Kim Kardashian & Kanye front the new Balmain ad campaign: awkward or cute?

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Ha! Kim Kardashian is really forcing that kiss, huh? These images are from the brand new ad campaign for Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2015 line. I guess Balmain was tired of going with… randoms, Kate Moss, Rihanna, Jordan Dunn, Cara Delevingne and more. This is the Kimye Era! And except for the awkwardness of this ^^ forced drowsy hooker kiss, I’m actually not hating the campaign. The worst one is probably the one with Kim laying on her back on the half-dissembled Lamborghini. But the rest are fine. Also: Balmain usually has pretty racially diverse ad campaigns, unlike many of the major labels. Balmain consistently hires black models and celebrities to front their campaigns.

So, I guess we know why Kim and Kanye were sucking up to Balmain’s chief designer Olivier Rousteing. Olivier and Kim hang out whenever she’s in Paris, and Kanye is tight with all of the younger male designers working in Paris. Kim has worn a lot of Balmain over the past year too. Surprisingly, the Balmain clothes are usually relatively inoffensive on her. Much better than when Riccardo Tisci designs some “special” passive-aggressive Givenchy for her.

Honestly though… am I crazy or are these ads really not that bad?

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Ads courtesy of Balmain.

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103 Responses to “Kim Kardashian & Kanye front the new Balmain ad campaign: awkward or cute?”

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  1. LadyMTL says:

    The first pic is making me laugh, Kim looks like she’s on the verge of unhinging her jaw and swallowing him whole. The rest are…okay. Not hideous but nothing amazing either.

    • Tracy says:

      Yes, the first one is pretty laughable.

    • lana86 says:

      i think the last one is the worst! 😀 She lies there like a maneken, and Kanye holds his hand possesively, as if saying : Check out my pile of stuff!!
      but then u notice that her eyes are open, like she’s a real person! so creepy!!

    • RocketMerry says:

      I actually like the ones where Kanye is most prominent. I just find KK to be soooo unphotogenic these days; but HE does take interesting pictures. If the product is sold, ’tis sold through ‘Nye alone, I’m afraid.

      • HH says:

        She can’t do any facial expressions other than a sultry expression. Anything else and she looks like mannequin. It’s weird. But I’m sure she only practices that one look (as evidenced by her selfies).

      • get it together says:

        Actually, I think Kanye looks like he’s trying too hard in these photos. He’s narrowing his eyes in an attempt to look fierce but I think he just looks like he’s trying to read tiny letters. As for Kim, she’s always so photoshopped in her photos and these are no different. Yawn.

    • littlestar says:

      They aren’t that bad, I agree! Kim is a not bad “model”, Kanye just looks bland though – I’m kinda surprised by the lack of chemistry between the two (Kanye doesn’t seem into her AT ALL).

      • word says:

        Yeah but being a “not bad model” shouldn’t be enough to land you a Balmain ad. These designer houses are all desperate and hiring Kim and Kanye is only going to make the company fall more.

      • qwerty says:

        He never seems into her in candid pics. The “kissing” one is probably the first time he looked her in the eyes since their wedding.

      • Petee says:

        I will make this brief.Horrible pictures of a fake couple.

      • homegrrrlll says:

        The body language in every photograph is a throw back to a man running from his psycho hose beast- but then again, the man sweaters are also all the worst that was male in the early 1990s.

      • Ally8 says:

        @homegrrrl, yes! Those sweaters look so hideous & flammable. I’m sure KW thinks he invented bulky polyester knit, too.

    • Tessy says:

      The second pic makes me laugh. It looks like she’s got his barber cape on him and is getting ready to cut his hair.

    • Nhi says:

      Did she broke that Lamborghini with her azz ;-)?

    • TeaAndSympathy says:

      Didn’t I read on here just a few days ago where he said he’d never promote anything but Givenchy? Or did I dream that? I can’t buy clothes to save my life, and nor do I know anything about “artistic (fashion) photography”, so it’s best for me not to express an idiotic opinion. But, “drowsy hooker kiss” did make me chortle.

    • mn says:

      a man and his ducklipped ,botoxed ,butt injected ,incubator beard

  2. elle says:

    I cringe.

  3. AnkitaH says:

    The clothes are hideous…..A special mention to be made of the yellow glittery dress…Seriously who buys them? !! X|

  4. Chrissy says:

    Photoshop hell! Check out the third pic. They took her down about 3 cup sizes. Also in the third pic it looks like Kanye is on his knees and Kim might have a gun to his head. The jokes write themselves with these two. Ugh. Bye-Bye Balmain!

  5. MinnFinn says:

    They’ve photoshopped Kim so much she looks like a Pixar animation of herself.

    • Leftovers says:

      The dark make up makes her look really dirty in that first photo, though. Get that woman a hot towel and start over.

      • DJ says:

        That was my first thought when I saw the photo yesterday. Is she trying to appear as dark as Kanye? Seriously, start over!

