Twitter reacts to Balenciaga’s bizarre fake news broadcast
Breaking news: Balenciaga’s brand new, broadcast-inspired campaign spills satirical stories about society.
The boundary-pushing video went viral upon its release on Tuesday. Complete with an ominous, spine-chilling soundtrack (courtesy of noise musician Wolf Eye), the luxury fashion brand’s dystopian evening news segment features digitally manipulated models dressed as anchors with prosthetically pronounced cheekbones.
Dressed in head-to-toe Balenciaga, the anchors deliver fictitious headlines such as “No more traffic jams!” “Planets realign,” and “Pedestrians are back” with emotionless expressions. Their inexpressive eyes and speechless scripts unveil a sense of desensitization toward global media in a world oversaturated with news.
In addition to a made up political campaign that apparently results in a “record turnout driven by young people,” the segment reveals fake news bytes that slide from right to left at the bottom of the screen: “In space, humans cannot cry;” “Some cats are allergic to humans;” “Sunglasses were designed to hide expressions.”
When the live broadcast loop surfaced on Twitter, the rest of the brand’s tweets mysteriously disappeared — much like the missteps of real-life politicians before any campaign trail begins.
The video, directed by Will Benedict, is accompanied by mock political posters — shot by Laurence Chaperon — that picture models who stand by meaningless mottos like “Love is for Everyone” and “Power of Dreams.”
In fact, when you enter the brand’s website, you’re urged to click on one of these posters and explore the futuristic Summer 2020 collection. Among its signature boxy blazers and corporate-like crewneck dresses, Balenciaga is selling a newsroom visitor plate keyring and set of earrings for $475 and $625, respectively.
Balenciaga’s broadcast is reminiscent of its politically charged spring/summer 2020 show staged at an EU conference room, where models sported blade-like cheekbones, guests were blasted with uncomfortably cold air and intense industrial music played throughout.
Similar to the reactions of last season’s runway, people on Twitter are confused, concerned and a little creeped out by the campaign.
“Woooow so whacky so weird. Whoooooaaaa how random and funny. It makes me ready to go blow 3000 dollars on an outfit,” one person wrote.
“This will give me nightmares,” another chimed in.
“What the f - - k,” questioned another.
“I want to think that the models were thought to be AI beings instead of humans which present the news that [concerns] human beings to make it even more terrifying. [Then] I might call it futuristic . . . Haven’t checked the clothes, I got drawn into the spiral of moody music,” someone speculated.