A Short Film for H&M: Modern Essentials Selected by David Beckham
In this branded film Kevin Hart wants to be David Beckham:
Following his retirement from soccer Beckham made more than he ever was able to as a soccer player, purely off of endorsements and advertisements. Behind Michael Jordan, Beckham has been ranked as the highest-paid retired athlete. With his money coming primarily from endorsement deals Beckham has made more after retirement than he ever did while playing.
This is because many want to be like David Beckham and many brands want to be associated with him (or at least his persona).
One of the first brand collaborations Beckham did following his retirement was Beckham Bodywear with H&M. This was a line of undergarments which were sold on the basis of David Beckham being associated with them. There was nothing particularly unique about the design of the undergarments. The attraction of the line was solely Beckham backing the brand.
Later after the success of Beckham Bodywear, the Beckham/H&M collaboration expanded to all matter of clothing from shoes to sweaters to sweatshirts. This would be the Modern Essentials line. Modern Essentials was a clothing line comprised of H&M clothing curated by David Beckham.
Many ads use brand ambassadors or celebrities to make a product seem attractive. This was also the case with the Modern Essentials short film. However, the premise of the Modern Essentials ad is one of the few times an ad using an ambassador acknowledges this pursuit to be like those we admire.
The ad follows Comedian/Actor Kevin Hart’s journey towards becoming David Beckham. Hart who does almost exclusively comedic roles plans to take a dramatic turn, playing David Beckham in a biopic to be entitled “I, Beckham”. He hopes the performance will be long remembered as “when Kevin Hart became David Beckham”
Hart does not yet have the role, so he plans to follow Beckham, watching and learning from the retired footballer. Throughout the film, they spend a lot of time together with Hart observing Beckham’s every move. Everything Beckham does Hart does. When Beckham exercises Hart exercises. When Beckham does a photoshoot Hart does a photoshoot. And whatever Beckham wears Hart wears. All of the clothing they wear is of course taken from Beckham’s Modern Essentials line.
By the film’s conclusion, Hart and Beckham are much closer than at the film’s start and Hart is able to get the role of Beckham in the film. The performance is a hit.
The clearest benefit of the film’s premise is it allows a focus on the clothing of the Modern Essentials line. Kevin Hart follows Beckham’s every move while wearing the same clothes as him. By having two people wearing the same wardrobe in every scene, attention is drawn to the wardrobe, which is the ultimate goal for every fashion ad. The premise also allows a display of the range of clothing offered by the collection. We see Beckham at work in suits and sweaters, working out in sweats, and relaxing in loungewear.
The film’s premise also allows a focus on becoming more like Beckham.
If a casting director was looking to cast someone to play Beckham, Kevin Hart wouldn’t be their first choice. Of course, there are the obvious physical reasons, but there are also differences in Hart and Beckham’s personas. The Beckham persona is one of the edgy, cool, calm and collected sportsman who led England to the World Cup. The Kevin Hart persona and the characters he plays are humorous, often uncool and uncoordinated.
So many aspects of Hart’s persona are at odds with Beckham’s persona. This is why from the very start of the film Beckham responds to the idea of Hart playing him in a film with incredulity. This is the same response the viewer has.
At the same time, Beckham is wary of Hart. When Beckham is told he will be spending a large sum of time with Hart he is “really uncomfortable with this”. But as they spend more time together Beckham becomes more accepting of Hart’s presence. By the film’s conclusion they are close enough that Beckham willingly shares his toothbrush with Hart and Beckham thinks Hart is “a great guy”.
The contrast between the duo’s comfort at the film’s start and the conclusion is visualized in a few ways.
At the start of the film when Hart and Beckham share an embrace Beckham tries to escape only to be drawn back in by Hart. At the film’s conclusion, it is Beckham who holds on to Hart and Hart who ends it.
In the photoshoot at the start of the film, Hart is across the building far away from Beckham. By the film’s conclusion, Hart has shared the frame with Beckham multiple times.
When Beckham and Hart first enter the ice bath, Hart barely enters the ice before running away. Beckham sits in the tub coolly. Towards the film’s conclusion Hart sits next to Beckham in an ice bath, fully immersed.
As the film progresses Hart wears more of the clothes from the Beckham line. And as the film progresses, Hart grows closer to Beckham both in their connection and similarity.
Hart’s goal is to become more like Beckham. Many of Beckham’s fans share this goal. By the film’s conclusion, we are shown that Hart was able to obtain this goal.
Hart successfully plays Beckham in I, Beckham to rave reviews. He’s apparently “More Beckham than Beckham”. Someone as different from Beckham as Hart transforms convincingly into the sportsman. In doing this, Modern Essentials says being like Beckham is within reach and the clothes play a significant part.
And even if you may not actually become David Beckham, at least you’ll look like him.
