AbonnéArt & Design

Film Production: The Growing Playground for Luxury

By Cristina D’Agostino26 juin 2025

More and more luxury houses are expanding into film production, whether through promotional short films, documentaries, or internal cinema divisions. One of the key reasons for this shift is the decrease in funding from major streaming platforms, prompting the industry to open up to luxury brands.

Presented at Cannes in 2025, Wes Anderson's “The Phoenician Scheme” stars Benicio Del Toro (left) as an eccentric arms dealer. On the right, Mia Threapleton's character holds a Cartier rosary (TPS Productions/Focus Features)

Personally, product placement always bothers me a little, but it's also part of the collective imagination of pop culture.

Paolo Moretti, Head of the Film Department at ECAL

Next to Benicio del Toro, a magnetic Mia Threapleton stares into the camera. Clutched in her fingers is a precious rosary adorned with a cross. The jewel, inspired by a historic Cartier creation, is written into the script as a key accessory for her character in Wes Anderson’s latest film, The Phoenician Scheme. The goal is clear: redefine traditional product placement and demonstrate the deep-rooted ties between brands and cinema.

Over the past decade, luxury brands have significantly increased their investments in film and are now entering this vast sphere of influence through various means. Beyond the immense visibility it offers, cinema also represents a powerful form of soft power.

Supporting Art or Self-Promotion? The Lines Are Blurred

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I discussed the subject with Pedro Almodovar. He believes that if luxury brands are willing to finance film projects without interfering or imposing their views on sensitive issues, then that's fine

Stéphane Gobbo, culture editor of the Swiss daily newspaper Le Temps

Saint Laurent was the first brand to create a fully dedicated film production division in 2019, under the direction of creative head Anthony Vaccarello. The brand proved the effectiveness of this strategy in February 2025 by winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldana) in Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, which Saint Laurent, part of the Kering group, co-produced. Since its inception, the brand has funded six short and feature-length films, marking a true turning point in the luxury influence game.

But it’s not the only brand ready to spend millions with one goal in mind. Chanel has collaborated with the film world for decades—supporting creative works (like Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague, shown at Cannes 2025, or The Chronology of Water, the directorial debut of Kristen Stewart, a house ambassador), designing costumes, and even sponsoring the restoration of cinema classics like The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

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