ADVERT ESSAY

A comparison of how women are represented in fragrance adverts from the 1920s, 1960s and 2011

Mavis Vivadou (print, France 1920)
This advert is by Mavis, and was published in the 1920s. The woman in the advert is represented as glamorous, sophisticated. 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 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 reflects art nouveau style, such as its choice of graphics which are the letters of ‘MAVIS’. They are organic, smooth and curvaceous. This is echoed in the curve of the mirror which matches the elongated, organic sweep of the ‘m’ and ‘v’ letters. 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 construction of the woman represents 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.

Coty L’Imprevu (print, France 1960s)

The representation of the woman in L’Imprevu embodies the feminist ideas from the 1960s feminist movement (about freedom and being independent) that started in America, unlike my 1920s Mavis advert which focuses on glamour and sophistication. The L’Imprevu advert features a woman, standing alone and laughing. She looks independent and free – there is no man or anyone else to support her; neither does she have any clothes or fashions to restrict her, whereas Mavis’ model draws her power from her extravagant props of clothes and theatrical setting.  Feminism is all about women being able to stand on their own two feet and do things for themselves, and this is what this advert is showing. The way she is laughing and smiling denotes happiness and well-being; she feels good because of the perfume she is wearing. This shows that women can be happy and feel good without the help of anyone else. Her self-sufficiency is shown again in that she is standing on her own. This contrasts with Valentina, my moving image advert, where the main woman is happiest when surrounded by friends and other people. This model is happy on her own, again showing the themes of independence.

The way the model is dressed and the way she looks also plays a significant part in how she comes across in the advert. Earlier this century, women typically had long hair which they would put up in the day time and generally wore dresses and skirts, and other typically more formal,  ‘lady-like’ clothes in public. This model is very different from this stereotype – she has very short, cropped hair which is not tied or pinned back in anyway, and she is wearing no clothes at all, unlike my 1920s advert where the woman is wearing a dress and has her hair up. This breaking of a stereotype shows confidence, a sense of being self-assured. She is not afraid or nervous of being seen with no clothes on. The fact that she is different to how women used to dress also makes her stand out – she is different and new, as suggested by the perfume slogan. This new look is androgynous – she does not wear men’s or women’s clothes and does not wear anything to suggest she is one or the other, whereas in my Mavis advert the model is very feminine.

The fragrance name font adds to the bold, confident almost masculine feel of the advert. The font ties in with the messages and values of the product (the concept of embracing the unexpected, as L’Imprevu means ‘the unexpected’), so it too is big, bold, and stands out. It is a block font, no swirls or elegant flicks or curves; it is not overly feminine, unlike my Mavis advert which is very feminine, smooth and with lots of curvy shapes. This block font connotes a new way for women to be, for them to feel and be presented, not just as women who should be elegant, sophisticated and genteel, as in the 1920s advert, but as people who can stand on their own and do things for themselves.

Valentina Valentino (moving image, 2011)

Valentina epitomises the modern independent girl who refuses to be restricted by society’s expectations, a representation that continues the story of L’Imprevu.

This advert represents a woman’s need to be free, to do what she wants and not be confined by tradition. Again, this is very similar to L’Imprevu. Valentina is surrounded by an old-style ball for her birthday party, with people wearing clothes that are now considered ‘old-fashioned’ and traditionally upper class such as ball gowns, with their hair up. It is a very formal party. However, Valentina wears modern dress, a short skirt, her hair is down and she escapes her party to go and have fun with her friends, do more ‘modern’ things like going to a nightclub. She is represented as someone who refuses to be constrained by social stereotypes. Valentina is constructed as the modern, young part of the advert – in this way it echoes the independent, unafraid to stand out qualities of the L’Imprevu advert.

The advert is more modern than my other two, as although it features a classic palace dance it also features a lot of modern clothes and fashions (like the short, sparkly dresses) as well as a night club style party.

Valentina is represented as someone who can be both the centre of attention but can also have fun and have a normal life with her friends. She breaks with the traditional 'class system' of society and will not be positioned as an object by her peers, confined to being in one role. For a night, Valentina chooses friends and freedom over her high status party; she lives a lifestyle that could be similar to those of the target audience the advert is aimed at. This makes the advert relatable to the target audience, and makes it more modern. Because of these qualities, Valentina is represented as someone the audience aspire to be: famous and eye catching yet able to lead an exciting, more stereotypically ‘normal’ life.

