Starring brand ambassadors Ryan Gosling, Alexandra Daddario and Patrick Dempsey - along with new Chinese ambassador Liu Haoran shot in Shanghai - this is their road, their race, and their Carrera.
A world-first global campaign brings together three Hollywood stars – Ryan Gosling, Alexandra Daddario and Patrick Dempsey – for the Swiss luxury watch brand.
Shot in the neon-glow of night-time Los Angeles by renowned photographer Glen Luchford, this cinematic campaign captures them each in cars racing towards their dreams in a city made for dreamers. Each of their journeys reflect not just their daring and drive in making those dreams become reality, but the iconic watch – the TAG Heuer Carrera – that was inspired by the daring drivers taking part in the notoriously dangerous Carrera Panamericana, one of the most challenging races in the world
For both the Hollywood icons and the motor-racing legends, ambitions can only become reality if you truly believe in your path – that dreams must also come with courage. The campaign celebrates those who don’t just imagine their destiny in winning a race or becoming a star, but relentlessly drive towards it. This is their road, their race, and their Carrera.
Each were shot at night in downtown LA – the time when our dreams feel closer to reality and we can reflect on the path ahead. But the glamourous glow of nocturnal LA also reflects the Carrera too – a timepiece that’s not only synonymous with the quest for achievement, but also of timeless elegance.
Just as the lights of LA both guide and inspire them, the TAG Heuer Carrera guides and inspires them too.
The images reflect those dreams of stardom but also embodies them too. Continuing TAG Heuer’s ceaseless innovation in their campaigns – and following the mini-blockbuster “The Chase for Carrera”, the all-action short film the Swiss luxury watch brand created with Gosling and Fall Guy director David Leitch for the timepiece’s 60th anniversary in 2023 – each of the stills pay homage to the cool blues of neo-noir Hollywood films. Each are not just images of those reflecting on stardom and billboards, but ones that resemble the billboards themselves.
Ryan Gosling is no stranger in his movie roles to either dreams of stardom (La La Land) or driving through a neon-lit LA (Drive). And the TAG Heuer brand ambassador – who personally selects the perfect TAG Heuer timepiece for each part he plays – also had a hand in choosing the location for his shoot, deciding upon the luminous noir of night-time Chinatown.
This understated elegance – intimately capturing him at a period of reflection and poise – is perfectly matched by the watch on his wrist, the new Carrera Chronograph with steel bracelet in a “glassbox” design, a perfect blend of historical reverence and cutting-edge style, which launched today at Watches and Wonders.
Elsewhere, Gosling can be seen wearing the Carrera Chronograph with a stunning blue dial in a “glassbox” design on a blue calfskin leather strap, launched in 2023 at Watches and Wonders as part of the Carrera’s 60th anniversary. For both, ambition and achievement isn’t about brashness, but an elegant boldness.
For Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus, Baywatch), we capture her high in the hills of Los Angeles, gazing through the car window on the shimmering lights of the city below. She not only represents a steely determination to conquer all she surveys, but a desire that’s matched with grace and poise. What better timepiece to join her in her journey than the pop of pink provided by the striking 36mm Carrera Date, also launched in 2023 as part of the Carrera’s 60th anniversary, a vibrant timepiece that reveals the daring nature for those bold enough to wear it.
And who better to round off TAG Heuer’s trio of dare-to-dream Hollywood stars inspired by the Carrera’s racing heritage than Patrick Dempsey – not only an iconic actor (Grey’s Anatomy, Enchanted) but a dare-devil driver in his own right.
Dempsey has competed in such pro-am events as 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona, even achieving a bronze medal in the IMSA SportsCar Championship.
We capture him leaning on the Porsche that’s going to take him where he needs to go – and reflecting on what he’ll need to do to get there. Dempsey wears the sporty special edition Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche, launched last September, that pays tribute to the motor-racing heritage shared by the legendry car-maker and the iconic Swiss luxury watch brand. Dempsey isn’t about to waste any time seeking his goals and requires a car – and a watch – that will keep up. Watch this space for something even sportier in the future.
The campaign will also include new TAG Heuer new Chinese brand ambassador Liu Haoran, one of the leading young actors of his generation and a household name in his country thanks to critically acclaimed films including Legend of the Demon Cat and the Detective Chinatown series. Haoran can be seen driving the streets of night-time Shanghai – thousands of miles away from our other icons, but dreaming the same dream under a different sky.
Like Gosling, Haoran wears TAG Heuer’s latest Carrera Chronograph with steel bracelet in a “glassbox” design.
All ambassadors reflect the key values of the Carrera and its motor-racing past – a timepiece that celebrates those with the boldness to dream, and the daring to do.
“We are delighted to launch a world-first for TAG Heuer – a global campaign that includes three Hollywood icons in the form of brand ambassadors Ryan Gosling, Alexandra Daddario and Patrick Dempsey, all taking part in the same shared creative vision, along with our new Chinese ambassador Liu Haoran. Following last year’s mini blockbuster “The Chase for Carrera” for the timepiece’s 60th anniversary it shows our desire to innovate and our relentless pursuit of excellence.”
Julien Tornare, TAG Heuer CEO
“Our campaign is a modern-day film noir, following a mysterious character on his lone drive through the City of Angels. We wanted to capture the feeling and the excitement of the night drive. It was a fabulous collaboration with Ryan Gosling, who brought the character to life and Glen Luchford, who gave authenticity and glamour to each scene.”
Alexander Kalchev, Chief Creative Officer & CEO of DDB Paris
