Scarlett Johansson for Mango
Scarlett Johansson for Mango

DALLAS, May 28, 2009 / FW/ — In what can be called an advertising coup, Spanish fashion giant Mango announced today that American actress Scarlett Johansson has been named the new face of the brand, her image debuting for the Fall 2009 / Winter 2010 campaign.

Scarlett Johansson who is taking over Penelope Cruz, who has been the face of the brand for the past four seasons, is both a sentimental and logical choice for Mango. Having co-starred with Penelope Cruz in the award-winning Woody Allen film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Johansson had secured a soft spot among the Spanish fans of the brand.

Penelope Cruz, being Spanish and also an international star is the ideal image for Mango; but, as Madison Avenue knows, marketing is both sentimental and logical. Thus, Scarlett Johansson taking up the torch after Penelope Cruz is perfect.

Born in New York in 1984, Johansson caught the eye of the public in the movie ‘The Horse Whisperer’ where she played alongside Robert Redford (who also directed the film), Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Neill.

Her subsequent performance in Ghost World received critical acclaim while in 2004 Johansson shot into world fame with “Lost in Translation”, her performance as ‘Charlotte’ garnered here a BAFTA award for best actress.

Scarlett Johansson for Mango
Scarlett Johansson for Mango

Coincidentally, that same year, Johansson was also nominated as Best Actress for ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’. Both, ‘Lost in Translation’ and ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ were released in 2003.

In 2004, Johansson’s performance in Lost in Translation won her a BAFTA award for best starring role, as well as a nomination in the same category for Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Johansson’s performance in these films solidified her place in the industry, earning her Golden Globe nominations for both films the same year. After such a major international projection, she worked with legendary director Woody Allen in such films as Scoop and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, in which she appeared alongside Penélope Cruz.

One of her biggest successes came when she once again collaborated with Allen on Match Point, once again securing her a Golden Globe nomination in 2006.

With this collaboration with Mango, Scarlett Johansson joins a list of the world’s most recognizable faces that includes Penélope Cruz, Milla Jovovich, Lizzy Jagger, Karolina Kurkova, Naomi Campbell, Eva Herzigova, Inés Sastre, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Diane Kruger.