Burberry has released their latest fragrance for men, Hero, and along with a campaign that is definitely one you won’t be forgetting. The British brand has tapped current Hollywood Hot Boy Adam Driver as the face of the fragrance, but the standout star is…a horse?

Set on a beach, it becomes a race between man and beast into the water where they meet and eventually meld into a creature from legend – a centaur. And you know what? I believe it. I believe that Adam Driver could very well be a centaur. He has that look about him.

Adam Driver is a sexy centaur for the new Burberry fragrance, Hero. Image: Courtesy Burberry

But what does this have to do with a Burberry fragrance, you ask? Everything. And nothing, of course. Everything, because you can’t smell a campaign. So you have to get the desire thumping in a different way – and what man alive doesn’t want to relate to Centaur-Ren. May the horse be with you indeed. And nothing because at the end of the day, all that matters is Burberry Hero smells good. And that it does.

It kicks off with a bright burst of bergamot and juniper berry that almost fizzes. Black pepper adds some warmth and endurance on the skin before it really hits its stride in the dry down. The base of Hero is composed of three types of cedar – Atlas, Virginian and Hymalayan. The result is a rich, deep woody dryness that feels like you’ve gone off-road into a forest that’s never known an axe.

Burberry
The new fragrance from Burberry is an ode to the brand’s sense of adventure. Image: Courtesy Burberry

This sense of adventure is intrinsic to the Burberry heritage. Since he joined the house, Riccardo Tisci has delved into this history and translated that into modern terms. The horse is, of course, a reference to the emblem of the House of Burberry, chosen for the brand by its founder Thomas Burberry.

But also – Adam Driver is one of those actors with a capital A. He takes The Work seriously. So it’s good to see him show a side of himself that’s willing to embrace the fun side of the gig. Who doesn’t dream of turning into a centaur after a swim at Bondi, I ask you?  

Of course, there’s another game afoot with this campaign. Women are often the final decision makers when it comes to what fragrance a man wears. In part because men are simple creatures and purely want to smell nice enough to attract a compliment from the best-looking woman in the room. But mostly because it’s also a woman who buys it. Burberry isn’t naive to this data, so tapping the horse-girl market and providing an advertisement that is dripping with innuendo…they knew what they were doing.

Watch the advert below, complete with a banging soundtrack supplied by FKA Twigs.