Sir Sean Connery is still the face of fashion
14-Dec-2008 • Actor News
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Five decades after posing as a life model for art classes in Edinburgh, the James Bond legend is pushing 80.
Yet he is still cutting it as a model and his latest job is as the face of designer luggage maker Louis Vuitton.
He was pictured by celebrity photographer Annie Leibowitz.
We can reveal Sir Sean has made more than £3million from big name campaigns over the years.
But he has also given his time for free for good causes such as the UN's World Food programme.
Advertising guru George Hamilton told why Sir Sean's appeal has not diminished with age.
George, of Levy McCallum Advertising, said: "Sir Sean's distinct and clear voice is his biggest selling point as it is instantly recognisable and everyone trusts it.
"He is one of the world's biggest stars and his charismatic character is known and loved by people all over the globe.
"No matter how old he gets, his iconic status will always make him be in demand.
"Sir Sean will have made a fortune from his various campaigns, well into the millions.
"These days he is not as top end as Andy Murray and Lewis Hamilton but he is still up there."
Here Heather Greenaway takes a look at the star's top 10 international adverts.
SUNTORY WHISKY, 1992
ANOTHER huge Japanese deal - this time for a whopping £500,000.
But the controversial advert for Japanese whisky led to claims he was compromising his Scottish nationalist leanings. Scotch whisky makers accused him of
jeopardising jobs and one Labour MP even drafted a Commons motion accusing the James Bond actor of hypocrisy.
CITROEN, 2006
IT MAY be a far cry from James Bond's Aston Martin but the 007 star fronted an advert for the French Citroen C6.
The bizarre ad shows the car cruising through beautiful landscapes as Sir Sean grows younger, regaining his hair and youthful looks with the help of computer graphics.
When he gets back to the hotel he is as fresh-faced as he was in his first Bond movie Dr No.
The slogan reads: "The Citroen C6 makes you a younger driver."
WORLD FOOD, 2003
IN a Christmas advert for the United Nation's World Food Programme, Sir Sean called for the world to feed its poorest inhabitants.
In the 30-second film he says: "There's no greater gift, and no better way to give it, than the World Food Programme."
He points out how the programme delivers food aid to 113 million people in need, living in 80 countries around the world.
BIO YOGHURT, 1981
OKAY it was the 1980s. But that's no excuse for a Hollywood legend to star alongside a fluffy pink and white rabbit. This advert features a chirpy but slightly out-of-key singalong by the unlikely co-stars, followed by Sir Sean, in a dubbed Japanese voice, saying: "Very good." Thankfully it was the last time he appeared with a rabbit.
DEWARS 12, 2004
IN contrast to the Citroen campaign the slogan for Dewars 12 was: "Some age, others mature."
It was shown in eight countries, but not in the UK or the US. The 45-second TV and cinema ad appeared in Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic with English subtitles.
ITO HAM, 1991
ON the face of it an actor posing with a big ham would be a huge no-no in PR terms. But Sir Sean was happy to replace Sylvester Stallone as the face of Ito ham from - you've guessed it - Japan.
In the advert he carries a giftwrapped box, which could contain jewellery for a lover. It turns out to be ham.
MAZDA, 1995
HE'S a huge star in Japan and Sir Sean was given a megabucks deal to shoot an ad for Japanese car giant Mazda for their new Sentia model.
In the short film clip his reflection is shown in the windows and on the bonnet of the sleek black car and - in his trademark sultry tones - he describes the car as striking.
HOMECOMING, 2008
SIR Sean is just one of several Scots stars appearing in this advert promoting the Homecoming Scotland tourism initiative. But he chose to speak his lines from the Dougie MacLean song Caledonia rather than sing.
The campaign is aimed at encouraging ex-pats to come back to Scotland in 2009.
BRIDGESTONE TYRES, 1982
BACK to the land of the rising sun for Bridgestone - or, as its known there, Regno. He played a country gent, who can drive his classic opentop car in slippy conditions thanks to its sturdy tyres.
Watch out for the fake mist and Connery's relaxed slump behind the wheel...almost too relaxed.
LOUIS VUITTON, 2008
A TANNED and healthy looking Sir Sean relaxes in the ad for the luggage maker whose bags are always to be found when footballers, WAGS or celebs are snapped at an airport. It's a bit cheesy but LV's 'Core Values' ads benefits The Climate Project, led by former US vicepresident Al Gore. Other stars in the campaign, include rocker Keith Richards, actress Catherine Deneuve, and ex-Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev.
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