Wednesday, September 22, 2021

THE Charlie Girl 1977

a closeup of Shelley from a 1977 Charlie perfume ad

Shelley first became famous in the 1970s as THE Charlie Girl. In 1976, she was hand-picked to represent the Revlon Charlie brand, as she was the embodiment the brand's ideal – gorgeous, sexy and young. Makeup artist Rick Gillette recalls, "Shelley Hack was really the perfect girl for Charlie. I remember when Revlon creative director David Leddick had Steen Svensson shoot the first presentation with her that got her the contract." They shot a commercial with her and when it debuted, it was an immediate and immense hit. By 1977, Charlie became the #1 fragrance in the world (the first American-made international bestseller) and Revlon sales figures passed the $1 billion mark. Shelley THE Charlie Girl had catapulted to icon.

Shelley in a 1977 Charlie perfume ad