The Gucci Guilty Perfume Advertisement

Advertisements have become a huge part of society in the modernized world of today. Around the world, many people can see all of the various advertisements not only on TVs and newspapers but also on billboards, buses, and walls of buildings. Advertising is an influential part of life and we can easily realize that it has useful purposes for public and private manufacturers and companies throughout the world. Advertisements can either give consumers a great amount of knowledge about the products or just convince them to buy and want the products. Advertisements also help sell the products which keep the economy growing, but people should also be aware of how much they spend because they may not actually need every product that they see that they want to purchase. In the Daisy by Marc Jacobs’s perfume advertisement, the artist uses many different techniques to emphasize the advertisement. Some of the different techniques that the artist uses are color, symbolism, and composition.

A well-known columnist, Andi Zeisler, refers to popular culture as: “any cultural product that has a mass audience” (Zeisler, 4). With this, it is easy to say that a cultural product such as cologne, will often have a mass audience, therefore advertising it in a way that objectifies women, only continues to reinforce the stereotypes surrounding women. With these means, we are able to look at the work of Toby Miller, and Richard Maxwell. They both argue that it is cheaper for poorer countries to purchase US television programs, rather than making their own. The result of this is a lack of diversity throughout the media, as well as a lack of alternative images and voices, which ensures that the perspectives of a Western, white, privileged male become even more pervasive (Miller and Maxwell, 2006). Another example that reinforces the statement that Miller and Maxwell made, is a commercial advertising Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Cologne. The overall goal of this commercial is to make this cologne appealing to the public, thus increasing its overall profit. However, this commercial uses a women’s body in a sexualizing way, and once the man applies the cologne to himself, she runs to him and becomes intimate with him. In my opinion, she was giving her body to him, and regardless of her feelings, since he was attractive and smelt nice, she felt as if she belonged with him. Many companies believe that their products will be more

The sexualisation of women in advertising has become a very prominent and controversial issue in today’s society. Many brands, products and campaigns we are presented with portray women as being available and willing sexual objects, who exist to cater to the male gender. Gucci is one such brand that does this, focusing on emphasizing the sexual appeal of the female gender in order to sell their products, because as advertisers know: ‘sex sells.’ This new cultural shift can however, be seen as politically regressive for women, as the ideology it brings negatively impacts how women are viewed by society and how they view themselves.

“The authors found subtle stereotypes and suggest that the ads included in their analysis reflect the cognitive dispositions of their creators who aim to their audiences and influence them” (Bolliger). After spending such time analyzing one particular visual advertisement this quote couldn’t relate more to my opinion. The ad is plausible in that a glance provides a conclusive assumption. After imagining myself as both characters I can make no premiss as to who the creator is. Stereotypes in this ad can be defended mutually; the woman getting what she wants demanding love and possessions, or the man taking control and taking what he wants while keeping his eye on the

Advertisers use many tactics to sell their product. They can all be grouped into Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle; which include ethos, pathos, and logos. Including a sense of credibility, facts and statistics, and reaching into the buyer’s emotion are all ways advertisers produce a persuasive argument in order to get more business. One of the most popular ways to persuade is using the portrayal of sex to do so. J.J. Boddewyn, a journalist, states “ads that are indecent, sexist, sexy, exhibit violence to woman or treat them as mere objects present a constant and even growing problem in many countries (par. 1).” An advertisement that can be applied here is for Godiva chocolate. This ad contains a model showing the chocolate in her hand, along with the word ‘GODIVA’ written largely, and some smaller words around it. Digging a little deeper, it’s not just any model, but a very attractive one. She is dressed in what looks to be sleepwear, and a cardigan draping off her shoulders. Not only that, her makeup is very dark around the eyes, making them look more sultry and seductive. The Godiva campaign uses sex appeal to sell their chocolate. Pathos can be seen by the provocative woman, which would attract more male buyers. Ethos is portrayed through the text in the ad and who the model is. There is a lack of logos or facts to support the argument.

