Movie star Gerard Depardieu has come under fire for a curious advertisement for Swiss watch brand Cvstos in which he poses over the carcass of freshly-shot deer.
The controversial French actor, who announced he would be handing back his passport over France’s tax rates, has been living as a Russian citizen since 2013 and began working as a brand ambassador for Russian-leaning Swiss brand Cvstos the following year.
The 50-second promo features Depardieu – replete with rifle, ammunition and Cvstos watch – kneeling over the deer, saying: “To smoke [kill] a deer you always need to be on time. Thanks to my Cvstos, I was on time and it was his time” before blowing the dead animal a kiss.
Critics of the promo have not only focused on the hunting theme of the clip with GQ magazine lambasting its “nauseous wordplay and pathetic production quality”.
Whatever your thoughts on the clip it has already had its desired effect, attracting the media spotlight onto the relatively small Swiss watch brand.
