PERFUME ADVERTS

These are the three perfume adverts I might like to analyse for own assignment, showing representation of women in perfume ads from across the ages:


Mavis 1915 ad

This advert sells glamour and wealth - the woman is sophisticated and aloof.

5 things I could say about this advert are:1. art nouveau 2. glamorous, sophisticated woman 3. woman's posture 4. perfume name font 5. perfume slogan - irresistible

1. Glamorous, sophisticated woman: The woman is dressed in lavish clothes in rich, dark, using a lot of material and therefore probably quite expensive; she embodies a woman of wealth and sophistication

2. Woman's posture: The woman has her head up and her eyes closed, making her look aloof; she is also leaning into a mirror, obsessed with herself and her appearance which makes her come across as confident to the point of arrogant (narcissistic). She is practically making love to herself in the mirror, and she is posed provocatively. It is quite an erotic advert.
3. Art nouveau: The advert is done in a typical style of the time, art nouveau, with rich colours (like black and red) and bold, organic style.

4. Perfume name font: The perfume name font  'Mavis', is I think, art nouveau - it is flowing and curvaceous - it is organic, which mirrors the elegance and extravagance of the woman

5. Perfume slogan: The perfume slogan is 'Irresistible', which shows the perfume makes you irresistible to everyone, even yourself, and that they/you become obsessed, as the woman is.

Imprevu by Coty

Imprevu uses the feminist ideas from the 1960s feminist movement that started in America about freedom and being independent, unlike my 1920s ad which focuses on glamour and sophistication...

5 points I could make about this perfume are: 1. feminism 2. strong, independent woman 3. appearance of model - no clothes, heavy eye makeup and short hair. New appearance - androgynous 4. fragrance name font - bold and big 5. fragrance slogan - feeling of freedom (NEW)

Feminism: see introductory sentence
Strong, independent woman: The woman looks empowered and free - she is standing alone and does not need anyone else to be happy. 
Appearance: The fact the woman is naked reinforces the sense of a strong woman - she does not care about not wearing any clothes or what people think of her because of it.
Fragrance name font: The font ties in with the messages and values of the product, so it too is big, bold, and stands out.
Fragrance slogan: The slogan talks about a new feeling, like a new feeling of confidence and women being able to get by on their own, and and also says a new perfume, so the perfume fits with a strong confident woman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBc-TXS59sw < this is a link to the 'Valentina' advert from Valentino, produced in 2011

This advert is very different from my other two, and portrays women as mischievous, daring and bold - still confident but with a flirty, almost minx-ish edge.

  

5 things I could say about this advert are: 1. modern 2. method/style 3. young, mischievous woman 4. woman's clothes 5. name of fragrance 

 1. Modern: The advert is a lot more modern than my other two, as although it features an old-style dance it also features a lot of more modern clothes and fashion as well as a night club style party

2. Method/style: This ad represents a woman's need to be free - to be able to do what she wants and go where she pleases and not be confined.
3. Mischievous young woman: The target market is young women who are confident and flirtatious, like Valentina in the advert

4. Clothes: Valentina's clothes are modern and elegant, with a shorter style of dress different to those around her - she stands out as modern yet sophisticated

5. Fragrance name: the name of the fragrance 'Valentina', means 'brave' and this mirrors the messages and values of the fragrance - Valentina is brave and bold, and escapes from the dance to do what she wants, to make new friends and socialise.

POSSIBLE FIRST FEW WORDS

This advert is by Mavis, and was published in the 1920s. It shows a glamorous, sophisticated woman. She has her hair up, make up on, and is wearing lavish clothes. She looks wealthy because she can afford huge, incredible gowns that would have cost a lot of money because of all the material they use. She is also wearing and surrounded by rich, dark colours like deep red and black, which were very stylish at the time. She has short, dark hair, a pale face and pronounced red lips, which again was very fashionable in the 1920s, and was a look many women were striving for. The woman in the advert represents the aspirations of women at the time: they wanted to be glamorous, wealthy and elegant, and this perfume is selling those qualities.

The woman’s posture is very noticeable too; she has her head up and her eyes closed, which makes her appear aloof and confident. She is also leaning into a mirror, obsessed with herself and how she looks, which makes her seem narcissistic and arrogant. She is almost making love to herself in the mirror, and she is posed provocatively, making it seem quite an erotic advert. It is veiled eroticism, masked by the glamour and sophistication you immediately see in the advert but when you look properly it is also quite clear how suggestive the advert is. It sells sexual fulfilment to a woman rather than a man, which was quite significant at the time, as women became the dominant consumers. However, the perfume is selling the fact that it makes you so desirable and incredible that you (and anyone else) cannot help but become infatuated with you. The advert taps into women’s insecurities – women generally want to look beautiful and be desirable to others. This perfume not only seems to make you good looking, but also so desirable that even you cannot resist gazing at yourself in the mirror. Women want to be the woman in the advert – rich, attractive, confident – and so it will make them want to buy the perfume.

The advert is done is art nouveau style, with deep colours and pretty, detailed images. It is bold and eye catching, which mirrors the advert’s messages and values. These are of being good-looking and confident. The detailed and appealing image of the woman shows the beauty side of the advert, while the bold, eye catching colours and pose of the woman show the self-assured, independent qualities the perfume is selling.

This leads into the perfume name font. It is rounded, smooth and organic – again in art nouveau style. It could be compared to the woman’s dress and pose – she is not standing straight and still, she is moving and even her dress seems to flow fluidly. It all ties in together to not only make the advert look more alive and appealing but also is a subtle continuation of the messages and values of the perfume – the boldness and the prettiness of the font reflects the style of the picture and the woman in it.

Finally, the perfume slogan, ‘Irresistible’ suggests that the perfume makes you so elegant, sophisticated and glamorous that you no one can resist you. The slogan identifies with a woman’s need to be loved and admired – it recognises it and promises instant transformation – just buy the perfume and you too will become stunning and classy and incredibly desirable to all. The slogan links with the woman’s posture and how she is completely infatuated with herself, showing how powerful the effects of the perfume are. The slogan also links with the insecurities of women involving looks and how attractive they are, which makes women want to buy the fragrance to solve their insecurities.

Overall, the perfume sells desirability, attractiveness, wealth, confidence and a generally glamorous lifestyle by tapping into women’s insecurities and their need to loved and admired.

Bibliography:

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/a/art-nouveau/

http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/art-nouveau-and-the-erotic/