kanye West opened the show as an unexpected model.
The mud was sourced from the Pyrenees and treated to stay wet throughout the day.
Reference: Balenciaga FW22 — The Show That Turned Mud Into Art
Final thought: When an image does more than dress
These campaigns remind us that fashion is more than a product—it's a visual ideology. And every photograph is a cultural construct, loaded with choices, intentions, and power.
At a time when many brands confuse image with content, these six campaigns remain relevant because they didn’t just show. They spoke. They challenged. They broke the mold.
And you—are you crafting your images, or just filling the feed?
Do you know a powerful campaign that didn’t make this list?
Want us to break it down in our next article? Let us know in the comments or reach out directly. We’re gathering the most iconic and groundbreaking campaigns that defined an era—and your suggestion could be the next one featured here.
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