    • Ally8 says:

      Also that fashion house loves her so much that they use Kanye to hide her body in 3 of the 4 pictures, and put her in a contouring dress in the background in the other one.

      Despite my many problems with Kim K, I love her for when she responded to body shaming with “I love my big fat ass.” Balmain is clearly not equally progressive, which they are spending millions to demonstrate here.

  6. NewWester says:

    ” Kayne is tight with all the younger male designers working in Paris” Hmmm, was that some subtle shade at Kayne? Lol

  7. amanda says:

    Kanye looks good I think. Kim looks kinda dirty and stale …heavy makeup, dull hair, dingy skin. I like the yellow dress– but all the outfits look kinda Vegas hooker to me.

  8. chaine says:

    Here’s the backstory behind the ad. Kim: “Oh, I think you have a zit right here, let me pop it.” Kanye: “Girl, back off. Your breath smells bad.”

  9. Beatrice says:

    I have never seen a picture of Kim and Kanye that shows the least bit of chemistry between them. She always looks vacant and he looks miserable. That first picture seems to say it all.

    • Belle Epoch says:

      Agree with BEATRICE. Is this supposed to be sexy? She looks like she’s trying to remove his head! My gut reaction is EWWWWW. Does anyone out there want to kiss Kanye? I’m not sure even KK does!

      I don’t know anything about Balmain. Why would they choose these two? Kim can’t even dress herself. Kanye has style but he’s sulky and crazy. Whatever they are wearing, I’ll choose something else.

      • MinnFinn says:

        Belle Epoch – I’m wondering the same thing, why them? Google found this about Balmain’s customer base.

        “aristo-rock… mature women with a rock spirit, between 25 to 40 years old…a majority of the clients of the brand are from Russia, Europe (especially France), South America (especially Brazil) and Asia.”

        So from this can we conclude that Russians and Brazilians who buy Balmain think Kim & Kanye are cool?

        http://lure-of-luxe.com/post/28264465820/the-house-of-balmain-was-founded-in-france-in-1945

      • Blackcat says:

        I don’t find either of them the least bit attractive–the thought of kissing either of them grosses me out. I don’t get why the fashion folks of Europe find them so intriguing and fashionable. Ugh!

    • FingerBinger says:

      I agree. Kim and Kanye always look like they just met. They look like two people that got hooked up on a blind date and can’t get rid of each other.

    • Joy says:

      Agree x1000. I feel like two random models who had never met would have had more chemistry. Of course it could be that she has had her face so shot up with random stuff she’s no longer capable of conveying any feelings whatsoever.

    • Sea Dragon says:

      I suspect Kim is incapable of experiencing chemistry with anyone, period. She’s seems like a shell of a human being both inside and out.

  10. Dawn says:

    I think they all fail on all sorts of different levels. The first one just is cringe worthy and it goes downhill from there. I think part of the reason is these two are such little people and these designs are created to be worn by the tall and extremely thin. And after that there is nothing that makes these two look like they are a couple. They look the same in each shot. Nothing is working here. Yuk.

  11. Nicole says:

    He’s actually a pretty good model!

  12. Lucy says:

    The pictures are fine. I just wish they featured someone else. Also, here’s a clear example of what Isabella Rosellini says: Models are always being replaced by celebrities these days.

  13. Kcarp says:

    Is it just me or if your husband was tight with all the young male fashion designers you might, I don’t know, question it?

  14. Ag says:

    squinty eyes = sexy? they try so hard.

    are there people who find these two “sexy” as a couple? i’m not sure who this is supposed to appeal to.

  15. Hautie says:

    Every photograph I have seen of Kayne all year… he has been in leather leggings. No matter how hot it is outside.

    At least this answers my question… about why Kayne has worn the same pair of leather leggings for the last 6 months. They must have been part of the deal to get this Balmain campaign.

  16. mata says:

    There’s something about them that just makes me think “eww” every time I see them.

  17. lisa says:

    dead eyes and toddler jowls just dont have a high fashion look

    it’s like the new years eve campaign for bebe

  18. maeliz says:

    Unattractive when someone is twisting their husbands head of for a kiss. They both look unshowered. His clothes are ugly. Hers aren’t bad, just change the color of the bright yellow.

  19. ickythump says:

    Kanye looks knackered – there is no chemistry between these two – in fact I’m surprised they were together long enough to get the photos taken….

  20. Ladyray says:

    Kanye is putting in work and smizing for his life.

  21. sighhhh says:

    I like it. Not bad at all.

  22. Ginger says:

    Creepy

  23. bettyrose says:

    So, Balmain is a line of BDSM gear?

  24. The Original G says:

    Take that Louis Vuitton! Balmain is going down-market.

  25. Blythe says:

    Kim makes me nauseous. I’m here for Kanye. That’s a good look.

