Bella Hadid has been appointed Chopard’s new global ambassador. If her viral power is anything to go by, soon the internet will be flooded with images of the supermodel, her hair pulled back to highlight her finely chiselled features as she defiantly faces Alasdair McLellan’s camera, illuminated by glittering jewellery and watches—including Chopard’s signature Happy Diamonds—which appear to float in the void.
“Bella, a renowned supermodel, fashion icon, and successful entrepreneur with global appeal, has collaborated with Chopard for the past three years. Today, we are thrilled to embark on a new journey together. Bella embodies beauty, elegance, and strength, qualities that perfectly reflect the Chopard woman,” says Caroline Scheufele, Chopard’s co-president and artistic director.
Hadid has worn Chopard jewellery countless times since the beginning of her modelling career. “Wearing Chopard’s haute joaillerie pieces at Cannes allowed me to appreciate the gorgeous craftsmanship, the empowering design and the lightness and comfort of their jewels. I also admire Chopard’s pioneering spirit in sustainability and ethical gold. Most importantly, I share a special bond with the Scheufele family, especially Caroline, who designs jewellery with women in mind and has a knack for making luxury feel effortless and natural,” she said in a statement.
Chopard’s tie-up marks another major campaign for Hadid, who, after taking some time off for health reasons, has this year grabbed headlines as the new face of Saint Laurent and later for Adidas (this campaign was withdrawn amid controversy).
For Chopard, the choice of Bella Hadid signals the beginning of a new era because whatever Bella Hadid wears, says, does and touches instantly goes viral.
A glance at Hadid’s social media figures explains why. With 70 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, Bella Hadid is ranked among the top 100 influencers worldwide by social media analytics company HypeAuditor.
“Bella Hadid has built a brand founded on authenticity that resonates across large—and sometimes opposing—demographics,” comments Laurent François, managing partner of the creative agency 180 Global in Paris. “She embodies diversity with her mixed origins and global perspective. She proudly writes in her Instagram bio that her real name is Isabella Khair Hadid. Then there’s her journey: a hard worker who has explored various aspirations, from sports and photography to modelling and entrepreneurship,” he says. François also points out that the “Bella-authenticity” is also linked to her frankness about her health and political views.
This “Bella effect”, according to François, was among the criteria prompting Chopard’s choice. “For Chopard, her influence can accelerate not only wider brand reach but also create increased scarcity and desire for the creations she wears,” he says. François believes the partnership is a good fit as “Chopard has a legacy of supporting freedom and women’s empowerment,” and “Hadid reflects these values in a refreshing way, partnering with her aligns naturally with Chopard’s identity.”
Hadid’s significant American following (23 per cent of her total audience according to HypeAuditor) could help Chopard boost its business in the United States, which is the most important jewellery market and where the Swiss brand opened a new flagship store on Fifth Avenue this year with a party attended by celebrities such as Uma Thurman and Katie Holmes.
With a turnover estimated by Morgan Stanley at €464 million, Chopard ranks as the sixth-largest jewellery brand globally and is the only independently owned brand in the top ten, alongside Graff (€948 million in 2023) and just behind Bvlgari, which had a turnover of €3.5 billion (Chopard was founded in 1860 and in the 1960s was bought by the Scheufele family with Caroline and her brother Karl-Friedrich being the current co-presidents). However, Chopard’s influence in the industry extends beyond these figures, as it pioneered the use of fair-mined gold and, since last year, the use of recycled steel in watchmaking. With Cannes, Chopard was also the first brand to sponsor a film festival, a strategy now pursued by Cartier with the Venice Film Festival and Bvlgari’s BAFTAs.
Yet Chopard’s choice of Bella Hadid shows that, much like Cartier and Bvlgari, it is time to update the ambassador portfolio to reflect a broader range of generations, cultures, and backgrounds rather than relying solely on the default choice of A-list Hollywood actors—Chopard has had a long partnership with Julia Roberts.
Following the recent selection of Aespa, the South Korean K-pop group comprising 20-somethings Karina, Giselle, Winter and Ningning, Hadid’s new role with Chopard points to the brand’s willingness to strengthen its appeal among Gen Z and future consumers. Hadid’s audience is predominantly female (67.4 per cent), with 23 per cent aged between 18 and 24 and an even larger segment (31 per cent) aged between 25 and 34.
Future-proofing the brand is front and centre of Chopard’s strategy. As Scheufele puts it, “Bella has the ability to connect with the global, youthful, and trendy audience we aspire to engage.” If Bella Hadid works her magic, expect #HappyDiamonds to trend.
This article was originally published on Vogue Business.
