By 1995, Kathy Ireland was one of the most recognizable models of her generation, after years of appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. This Bulova advertisement puts that familiarity to work with a simple visual joke: “I’d feel naked without my Bulova.” Ireland poses in a stark black-and-white portrait while the watch itself gets the only splash of gold near the bottom of the page.
The ad also lands at an interesting point in Ireland’s career. She had already begun moving beyond modeling and founded the business that became Kathy Ireland Worldwide in 1993. Bulova was among the major brands she modeled for during this period, making the ad a snapshot of both 1990s celebrity advertising and the era’s polished fashion photography.
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