• International Herald Tribune, Monday, July 30, 2007 10:16 AM

Mikhail Gorbachev, who once starred in ad for Pizza Hut, is moving upscale, trading in fast food for fine leather. The former Soviet leader appears in a new global print campaign for Louis Vuitton. The move comes during a big shift in the luxury business, as well-heeled Russians make up growing part of the market. Pietro Beccari, director of marketing at Louis Vuitton, says the goal of the campaign is to broaden the appeal of the brand, especially in places like Russia and China.

Recent Louis Vuitton campaigns have focused mostly on its fashion lines, featuring actresses like Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman and Scarlett Johansson. And as a result, some consumers may be unfamiliar with the brand's trunks, suitcases and other travel-related items. "We have established a certain credibility on the fashion side," he says. "It was time to rebalance, a little bit, the positioning of Louis Vuitton, showing another side of the brand that is important to us."

The company also wants more male customers, who currently account for just 35% of its sales. In the new ad, Gorbachev is wearing a pinstriped suit and overcoat, with his Vuitton bag placed on the back seat of a Soviet-era limo as it drives along a remnant of the Berlin Wall. The campaign was shot by Annie Leibovitz and also includes executions with actress Catherine Deneuve and tennis stars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.

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