Johnny Depp’s Dior cologne ad receives prime time slot after Amber Heard trial

Johnny Depp in Dior's ad campaigns (Image via Christian Dior SE)

During Johnny Depp's defamation trial against Amber Heard, the former's supporters constantly praised French luxury fashion brand Dior. The brand's in-house perfume Sauvage has been endorsed by the actor since 2015 and has become the largest selling perfume in the world.

On Wednesday, June 8, during the latest episode of MasterChef Season 12, Depp's commercial for the cologne aired in the prime time slot. According to TMZ, which first reported on the ad, the commercial rolled around the "8-9 PM hour."

Throughout the trial, Pro-Depp supporters have praised Christian Dior SE for not terminating their contract with the 59-year-old actor. In contrast, the actor's supporters have slammed other firms that have seemingly cut ties with him.

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Johnny Depp’s Dior Sauvage endorsement

Since signing with the brand in 2015, Depp has filmed multiple adverts for the perfume line. The most recent advert featuring the actor was reportedly from last year, where the Pirates of the Caribbean star was seen rocking out with his electric guitar. The official video on Dior's YouTube channel has raked in almost 100 million views as of now.

Last year, Johnny Depp was also seemingly featured in a brief infomercial on how to fill up a bottle of Sauvage "Eau de Toilette (aka Cologne)." In the tutorial, it seems that Depp's hands are visible, and the video has garnered over 2.7 million views since its release.

Earlier in October 2021, Depp shared his experience with music and scents in an advert for the French luxury brand. In the video titled, Sauvage - The Melody of Scents, the Kentucky native said:

"A certain scent takes you directly back to a person or a place or a thing or, you know, if you were standing in a jasmine field as a child. You're right back there. You travel by the emotion that you get from the scent. So, it's the same thing with the music, because if you put on a Marvin Gaye song from the 70s, you are transported. If you hear a Gainsbourg song from the 60s, you are transported. Everything will change, your whole body chemistry changes when you start to go back to that place. It's kind of a beautiful and very abstract way of… You're traveling emotionally."

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Controversies regarding Johnny Depp's association with Dior and their ad campaigns

In 2019, the brand released an advert for their perfume line Sauvage, which featured Native American influences. At the time, many alleged that the advert was guilty of cultural appropriation.

The French fashion giant received a lot of flak for having racist insinuations in the commercial, which featured Johnny Depp and Awaetlatla First Nations descendant Canadian actress Tanaya Beatty.

Later, Depp addressed the controversy at Deauville American Films while promoting his movie Waiting for the Barbarians. The actor stated:

"There was never — and how could there or would there be — any dishonorable (intent)...The film was made with a great respect for the Indigenous people not just of North America but all over the world. It's a pity that people jumped the gun and made these objections. However, their objections are their objections."

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Recent success with Dior's campaign featuring Johnny Depp

During the trial, the French perfume maker received a lot of support from Depp's fans, and it was alleged that the cologne was sold every three seconds. This resulted in the Sauvage line being sold out all over the world.

According to a tweet from business analyst and podcaster John Pompliano:

"At $160 a bottle, that's over $4.5 million a day in sales."

Meanwhile, in 2020, The Guardian reported that Johnny Depp had received $3 million and $5 million for the ad campaign.

With rumors of Depp extending his contract with Dior, it is expected that the Sauvage line of cologne will have more record-breaking sales in the future.

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