Margot Robbie on working with Jacob Elordi (before Wuthering Heights)

Everyone has been talking about Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi since news broke that they would be starring in the upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights together. But before Emerald Fennell got to the pair, Chanel did, tapping them for a new campaign for Chanel No 5 and giving us a taste of their chemistry ahead of the film.

Full of romance, longing and the anticipation of pleasure (which can sometimes be so much sweeter than the pleasure itself), the Luca Guadagnino-directed campaign follows the two leads as they plan to meet, each one cruising along the open roads of California as they move towards the other. Unfortunately, it’s not meant to be and they just miss each other, but does Margot Robbie care? Of course not! She knows it’s the desire itself that matters the most and, carefree and at peace with herself, she dives into the ocean and into a bottle of No 5.

For Robbie, it’s this idea of desire that really embodies what it means to be a Chanel No 5 woman. “A Chanel No 5 woman is alluring, powerful, independent, knows what she wants,” she says. “I love the idea of a woman who wants, in general. I think that, as a concept, has for some reason been so shut down and it’s so liberating to celebrate that idea of having desires.”

Here Robbie shares more about working with Elordi on the campaign, her love of past Chanel No 5 campaigns and her lucky number. Watch the campaign and an exclusive BTS clip below, and see more images in the gallery above.

What was it like working with Jacob Elordi on See You At 5?

Margot Robbie: When Chanel said, we’re going to go to Jacob Elordi for the campaign, I thought, ‘My God, how amazing.’ And so, it was really fun! Jacob and I are both Queenslanders; we live, probably an hour’s drive apart in Australia. I’ve also worked with him before as I was a producer on Saltburn, but I hadn’t shared the screen with him before and it was really fun. I am really happy he did this!

Tell us about how your love of No 5 began.

Margot Robbie: My real connection with No 5 – perhaps because I’m in the film business and have always loved movies so much – began with the campaigns. I loved the Baz Luhrmann collaboration with Nicole Kidman. Just that image of her running down the New York streets with her dress behind her and her jewellery coming off… And I love the Ridley Scott campaigns from the 80s by the pool… I LOVE those campaigns.

There has always been such amazing collaborations over the decades with directors and talents coming together to create the new Chanel No 5 campaign. Everyone’s so excited to see what it is and it always feels so different. So, it was really fun to get to do that with Luca Guadagnino who I’ve wanted to work with for a really long time. We’ve known each other over the years and were hoping to find the thing that we can do together. So, this is really special.

What feminine personality traits do you associate with No 5?

Margot Robbie: The woman who wears No 5 has a quiet confidence, she has an allure, an innate elegance. She is the master of her own destiny, she’s independent and she knows what she wants. I love the idea of a woman who ‘wants’. I think, as a concept that has, for some reason, been so shut down. But to celebrate that idea of having desires is liberating. I think perfume accesses that idea of, ‘I do want something and I can find that thing in myself’. I love that perfume not only helps you to access it, but it also amplifies the desires you have.

The number five was obviously significant for Gabrielle Chanel. Do you have a lucky number?

Margot Robbie: My lucky number is two – because I’m born on the second. It has been throughout my life… I love that Gabrielle Chanel was really into numerology and astrology. I only found out after working with the brand. It was something more whimsical that I hadn’t really factored when thinking about Gabrielle Chanel, the icon, the businesswoman, this fashion powerhouse. And then when you look through the design, in the clothes and the jewellery, you see, her star sign, a lion, a Leo, and number five pop up everywhere – I really, really love that.