  26. Bitca says:

    Wow. There’s a place for Kanye’s sulks, scowls, & glares: fashion modeling! For real–he’s headed fashion trend lists for almost a decade now, & is right at home here… & frankly, looks pretty banging (in fact, for a very reasonable consideration I’d gladly be his next beard ;).

    The kimbot, though, is a miscalculation that has gone on waaay too long. That vapid, plastic face, those grotesquely inflated secondary sex characteristics, have the power to make whatever she’s wearing–no matter how haute the couture–look like schmattas from the $15-&-under bins at Rainbow or Strawberry.

  27. EM says:

    Why?
    Why is this Real Doll blankness -from both of them – considered sexy? It’s just vacant. I look at it and think, ‘Why should I even care?’

    • word says:

      What I don’t understand is that who is this ad for? Kim’s fans, for the most part, are teen girls. Can they really afford these clothes?

  28. kri says:

    Oh my god. AJ and Amy Pascal had more chemistry in that pic the other day than these two.

  29. Brittney B says:

    She looks *exactly* like Kris in the header pic… and not just because she seems to be sucking out Kanye’s soul. The profile resemblance is uncanny, but I honestly can’t tell if genetics have anything to do with it, or if it all just comes down to the same fillers, spider eyelashes, caked-on makeup, etc…

  30. Trillion says:

    This is the opposite of sexy.

  31. Penelope says:

    This couple is so contrived. And the yellow dress photo is ridiculously photoshopped.

  32. Amy says:

    Before I go to the great Burger King in the sky there are some things I just want to ‘understand’.

    I understand some awkwardness, in spite of what movies tell you it’s not easy to actually look hot while you’re kissing. But geez…how do they look SO awkward and unsexy???

    She’s gripping his face like its a paparazzi camera and he just looks so trapped. These people have a physical child! Did North only appear when two egos of equal size smashed together with enough force???

    I’m serious, even if I’m 80 and don’t remember my name anymore I want the truth about this couple someday.

  33. Jayna says:

    I have never seen a couple with so little chemistry. She has a lot of chemistry with herself and the same with Kanye. He is in love with himself.

  34. word says:

    These pics make me gag. It’s not the clothes, it’s the people wearing the clothes. And for a company to be “racially diverse” they need models of varying ethnicities, not just always white and black.

    Getting with Kanye was the best thing Kim did for her career and fame. What Kanye got out of it beats me. He seems to have fallen to Kim’s level when he was once truly A-list. You can see he’s trying to “smize” in those pics lol.

  35. Jenny says:

    I don’t buy anything with Kartrashian/West/Jenner’s fingerprints on it. Bye bye Balmain.

  36. rudy says:

    The ad fails big time because you can tell, it is exuding from their pores, that no love lives between these two. Kim holds him like a movie star is supposed to in her whacked out thinking. Kanye disassociates as usual.

    This is all so sad – that people care so much about this talentless family who have nothing to give us but shallow farce. And the family has taken all this fame and flushed it down the toilet.

    Just watched PMK and Kendall on the Love Advert 23.
    Sickest waste of money and time and art I’ve seen in a while. Looked like a video made by demented seniors. I bet it cost a car.

  37. Racer says:

    Kanye looks like he needs to drink more water

  38. Kmg says:

    I think the last picture is perfect. Shows them as the car wreck that they are.

  39. moochieMom says:

    Well, if I wanted to be “THAT” brand as i the trash brand they did it.

  40. JessSaysNo says:

    AHAAHAHAHHAA They have photo-shopped 40 pounds off of Kim. I’m laughing hysterically!

    • rudy says:

      I know, right? She actually looks weird slimmer. Even more robot-like.
      They stole her boobs, her hips and her ass.

  41. Bread and Circuses says:

    I think he looks amazing and she looks good, but not like herself.

    Which may be intentional. The designers may love Kanye, but they still consider Kim brand-poison.

  42. ketjo says:

    The first photo she looks just like a boa constrictor unhinging its jaw to swallow it victim whole then she wears the boa constrictor looking dress in the next one….LOL . For the life of me I can’t understand the audience or buyers they are playing to with this ad campaign….The cloths are awful nothing designer about them …and they limit the range of those interesting in these cloths to very few….

  43. DrMrsTheMonarch says:

    Considering how KK got her start, it seems appropriate that her dress is urine yellow.

  44. Dommy dearest says:

    I can hear Tyra yelling about Kim’s foot in the last picture.

  45. Misprounced Name Dropper says:

    I see almost nothing but negativity directed towards this couple. So why do they remain a thing?

  46. Claudia says:

    I think all these adds are hideous. How could Balmain cast them both for their campaign? WTF is this? Why not Rihanna or someone classier or edgier? They’re the top bottom of ridiculous. Looks like a cheap ad. Hate it.

  47. cheryl says:

    Maybe we will get a Seth parody of this. He was pretty accurate with another O.T.T vanity project of theirs.