Valentina is also constructed as mischievous and flirtatious, because she escapes from the party she is supposed to be at and runs off to a club to be with her friends and flirt with boys; therefore the target market is probably bold, outgoing women like Valentina. Although being bold is one of the qualities reflected in both L’Imprevu and Mavis, Valentina adds an air of mischievousness, almost minx-ish, and is a bit cheeky, unlike my other two adverts. Consumers expect Italians to be passionate about life and love, so the Italian soundtrack, the brand name and the romantic mise-en-scene build a picture of the romantic escapism the perfume offers.

Unlike Mavis or L’Imprevu, Valentina wears clothes that are very modern: a short, silky black dress that fits in with those around her but also makes her stand out because of the elegant design and black colour that contrasts with her pale skin.

Valentina is also seen in the advert with a boy, who she flirts with at the party and at the end kisses. This look into her intimate moment with the man engages the viewer and makes them feel included. This moment in the advert also sells the idea that the perfume can make you desirable and attractive to men.

The name, Valentina, means ‘brave’, and this mirrors the advert’s messages and values of being outgoing and confident, such as Valentina running off from where she was supposed to be to go and be with her friends.

Valentina is similar to my other two adverts because it represents women as confident; it is similar to Mavis because it represents women as desirable to men; but it is different to both of them in that Valentina is cheekier, more flirtatious and younger. She is also surrounded by friends, whereas in my other two adverts the women stand alone. This means the perfume sells popularity as well – if you buy the perfume you will be outgoing and bold, have lots of friends and ‘get the guy’ as well.  Finally, the main message of the advert is to not be restricted to social stereotypes/classes, and because of this Valentina is sold as unique and out-going.

SHORT AND TWEET

This is my entry for the Short and Tweet competition and is based on the news story about Jenny Jones winning bronze in the Winter Olympics:

Flying through the air, adrenalin pumping, wind roaring in my ears, falling to the ground. Landed - came 3rd! Bronze medal!

SOUND IN 'SERENITY'

The music in Serenity is used to create effects, for example when the rebels are getting ready to go to the raid on the factory. There is percussion music, including drums for instance. This makes the music simple but intense, with a strong beat that creates tension and gives the scene a feeling of importance. The music also builds in pace and tempo, which has the effect of creating suspense, a typical convention in the Action and Adventure genre. The music also heightens the intensity and makes the scene feel like it's getting to a climax, again showing suspense and tension. As well as this, the music can create an anti-climax, where the music swells to a climax, but then nothing happens in the narrative. Then, suddenly, if the music stops, this creates the effect of something very big and possibly dangerous which is about to happen. Therefore, music can create effects when it is playing and when it stops abruptly.

Another example of sound in Serenity is the sound of weaponry. For instance, the sound of the shotguns being loaded. It is a heavy, clanking, metallic sound, which immediately sounds intimidating and threatening. This creates the effect on the viewer of knowing that these men are very willing and able to use these weapons. It makes them seem dangerous, and makes it sound as if there will be a fight scene later on, which helps build tension. The sounds of the machine guns being fired later on also creates effects but different ones to the loading of the guns. The sound is very authentic, making the scene feel real and therefore involving the viewer in the world the characters are in. The sound of the weapons also adds to the spectacle of the fight scenes and conflict between the heroes and villains (more key codes and conventions associated with the Action and Adventure genre).

NB: I'm sorry if any of the descriptions are slightly inaccurate; I couldn't find the scene online so I did it from memory of what we watched in class

STAR WARS ANALYSIS

In what two ways are the narrative (characters and events) typical of the AA genre?

Firstly the events fit the typical AA genre because there is speed and motion. There is a pod race, and the vehicles are moving very fast throughout the race track, as well as a final high speed chase at the end creating speed. The track is a spectacular setting – magnificent and huge chasms. The pods do tight turns when going round corners and at one point even turns dramatically through 90 degrees to fit through a gap in the rock, showing motion and lots of extreme movements and manoeuvres throughout the race. The pods are open top, which creates speed again, and so does the fact that the canyon walls seem to be going past very fast and close by, involving you in the action and creating a lot of speed. The fights between the pods also creates motion, speed and suspense, because they are moving so fast while battling and you can see parts falling off the pods, so the suspense comes from not knowing which pod will break first. When Skywalker’s engine fails this again creates suspense and speed because you don’t know if he will fall or his pod will break, and he has to free fall at one point, illustrating speed again. The rocky, unpredictable terrain shows speed and motion also because the pods have to keep swerving to go through crevices and over rocks. The danger, speed, motion and suspense created by what happens in the race make it typical of the AA genre.

