Benjamin Millepied’s twirly YSL L’Homme Libre ad: budget or beautiful?

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Here is Benjamin Millepied’s first ad as the “face” of Yves Saint Laurent’s L’Homme Libre (The Free Man), a men’s cologne. If the imagery looks somewhat familiar, it’s because the photo shoot, back in May, attracted a lot of paparazzi, and there were tons of photos of Benjamin twirling and twirling. It’s kind of interesting that they chose this budget-looking shot – which looks like it was super-imposed over a photo of New York building – when Benjamin was busting his ass to twirl for the cameras. I mean, why not show more of his body? You’re paying him to be a ballerina/model, why not see more movement in the photo? It’s probably the case that photographer Patrick Demarchelier was shooting Benjamin for the entirety of the ad campaign (multiple print ads, plus a commercial, perhaps), and this is only the first (budget) ad. Or it could be that Benjamin simply isn’t as super-cool as he seems to think, and that now YSL is all “oh, crap” about hiring him to front a campaign.

While Natalie Portman is the face of Christian Dior perfume, it seems her fiance is determined to get in on some campaign action of his own. Benjamin Millepied is the new star of Yves Saint Lauren’s men’s fragrance, with the fitting title L’Homme Libre – French for ‘the free man’.

The tagline reads ‘Break Free’ and sees the choreographer and principal dancer of the New York City Ballet, putting his skills to use. He is captured midway through performing a pirouette over Manhattan in the shot by photographer Patrick Demarchelier.

Since he began dating Natalie, the dancer’s profile has been on the rise. But in reality, freedom for Benjamin, who has a fiance, newborn baby and demanding career to manage, is probably just a distant memory. Either way, the artist, who met Natalie on the set of Black Swan, is certainly making a name for himself.

He said: ‘I’m happy and proud to have been chosen by Yves Saint Laurent, one of the world’s most prestigious brands. I admire the world of this House, its elegance and modernity. Monsieur Saint Laurent was a fashion genius, a lover of the Arts, he also knew how to use his talent to serve the art of dancing.’

Benjamin and Natalie welcomed a baby boy last month.

It was recently revealed he was named Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

When Natalie accepted her Best Actress Oscar earlier this year, she paid tribute to her French husband-to-be, saying: ‘My beautiful love, Benjamin, who has now given me my most important role of my life.’

[From The Mail]

Since Natalie gave birth, I haven’t seen any photos of her or Benjamin, which surprises me slightly. I buy that Natalie likes her privacy and all, and she manages to avoid the paparazzi a lot of the time, but Benjamin wants to be a “name” celebrity in his own right. We’ll see what happens there in the months to come… because I don’t think it’s going to end like a fairy tale.

Here are some pap photos from Millepied’s YSL shoot – I just don’t see how the ad image was NOT created by superimposing his body onto a photo of NYC.

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Photos courtesy of PCN and Fame.

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53 Responses to “Benjamin Millepied’s twirly YSL L’Homme Libre ad: budget or beautiful?”

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  1. Lisa Turtle says:

    Budget & Why?

    Also – Alef Millepied is going to be one tiny sparkly fairy of a man.

  2. mia girl says:

    At least they didn’t make him hold a giant bottle or photoshop his face to hell.

    It’s not great but better than some of the other fragrance ads we’ve seen lately.

  3. Delta Juliet says:

    Those pictures are f’ing hilarious.

  4. Jana says:

    I like it all.

    Watch out, Jennifer Aniston, this is going to be your guy becoming more high profile and capitalzing on it. LOL

  5. Nah, nah & nah... says:

    I would prefer that he just go away now. Like…now, please.

    I had a professional female dancer tell me once that “you NEVER date a male dancer ’cause even the straight one’s are needier and more emotional than any woman”; hence, as a consumer and media follower, I can’t ever see him as a sex symbol. Even if he smells l’homme-y, he’s just kind of annoying and needy-looking. I mean, the chick he hasn’t had the balls to wife yet has the Oscar, Ivy League degree and the kid. She’s the eternal dude in the relationship for those reasons alone.

    The Black Swan thing has run its course. So, thanks, but he’s free to go now.

  6. Katie says:

    He just seems like a total douche to me.

