Tag Heuer brings Hollywood to London for unveiling of Ryan Gosling short film
LVMH-owned watchmaker Tag Heuer brought Hollywood to London last night staging a star-studded party to mark 60 years of its Carerra watch and unveil a comedic short film, starring Ryan Gosling, called The Chase for Carrera.
Gosling was in attendance at the party, held at The Outernet in London, along with fellow Hollywood starts and Tag Heuer ambassadors Patrick Dempsey, Jacob Elordi, Alexandra Daddario and Madelyn Cline. The event was hosted by Tag Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault with BBC Radio's Greg James acting as MC.
In the short action comedy Gosling plays himself and at the end of a film shoot declines to return his Tag Heuer Carrera watch to the prop master, played by fellow Hollywood actor and comedian Vanessa Bayer. Gosling makes a break for it in at the end of the shoot in Porsche Carrera with Bayer in hot pursuit. The action, which sees the pair racing through various movie sets in iconic sports cars, heavy-duty trucks and electric production buggies, is carried out to the soundtrack of Billy Ocean's Red Light Spells Danger.
Gosling refuses to hand over his watch to Bayer
Produced by David Leitch’s 87 North – responsible for some of the most iconic action films of the last decade, from John Wick to Deadpool 2 to last year’s Bullet Train – and directed by Nash Edgerton (Mr Inbetween), Gosling shot The Chase for Carrera while working with Leitch on feature The Fall Guy in Australia (which also stars Vanessa Bayer). Both Gosling and Leitch contributed to The Chase for Carrera’s creative and the result is described as "pure box-office".
The Tag Heuer Carrera watch was introduced 60 years ago by Jack Heuer and was inspired by the Carrera Panamericana race and cemented the brand's long-standing association with racing.
Gosling attends the London premiere
Gosling, whose first action role was in 2011's Drive movie, joined Tag Heuer as a brand ambassador two years ago. Arnault said it was clear from the beginning that the brand wanted to capitalise on the association with racing.
"[Gosling] is THE quintessential Hollywood driver, and we have a very special connection with him. We wanted to do a very special film – but we were waiting for the right opportunity. It was no doubt super ambitious, and no one knew how it is going to truly turn out, but with such an amazing cast of super talented people the odds were with us,” Arnault said.
Arnault added that the brand chose London to debut the movie because the UK is "such an important part of the brand". "[It] is one of our biggest markets and a country of watch lovers and racing enthusiasts," he said. To underscore his point the Principal of Red Bull Racing, Christian Horner, was also in attendance along with his wife and former Spice Girl Geri Horner.
The iteration of the Carrera that Gosling wears in the short film is the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph. Topped with a “glassbox”, a sapphire crystal dome that flows seamlessly over the tachymeter scale that runs around the dial edge and into the case, it comes in a signature blue dial on a blue calfskin leather strap. Bayer’s Prop Master, meanwhile, is wearing the new TAG Heuer Carrera 36mm in pink.
It won't be the only time Gosling is seen wearing a Tag Heuer Carrera in a movie. In the upcoming The Fall Guy, Gosling will be wearing the sportier black and silver “reverse panda” dial of the same edition. And, in a first for a luxury brand, Gosling will continue to wear different iterations of TAG Heuer Carreras in multiple Hollywood roles.
Gosling said of the partnership: “I think what impressed me most was just how fearless and creatively versatile the team at TAG Heuer is. This campaign is wildly different from not only everything we’ve done together, but I think, anything they’ve ever done before. I was working with David Leitch on The Fall Guy and was enjoying it so much I asked him while we were filming an action scene if he would be interested in collaborating on my new campaign with the brand.
"Since the film was about making a film, we thought it made sense that the commercial be about making a commercial. And they [TAG Heuer] did it with such ease and joy, it made the experience a fun and creative experience for everyone involved. It was surprising to see a luxury brand known for such serious and artful campaigns, suddenly embrace and showcase such a strong sense of humour.”