Skywalker is a heroic protagonist because he is represented as fighting ‘evil’, or the other opponents in the race. He is also shown as courageous because he is very young but competing against much older, more experienced racers. The pods seem very complicated to operate, with many controls, especially for a child, but Skywalker is not perturbed by this, doing whatever he can to win and working out how to manipulate the controls. This shows a high level of skill, as a stereotypical hero would have. He is a typical hero because he is very determined as he doesn’t give up when faced with a challenge like his pod engine failing. Skywalker is brave because he is represented as someone who doesn’t give up when he encounters a problem and will do whatever it takes to win the race. This is particularly impressive given his young age and inexperience. As well as this, he ends up winning the race, triumphing over ‘evil’ as is typical of the AA genre.

 

 

2 example of camera work

One example of camera work is the point of view shots you get from Skywalker’s pod, enabling you to be involved in the action. You see what he is seeing – the rocks closely surrounding him on all sides, and the twisting and turning of the track. The camera work is handheld so you feel the sense of panic and disorientation. You can experience what Skywalker is feeling, being in an out of control machine, seeing all the complicated controls and having no idea what to do. This type of shot makes you feel more empathy with Skywalker, but it also immerses you in the typical feeling of action and adventure films – the high speed chases, the jeopardy and suspense of whether he will crash, and the terrifying swooping motion of the pods as they speed around the track.

Another example is the high angle (birds-eye-view) shot of the pods moving round the track very fast. This illustrates how fast the pods are moving and means you can see the rocky, high chasms that the racers have to overcome and steer through. You see the twisting, dangerous track in more detail, and seeing the spectacular setting adds to the feeling of a typical action and adventure film. You can also see how the pods chase each other, when they are closing in and starting to catch each other up, which creates tension as you don’t know who will overtake who. This shot allows you to get an overview of the race while still adding to the suspense of seeing what is happening.

 

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene is used to create many effects in this extract so I will focus on two particular ones. Firstly, the setting: the arid desert landscape with the huge rocky chasms that make up the race track. This creates a sense of peril and jeopardy – the race track looks authentic and creates to a sense of real danger in the race. The narrow crevices the pods have to go through and the height of the chasms adds to the feeling of danger and suspense – if the pods crash the results could be deadly. This suspense is typical of an AA film.

The strange, alien-like creatures create the effect of being in another world. There are creatures, for example the commentators, with two heads. The aliens look strange, often ugly and very unusual, even being different shapes and colours to humans (e.g. yellow or purple or green). For example, Anakin’s opponent in the race, who has a strange, evil, lizard like face with big, goggle-y eyes and robotic arms. He looks scary and evil, which contrasts with Anakin, who looks innocent and young. They are so unlike any creature we recognise that they immediately take us to another world, another place. They also look quite realistic, which makes it seem more authentic/believable. The creatures can also create the effect of good vs. evil because often the uglier, scarier looking creatures are the stereotypical ‘baddies’ (such as the one Skywalker raced against) and the less scary, friendly looking ones are the ‘goodies’. Therefore, the creatures can be used to create the effect of being in another world and to create the effect of typically AA ‘good vs. evil’.

 

How does the extract use sound to create effects?

The sound of the Pods at the start of the race is used to create effects because it makes the race sound fast-paced and exciting. They make a screeching, whining sound as they zoom along, very loudly, with noticeable difference in pitch as they come close by (there is an increase in volume) and then away again (when there is a decrease in volume). The effect of this increase and decrease in volume makes the scene realistic and involves the viewer in the action, making them feel as if they are there and enhancing the intensity. The engines make the kind of noises that Formula 1 race cars make, for example, and naturally people associate this with something moving quickly so you can tell the Pods are moving at a very fast pace. The sound of the engines is also juxtaposed with the sounds of brakes screeching, the effect of which again increases intensity and makes the scene more authentic.