  7. feebee says:

    I don’t recognise the man in the ad as the man in the candids. Not in photoshopped way, they just look like two different dudes. Ad man looks like a cross between candid man and Chris Pine…. maybe it’s the forehead.

  8. Eve says:

    *BARFS*

  9. Micah says:

    It’s more like “Who” is this person, and “Why” is he trying to sell me cologne…..

  10. tracking says:

    He looks goofy in the stills (which makes him a little endearing to me), but handsome in the final shot. Even if the cropping makes the ad a little nonsensical and difficult to ‘read.’ I admire them for keeping their baby out of the public eye. With such beautiful parents, I bet he’s a cutie.

  11. carrie says:

    OMG he looks alike David Copperfield on the pix (i guess it looks very budget)

  12. Turtle Dove says:

    My gaydar is going off like a fire alarm bell. If a dude’s sexuality is even in question, I would never go there. Picture three says it all for me.

    Hope it works out for them for the sake of the kid, but I don’t see this going long term.

  13. why not! says:

    He’s a one hit wonder and a father of Portman’s kid. That’s all he is. On top of that, not very attractive

  14. REALIST says:

    Thank goodness he has his facial hair look-he really is fugly without a beard. His face is strangely misshapen. A little touching up of his bearded face, even so?
    He modeled for Gap before Natalie; looks like he’s worked his way a few notches up the fame status ladder.
    Yup, I agree with the previous assessment of everyone else-famewhore. Not ballet K-Fed, though. He IS talented, but now he is workin’ it to the max.
    I give them a year at best. And they won’t get married. Natalie was a fool for love, but I bet Ayef (?) will be multi-talented. Hopefully he will get her face, not his.

  15. jen says:

    Our generations Tommy Tune. Oh joy.

  16. tapioca says:

    You would have thought they’d have dialled-down his five-head a little with the photoshop! Anyway, I can’t imagine too many men want to be him, or many women want to be with him, so it’s seems an odd choice.

  17. saintdevil says:

    Oh, look who’s making money after knocking up an A-lister…

    *BARF* indeed

  18. Eve says:

    Sorry, I still don’t think he’s the real father of her baby.

  19. Tara says:

    He is just so blah. I wish eh would pirouette his little a** off the stage. Really, Natalie?

  20. Jb says:

    Total barf

  21. tracking says:

    He has genuine talent in his own right, so I don’t see him as a KFed. Other than the dumb NYT interview, hasn’t he pretty much kept his mouth shut? I don’t get the hate, but maybe I missed something.

  22. Praise St. Angie! says:

    “the artist, who met Natalie on the set of Black Swan, is certainly making a name for himself.”

    no, no, no…

    “the artist, who met Natalie on the set of Black Swan, has managed to snag a major endorsement solely because of who he knocked up”

    there, I fixed it.

  23. Mika says:

    HAHAHAHAHAAA

    What a douche

  24. original kate says:

    remember the seinfeld episode where jerry is dating the woman who is alternately pretty and ugly, and george says “she’s a two-face?” millepied is like that for me; he’s a two-face.

  25. lasherola says:

    OMG…..BLUE STEEL!!!

  26. Anonymous says:

    Stupid photo. If you don’t know who he is (I didn’t until I read the article), he looks ridiculous, like he is trying to make suicide look sexy.

  27. OtherChris says:

    It’s giving me an Austin Powers vibe.

  28. DetRiotgirl says:

    @anonymous I thought that too. He looks like he’s about to twirl right off that roof! What’s alluring about daintily prancing towards death?

  29. kibbles says:

    I’m laughing out loud at these comments. This guy is a first rate douchebag and opportunist. He reminds me of Aniston’s new bf Justin Theroux. Both of these men are milking their girlfriend’s fame for all its worth. I don’t see either relationships lasting a long time unless both women are willing to put up with these guys and nurture their C-list careers. I personally see more chemistry between Aniston and Theroux than between Portman and Millepied. It’s such a mismatch and it’s clear that what happened was simply an unplanned pregnancy that became a lotto ticket for a virtual unknown outside of the ballet world to become a household name. Maybe Natalie wanted a baby now, but she could have done so much better than this dude.

  30. Boo says:

    I’m in the “that baby daddy is Aronofsky” camp. Benny here looks way too dorky to be a ballerina of any merit…I never saw a bad still pic of Baryshnikov. I’m just sayin’.

