Chanel was apparently going with the hippie boho flow in the ’70s.

This 1972 ad for Chanel No. 5 Perfume shows the iconic glass Chanel perfume bottle superimposed over an embracing couple. The pair is dressed in a gauzy white cotton tunic and dress, and appear to be standing out in a field.

This was the time when “natural” scents like musk, civet, and patchouli reigned supreme, so it seemed incongruous to me that Hippies would want to wear a fancy French scent. As much of a Chanel freak I am today, I don’t remember wearing Chanel scents in the 1970s (that came later, in the 1980s, after Karl Lagerfeld took over as designer).

In keeping with Coco Chanel’s modern vision, Chanel’s branding has always tried to keep up with the trends. Some of it worked, some of it didn’t. Even today there are some misses – the Brad Pitt “Inevitable” Chanel No. 5 commercial a few years ago, anyone?

~Marilyn