When we think of Maggie Gyllenhaal, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t usually an Agent Provocateur campaign full of black lingerie and provocative sexual imagery. Granted, she did offer herself up as an office fantasy to James Spader in Secretary and played a trampy, hardnosed, harlot-like, character in SherryBaby but we still think of her as the wise-ass younger sister to real-life brother Jake in the atmospherically fantastic Donnie Darko. So it is with a bit of WTF we react to her appearance in the lingerie maker’s latest campaign.
In the campaign, she seems to carry an air of 20’s flapper but that’s crossed with a dose of S&M, coy cuteness, subservient subjugation and playful elegance. It’s got something for everyone.
Of Gyllenhaal, Agent Prococateur Co-Founder Serena Rees said, “Maggie is not an obvious sex symbol. She is interesting looking, confident and beautiful in a way that is non-threatening, which makes her appealing to men and women alike.” Indeed. Though more cruelly, one commenter wrote, “She has a nice body but a really ugly face in these pictures. It doesn’t make me want to buy their stuff, that’s for sure!”
Historically, the campaign has gone for more of a babelicious look with Kylie Minogue and Deta Von Teese. None of this, of course, is surprising. Especially for a brand like Agent Provocateur. And for an industry which is addicted to sex.