The sound of the crowd cheering creates the effect of increasing the volume and the intensity. It also involves the audience in the race because the cheers of the crowds makes the viewer side with Anakin.

 

*increase in volume

*the effect of this is to enhance intensity

*alternated with

*…the effect of this

*juxtaposition

 

 

 

QI PREZI

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MISE-EN-SCENE OF 'THE HURT LOCKER'

The mise-en-scene in the scene from 'The Hurt Locker' makes it very clear that it is an action and adventure film. Firstly, the buildings are very typical of a middle Eastern war zone - they are stone and whitewashed to reflect the hot sun, but are also quite broken down and derelict due to the war. The uniforms the soldiers wear also make it clear that they are soldiers because they are wearing traditional camouflage outfits as well as helmets and carrying weapons. This brings me on to the weapons - it makes it very realistic as all the soldiers carry guns such as machine guns and snipers and there is a bomb in the car, which all adds to the idea of action in a war zone. The tanks are another kind of weapon which adds to the war zone atmosphere. The outfits of the people who live in the place this scene is set also show how it is an Islamic country and so add authenticity to the scene, as they wear burkas and cover their heads (hijabs).

VALENTINA ADVERT

 

I have analysed three scenes from the Valentino Valentina advert (2011)

 

In this scene of the advert, Valentina is represented as famous and well known - everyone wants to take her photo, they want to know where she is going and what she is doing. She is represented as someone who a lot of people (women especially) aspire to be - famous, pretty and eye-catching. You can tell Vaentina is the focus of the attention because she is in the spotlight; you can see her clothes and hair and face whereas the reporters are all in shadow. Valentina is shown as important - her long, confident strides denote confidence, and she is positioned in the centre of the shot, as the centre of attention.
This advert uses celebrity endorsement to sell this product - people aspire to be like Valentina. Celebrity endorsement is becoming more and more popular as celebrities become more important to people. People care about their lives and what they are doing; how to be like them. This is how you get things such as 'celebrity stalking' - people using magazines like 'Hello' and the internet to 'stalk' celebrities. This has also made celebrity endorsed perfumes much more popular as people try to be like their celebrity idols. Valentina may not be a well-known celebrity, but she represents one and has the potential to become an idol to people, as a celebrity could. This type of celebrity endorsement is becoming more in-demand because as Andy Warhol predicted: 'In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes'.
Overall, this screenshot is all about constructing Valentina as someone the target audience want to be - well known ad eye-catching.

The advert is modern, and in this scene Valentina is at a party. Valentina is represented as sociable and popular. You can tell this because she is surrounded by friends who she is laughing and chatting with. It constructs her as the centre of attention, as she is in the centre of the frame. She looks happy and her posture is relaxed - she is leaning into the boy beside her. This shows she is at ease in social situations, which makes her seem confident and assured. Her clothes are fashionable and fit in with the clothes of those around her - her dress even stands out because it's black colour is quite contrasting with the gold/grey colours around her. This makes her stand out, showing again her confidence and how eye-catching she is. This scene appeals to people by promising popularity. You can also see she has a good looking boy with his arm around her shoulder, so the advert also promises that not only will you be popular but you will also get the attention of boys.
Valentina is represented as someone who can be both the centre of attention but can also have fun and have a normal life with her friends. She breaks with the traditional 'class system' of society and refuses to be positioned as an object by her peers, confined to being in one role. For a night, Valentina chooses friends and freedom over her high status party; she lives a lifestyle that could be similar to those of the target audience the advert is aimed at. This makes the ad relatable to the target audience, and makes it more modern.

This scene represents Valentina as sexy and desirable. She is looking into the eyes of a man, who is stereotypically attractive: chiselled jaw, high cheekbones, etc. This scene appeals by showing you that the perfume means you get attention from men, that you become attractive and desirable. It's quite an intimate scene - they are both looking deeply into each other's eyes and smiling slightly. It allows the viewer an insight into Valentina's private moments - the close up of the faces and the intimate expressions denotes attraction and desire. It sells intimacy and the promise of becoming attractive to men.

Now I've looked at all 3 screenshots, the fragrance seems to have strong messages and values of popularity, confidence and desirability. It promises the buyer all these things if they buy the perfume, as well as the originality of Valentina. She refuses to be stereotyped and makes her own style.