Dolce & Gabbana has made an unexpected choice for the face of its latest fragrance, The One: 67-year-old pop superstar Madonna, paired with 43-year-old Cuban actor Alberto Guerra. The campaign, directed by Mert Alas, positions the duo in a highly sensual narrative, a move that is unusual both for the age of the lead and the overtly sexualized imagery. Designer Domenico Dolce described the advertisement as “a dream, a play of contrasts rich in suggestion, emotional tension, and anticipation.”
The collaboration marks a deepening of a decades-long friendship between Madonna and the Italian fashion house. Stefano Gabbana recalls meeting the singer in the late 1980s and being immediately captivated by her personality and style. Over the years, Madonna has appeared in numerous Dolce & Gabbana fashion campaigns, but this is her first major involvement in the beauty division, which the company brought in-house in 2021. She contributed creatively to every aspect of the campaign, from the script to selecting Alberto Guerra as her co-star, and even recorded a cover of the 1960s Italian hit “La Bambola” for the video.
The campaign’s imagery, featuring garter belts, corsets, blindfolds, and playful power dynamics, reflects a longstanding association between perfume and eroticism. Clara Buedo, author of History of Perfume, notes that fragrances have historically been linked to seduction, desire, and sexual allure—from ancient Egyptian rituals to the provocative marketing of early 20th-century perfumes like Tabu and Opium. Dolce & Gabbana’s video seeks to subvert conventional objectification while embracing sensuality, highlighting Madonna’s enduring ability to embody desire, elegance, and charisma.
This casting also underscores a shift in beauty industry demographics. Mature women, who drive nearly half of global incremental spending in cosmetics and perfume by 2025 according to McKinsey, are rarely represented in advertising. Madonna’s prominence challenges this norm, joining a small group of older ambassadors, such as Monica Bellucci for Dolce & Gabbana Sicily and Julia Roberts for Lancôme. Stefano Gabbana emphasizes that “elegance is ageless,” praising Madonna’s character, energy, and inner strength as defining elements of beauty.
In an industry often obsessed with youth, the campaign is a bold statement: desire, style, and sensuality do not fade with age. Through Madonna, Dolce & Gabbana is redefining the boundaries of perfume advertising, celebrating maturity, empowerment, and timeless allure.
