STRICTLY ON BACKGROUND, PT. 51: CHANEL PRINT AD

 Way back at the turn of the 21st century, I did occasional character-type modeling for print ads. For a while, my face could be seen on the side of a truck owned by an office-cleaning company and in computer magazines. One particular nerd-look turned up in such disparate places as greeting cards, tourist ads, and bank promotions. Ah ha, I thought, this is what I looked like to my fellow high schoolers. Maybe they were right after all.

With a resume like mine, then, claiming I was hired for upscale background work in a Chanel ad campaign seems not only farfetched, but worthy of imprisonment on grounds of perjury whether I was under oath or not. 

Al fresco doesn't get any more fresco-ish.

And yet there I was with four or other backgrounders, all in our best duds, having a classy lunch at on outdoor landing at Ideal Glass Studios on West 8th Street on a pleasant September afternoon last year. We were waiting for our gig supporting a real model, Vivienne Rohner, in what would be three different locations throughout Greenwich Village. 

Subtly trying to get the
Chanel rep's attention.

Our first stop was the Village East Theater on 2nd Avenue, where we were all ushered into the room running Marcel, The Shell with Shoes On. I had watched a piece about this stop-motion/live action picture on the Sunday news and had been thoroughly creeped out. 

Watching almost the whole thing in a theater without sound was even creepier. I actually felt better being placed in the back -- the further away from the screen, the better. 

Don't be fooled by the sign; you're going to need
your Platinum Card here.

We were then put in a van headed for Carbone, an Italian restaurant on Thompson Street. It had originally been the site of Rocco Restaurant, which closed in 2012; its sign remained to rust, flake, and fade ever since. The new owners slapped on some new neon lettering and turned the switch. 

As we were ushered into the back room, I quickly sized up the joint. Vivienne Rhoner was sitting upfront (but of course!) while we were going to be at the tables to the rear. What else was I to do but grab a seat facing the camera? Many of my colleagues didn't even realize the photographer was snapping away until we were told get on the van again. It pays to be camera-aware.

Locals and tourists drop by to see what the fuss
is all about, and discover how dull this can be.

Our final stop was outdoors on Waverly Place. Rohner and the photo crew disappeared around a corner while the rest of us waited behind. The area was a mixture of the old (derelicts stumbling on and off the curb) and new ($7.50 coffees and $4.00 jelly donuts). As with our previous stop on Thompson Street, things had changed fairly radically in the 42 years since I moved to Manhattan.

About an hour passed before one of the photog's assistants called me over to take part in the shoot. Yes, me, the former character nerd was now specifically chosen to be in a Chanel ad alongside the company's model. It's amazing what old age and a brother's nice hand-me-down suit can do for a guy's looks. A few snaps of me walking toward the camera while Vivienne Rohner did her thing, and we were done for the day.

For the next few months, I browsed the Chanel site waiting for the final shots to appear. I wouldn't be the center of attention in the first two ads (maybe the angle of attention), but I had fantasies of the Waverly Place shoot being wallpapered on empty spaces throughout town.

The movie theater ad doesn't do me justice, but then again why the hell would it? After taking your eyes off Vivienne's legs, look behind her to the left. See the guy? Now look behind him. If I appear dazed, it's because of that Marcel movie on the big screen.

This was one of two shots at Carbone that made the final cut. Once again, I'm on the rear left, with a stunned look on my face (I think I had just looked at the prices on the menu).  Notice how my arm and Vivienne's are in a similar position. Genius move on my part.

Alas, the photo I was most looking forward to -- walking straight to the camera on Waverly Place -- didn't do it for Chanel. If you see an ad with Vivienne Rohner leaning against a wall in the Village, pretend I'm a few feet on the adjoining street to her left. It'll make the photo even better.

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