Selfridges Modernises Christmas With Stylised Spot Starring Noomi Rapace

Selfridges has entered the Christmas retail advertising fray with an alternative take on the genre. Future Fantasy: A Christmas for Modern Times, a short film starring actress Noomi Rapace, is about the enduring Christmas message of love through the togetherness of family and friends. The message is perennial with a treatment that is radical and in sharp creative contrast to the expected seasonal format. 

Conceived by American artist Daniel Arsham, the film is directed by Kanye West’s long-time collaborator and friend Nabil Elderkin, whose sought-after photography and video vision has produced some of artists The Weeknd’s, Frank Ocean’s and Travis Scott’s best image-making work. Alongside Noomi Rapace, the film stars personalities from across the creative industries and popular culture as diverse as music sensation Miguel, Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower Christopher Wiley, fashion publisher Jefferson Hack, Dior Homme Creative Director Kim Jones, as well as Daniel Arsham himself, amongst a 60-strong cast. 

You can check out the stylish short below:

The short film tells in a coolly stylised, edgy and, in parts, abstract way, the story of co-hosts as played by Noomi Rapace and Miguel as they lead an eclectic party of friends through their Christmas celebrations. They take us on a slightly enigmatic journey from warm-hearted and convivial dinner party to dreamy 3019-style next-level house party seen through Elderkin’s distinctive eye. An ad-lib spoken word voiceover performed by actor and musician Little Simz tells an alternative Christmas tale for modern times and beyond. 

Selfridges’ rare foray into film advertising heralds the unveiling of the brand’s grand-scale omnichannel Christmas campaign, officially launched with the unveiling of the stores’ windows on October 17 for which the theme itself is Future Fantasy: A Christmas for Modern Times. The film is also an extension to The House, a project commissioned to Daniel Arsham by Selfridges, which presents a house-like set built to scale in the Selfridges Oxford Street Corner Shop where his artworks, as well as a series of collaborative products, are displayed and available to purchase. Arsham’s artistic approach is founded on the concept of a fictional archaeology and what familiar objects might look like if rediscovered in the distant future. The House’s set is featured throughout the film. 

You can check out a gallery of Out of Home images below:

Selfridges has collaborated with fashion brand partners including Dior, Gucci, Valentino and Paco Rabanne to dress this cast of unexpected yet influential characters. In a high-octane collision between the niche and the universal, and through a distinctly fashion lens, Selfridges presents a different but optimistic vision of the festive season for both the near and distant future. Now and 1000 years from now, Christmas is a time to spend with your family, whoever they may be. 

Adelphoi created a fully bespoke track for the film that flips the generic festive jingle on its head and offers an alternative and contemporary version to bring in the festivities. Working closely with an orchestral composer and an upfront hip hop composer, the music team created an original score that would capture the spirit of past and present Christmas with echoes of vintage crooner orchestral string arrangements that meets the modern sounds of future hip hop/ trap. Finally, to help the voice over glue with the music they were honoured to work with the super-talented Little Simz to deliver a special ad-lib spoken word.

Jonathan Watts, who produced the track, comments: "We created a fully bespoke track that flips the generic festive jingle on its head and offers an alternative and contemporary version to bring in the festivities. Working closely with an Orchestral composer and an upfront Hip Hop composer we set to work, creating an original score that would capture the spirit of past and present Christmas with echoes of vintage crooner orchestral string arrangements that meets the modern sounds of future hip hop/ trap. Finally, to help the voice over glue with the music we were honoured to work with the super talented Little Simz to deliver a special ad-lib spoken word."

‘Future Fantasy is a mix of my family and my friends from different places in the world because that’s what Christmas is for me. It’s brilliant minds coming together’, says Noomi Rapace. 

‘A great party always starts with great people. Then you add a little bit of tequila, good music, a great setting and you’re off to the races,’ says Miguel. 

“Through Future Fantasy, we want to tell a traditional story in a non-traditional, future facing-way.” says Sebastian Manes, Selfridges Executive Buying & Merchandising Director. “We are interested in reaching our customers via extraordinary physical and digital experiences and environments and across different creative mediums. I hope this story of an alternative family coming together at Christmas time engages and entertains both our current, and future, Selfridges customers in an unexpected way.” 

Watch Future Fantasy at selfridges.com or at Piccadilly Circus from Monday 4th November and a specially extended Director’s Cut, only at the Selfridges Cinema, from 22nd November.