Brand Yourself like The Great Gatsby's Baz Luhrmann

Written on the 1 June 2013 by Rachel Quilty, Personal Brand Strategist @ Jump theQ

Baz Luhrmann –The Brand

Founder of:  Bazmark Inq with subsidiaries Bazmark Design, Bazmark Film, Bazmark Live and Bazmark Music. Baz takes his brand and art seriously.

The celebrated Australian film director, screen writer and producer - Baz Luhrmann has many labels visionary, extraordinary, creative genius, storyteller, a romantic, a magician, a ringmaster. Clearly he has a love and a passion for his work. His art, his obsession is defined by it’s extravagant, theatrical and decadent glamour.

The Great Gatsby film was invited to open the 2013 Cannes Film Festival; its selection a metaphor for everything that Cannes represents in support creative genius in the art of film. The invitation is a salute to Baz Luhrmann an international recognition of his talent and mastery.

While Luhrmann is a Cannes veteran, having been discovered through the festival's inclusion of his first feature Strictly Ballroom in 1992 and later returning with Moulin Rogue! also opening slot in 2001: his return in 2013 with The Great Gatsby saw his ambitious project rewarded with its acknowledgement. To date the coveted Palme d'Or award has never been awarded to an Australian. Could Baz be the one?

Luhrmann is no stranger to criticism though, Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rogue! and Australia all polarised opinion. Strictly Ballroom, dropped by its Australian distributor before being picked up at Cannes.

However, just like the character Jay Gatsby, behind his confident, immaculately groomed exterior lays a vulnerably human character, a character willing to risk everything for his true love - film.

And the risk was worth it? After all, Luhrmann’s iconic BazMark logo states the Directors favourite motto, “A Life lived in fear is a life half lived.”

“Personal branding ensures your walk is louder than your talk and Baz Luhrmanns artistry and films do exactly that.” States Rachel Quilty, Personal Brand Strategist and CEO of Brand Consulting firm Jump the Q and author of ‘Brand Yourself’.

However, The Great Gatsby far surpassed expectation at the box office, pulling US$51 million on its opening weekend.  Luhrmann said during an interview with the ABC that internationally the movie had No.1 during its opening  weekend in the world against Iron Man and Star Trek.

In the 16 days or so since its release the film has generated an Worldwide: $207,590,892 million as at 30 May 2013 in box office sales and that is before The Great Gatsby is opening weeked in Australia takings. Source: http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=greatgatsby2012.htm

While some media commentators have accused Luhrmann of drowning out the drama and subtlety of the story. And bollywood.com comments that “Not-so-Great-Gatsby: The Roaring 20s have never looked better, but Baz Luhrmann's film of the classic is as shallow as spilt champagne..”

The most common criticism surrounds Luhrmann's trademark pizzazz - namely the film's decadent and debauched party scenes.

However Baz Luhrmann's US$125 million adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic story of obsessive love, empty lives and extraordinary wealth is a stunning portrayal of the excesses of the era. The Huffington Post quite rightly points out “The noise, the razzle-dazzle, it's in the book.”

Unlike Gatsby's rhetorical question "Do you think it's too much?" Luhrmann’s response would be an adamant "You can never be too over the top."

Rachel Quilty’s  favourite Baz Luhrmann quotes is  “A life lived in fear... is a life half-lived.” Strictly Ballroom, Baz Luhramann.

“Baz Luhrmann is determined to live in vivid colour and create an epic brand. Personal branding is simply understanding who we are and determining to be all were created to be and Baz is an inspiring brand we can learn alot of lessons from .” comments Personal Brand Strategist Rachel Quilty, CEO of celebrity brand agency Jump the Q and author of  the ‘Brand Yourself’ book.

Accused of being very intense, Baz would agree’s that he is a perfectionist who loves to push the envelope.

He's always thinking, always knows that things can be better, and anything less than spectacular, spectacular is unacceptable.

Watch Baz Luhrmann's interview about some of his thinking behind ' The Great Gatsby'.

 

If you are game to start building your celebrity brand today - grab our free Quickstart Guide to Building Your Personal Brand and work journal at www.BrandYourselfBlueprint.com

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About the Author:

Rachel Quilty is a Personal Branding Strategist. She is also known as the “Authority” on Personal Branding within Australia.

Rachel is the owner and CEO of Jump the Q Inc, a Personal Brand consulting firm with offices in Brisbane as well as in Las Vegas, in the US.

Rachel is also the Author of the book, 'Brand Yourself: How to design, build and position your personal brand' which is also now listed on Amazon.

Rachel regularly speaks on the importance of personal branding and strategic brand management. She assists her students and clients around the world to leverage their professional profile and expertise to establish their personal brand as the authority and recognised leader within their industry.

Rachel regularly speaks at seminars, conferences and workshops on personal branding, professional image and developing your signature brand. She has presented at Bond University, Gr iffith University Business School, Ernst & Young, Westfield, NSAA; conferences in Las Vegas, Hawaii, Tasmania, Gold Coast and Expos in Brisbane.

Rachel has also been featured in Australia on the Today show as well various national radio programs including 4BC & ABC. She recently featured in the Australian Institute of Management magazine and is regularly featured in popular magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Cleo, Marie Claire and national newspapers include the Courier Mail, Sun Herald and the Weekend Australian.

Rachel made a splash in the USA with a recent interview on Voice America Radio hosted by Personal Finance Guru Jordon E Goodman the author of a dozen best sellers and is a regular on CNN and The View. Rachel also recently spoke in Las Vegas at the Ultimate Joint Venture Boot Camp with some of the most prominent speakers in the world.

Media Contact:
Rachel Quilty
Brand Strategist
Jump the Q
web: www.jumptheq.com.au
Please email questions or story angle and a schedule call for interview.