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.