  31. Gwen says:

    Budget all the way.

  32. the original bellaluna says:

    His head looks like Megamind’s in that header pic. That is all…

  33. LOVE ANGELINA says:

    Hawt!!! Love the AD, love the candid pics more though. Ben also hasn’t shown any signs of being a fame whore, don’t know why anyone would assume he is one.

  34. Ally says:

    There will probably be a commercial as well, that will run in Europe, like the perfume ad that Sophia Coppola helmed. I imagine that’s where the street footage will be used.

    It’s funny that Portman fronts for Dior, and Millepied for YSL. I guess, contractually, they can’t show up to each others’ perfume launch parties.

  35. dahlia1947 says:

    Nice eyes in the ad there, but it confuses me. I just don’t know why I need to buy cologne from THIS guy. I really don’t.

    Give this work back to the hot male models, pleeeeaaase.

  36. MaiGirl says:

    He is just a weird choice for me as a model. I don’t understand how his image is particularly marketable, or rather, any more marketable than an anonymous handsome dude. It seems that the only people who would know who he is are people in the dance world, or people into celebrity gossip. Either way, he isn’t portrayed dancing, which weird, since that is his most stable fan base. I know he is supposed to be turning, but that isn’t a particularly dance-y looking turn position. He looks like he could just as easily be overdressed for dodgeball, discuss throwing, or pinata beating (the stick is out of frame). 🙂

  37. curiouser says:

    your ignorance is clearly on display when you call a male dancer a ‘ballerina.’ which means ‘female ballet dancer.’ you might just refer to him as a ballet dancer but i suppose you think you are clever and amusing, and i am certain your audience believes you to be just that. glad you guys are all on board with each other.

    that said, he’s goofy looking and a total famesucker, i think he’s bad news. these ads are laughable, about that much you’re correct.

  38. You don't say says:

    Can he turn both ways–that is really, really blue steele with a mega mind head. Who is he again?

  39. The Truth Fairy says:

    @ Curiouser — Get over yourself!

  40. Boo says:

    Perhaps calling him a “ballerina” was meant to be an insult to this gentleman? Could be. This place ain’t called “bitchy” for nothing.

  41. KLO says:

    This whole thing is just so absurd and stupid. I can’t help but laugh. Sorry 🙂
    Blue steel, anyone?
    This ad is a parody of itself.

  42. Kelly says:

    I agree with @MaiGirl – why not choose a model, for god’s sake? Or even an actual celebrity. If I had seen the ad without reading this article, I would’ve had no idea who he was.

    Also – budget AND busted.

    In conclusion, Black Swan already came and went. Next, please..

  43. jj says:

    This guy is just not photogenic at all. I just don’t understand this, YSL… So many good looking models out there and you choose this unnatractive, peripherally known douche?

  44. miapatagonia says:

    *Snooze* The picture of Millepied that was chosen for the print ad is awkward and unflattering. If you hired a real dancer as the model and have him in dance poses, then why crop the picture at the waist? Unless, perhaps, it’s the best picture out of the lot. This is also the fault of Patrick Demarchelier, who is a renowned fashion photographer, but in this case, he should of let Millepied know that what may look graceful live, looks mighty stupid in freeze-frame.

  45. Camille says:

    @kibbles: You nailed it.

    This ad is both budget and godawful.

  46. Louise says:

    He wouldn’t be getting this ad if it wasn’t for Natalie Portman. He is obviously riding on her coattails.

  47. Lucy says:

    Hey, Thats my street! Still a crap Photo.

  48. sandy#1 says:

    i think he’s cute, and talented, also there are other fame hungry celebs worst than him with zero talent so…

  49. Lucy says:

    God, thats awful…who’d he have to screw to get this model job….Oh yeah, I forgot…

  50. Eve says:

    I have to say this…dude is one huge famewhore. You can see that twinkle in his eyes: he wants to be a Hollywood star. At all costs.

  51. rosmarina says:

    The ad looks like an imitation of a dated ’70’s ad. What sort of deal got made to have him as the model? Is this some sort of weird payback, or did they let a green intern design it?

  52. Mary says:

    something creepy about him. I think Natalie is going to end up quite pained with this relationship.

  53. Wester says:

    I’d hit that until one of us was chaffed.