Fab Morvan performing live. Photo Credit: Sven Mandel
Nearly 40 years later, a Milli Vanilli nostalgia license has taken shape in Saint Laurent’s fall advert campaign, which is set to “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” and features Blackpink’s Rosé.
The French fashion house formally kicked off that campaign today, after posting several previews to social media last week. Starring alongside Rosé are actor Connor Storrie and model Liu Wen, with all three professionals rather unsurprisingly showing off the latest Saint Laurent products.
However, dancing – and, in turn, the above-noted 1988 Milli Vanilli track – factors prominently into the marketing effort, which doubles as a promotion for Paris-born Milli Vanilli co-founder Fab Morvan’s forthcoming memoir and documentary.
While Saint Laurent’s official release alludes to the Milli Vanilli lip-syncing controversy and the ensuing fallout – touching on Morvan’s “resilience” and work to “rebuild his life” – it simply frames the pop duo as part of the cultural fabric at present.
(How things have changed in the interim; that vocalists were paid to record the songs in question didn’t prevent largescale backlash. By contrast, AI is playing a key part in some commercially prevalent songs, and the pushback is comparatively muted.)
To learn more about the scandal, fans will evidently have to check out Morvan’s expanded memoir, Blame It on the Game, when it releases in early October. Also on the horizon for the 60-year-old is an ABC/Hulu documentary, Surviving a Scandal, that will premiere in January.
“Growing up in France,” Morvan said in part, “I’ve always been fascinated by the connection between fashion, music and culture. I discovered YSL through watching Grace Jones when she was beginning her career as an artist on French television, and I was captivated by the way she brought all three worlds together.
“So to see ‘Girl I’m Gonna Miss You’ now connected with Saint Laurent feels incredibly special and like a beautiful full-circle moment. It’s amazing to see music continue to travel through time and find a new life with a new generation,” he concluded.
Back to the actual campaign, the deal represents the latest in a line of high-profile partnerships for Rosé. The 29-year-old’s been quiet on social media as of late; apparently, Blackpink superfans are irritated with how the group celebrated its 10th anniversary a couple weeks ago.
But before this latest K-pop controversy took center stage, the “Apt.” artist published Instagram posts showcasing partnerships with Levi’s, Puma, YSL Beauty (technically, L’Oréal owns the cosmetics line and the fashion house proper belongs to Kering), Tiffany, and Airbnb.
That’s a big deal for Rosé and presumably the brands as well – though could the same companies soon be grappling with infringement litigation? Perhaps. Certain of their latest uploads appear to have incorporated protected audio, which is cleared for personal but not commercial use on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
Nor will selective licensing – paying to use some tracks and then failing to do so for others – suffice. Sony Music just recently slapped Kroger with a massive copyright complaint over alleged social media infringement, but by the major’s own description, it was only last year that it licensed music to the retail giant.
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