Perfume advertisements are made to illustrate an atmosphere and personality for a scent that you cannot smell. In the Daisy Trio by Marc Jacobs perfume advertisement femininity, purity, and youthfulness are used to create a persona for the classic daisy scent. In the airy meadows of the countryside on a sunny summer afternoon the director, Sofia Coppola illustrates the idea that being young is sexy and desirable through the elements included in the commercial. The clothing, makeup, body language, and camera techniques are used to sell the Daisy perfume, but also, youth and desire.

3) In this essay, Bordo discusses how and where one is positioned, as subject or object, and in the moment of vision. The section, “Rocks and Leaners”, Susan Bordo presents an argument that the gaze and position of men in advertising give off a message of masculinity. She describes the gaze, and how it can show dominance. The male models are the objects in the advertisement and meant to create a certain reaction depending upon there position. There is the “face up, face down, and stare down” (182). She also discusses how often in advertising, the lean is used in a seductive way. The angle of the camera is used as a powerful tool in advertising to capture certain moments and feel that the product is trying to convey. Whether it is a seductive lean with a face of stare, the male model is trying to get the viewers to remember and focus on him, therefore selling a product.

The advertisement also uses emotional appeal to gain sympathy from the audience. The woman in the advertisement is staring right into the eyes of the viewers. Her eyes reflect years of struggle and despair and the tragic moments of when she is considered nothing but worthless. The audience of this advertisement is intended towards women because they are the ones being treated unjustly. The way the woman is positioned in the advertisement

(460). This is an advertisement for male using this cologne; the guy can attract tons of women. This ad lowers the value of women and set them as objects. The quote said that modern ads are usually “constructed in direct opposition to femininity”. The guy in the ad seemed to have taken control over these women, which also increases his masculinity.

Throughout Jean Kilbourne’s film, Killing Us Softly 4, she states that advertisement is frequently used to communicate with potential consumers and persuade them to buy certain products. While advertising’s main purpose is to sell products, modern advertising does more than just sell a company’s merchandise. Advertisers create the values, images, and concepts of love and sexuality that every member of society is pressured to meet; they tell consumers who they are and who they should be. Modern advertising tends to portray the two genders, male and female, in completely different ways. Men are described as powerful beings who are believed to be insensitive and brutal; they are posed and photographed in positions that create a perception of strength and dignity. On the contrary, women are viewed as the weaker sex and taught to believe that their outward appearance determines their value in society. In a Cosmopolitan magazine, a Miss Dior perfume advertisement uses a beautiful naked woman, with long, brown hair and brown eyes, barely covered by a blanket to sell their product. While the perfume being sold should be the focus of the ad, the woman occupies most of the image lying on a bed in a provocative position. She appears to be around twenty-two years old, which appeals to the belief that sexuality only belongs to the young and attractive. In today’s society, women are viewed as vulnerable, objects used to please men, and flawless.

Amongst all of these advertisements, a natural link is developed between the visual representation and the product/idea being sold. In the first ad, a masculine link of control and success was created between the picture and job, targeted for both elder men and women. For man, their natural state of superiority would increase if he took this job. For the woman, her natural lower class state would move up to that of manís. The perfume ad, on the other hand, is attracting female customers only. The feminine feelings of happiness, peace, beauty and truth are linked through objects from nature, such as the sky and clouds; and these feelings are stereotypically viewed as feminine. The third ad selling a vacation trip is directed mainly toward college students. The presentation of freedom, adventure and relaxation grab studentsí attention, especially for those who really need to get away from school stress. The ad targets all sorts of students, those ìmasculineî ones who are seeking adventure and those

Since similar standards for beauty have been created by advertisements have been around for so long, women do not know they have been manipulated and now accept them as true. Because of this, this advertisement’s portrayal of a “beautiful” woman is an effective strategy to convince women to buy the Be Delicious perfume.

The advertisement that I have decided to describe and analyze is one from Armani Code, a cologne producing company. When I first glanced at the advertisement, there were a few things that jumped out to me. The first of those things was an attractive white female with a lot of skin showing kissing and hugging an attractive white male who is professionally dressed. The next thing that caught my eye was the fact that the male was staring off somewhere into the distance while this beautiful female was trying to kiss him. He is portraying himself as if he is disinterested in the female. The third and final thing that caught my eye before actual analysis of the advertisement was the fact that the picture is all black and white. The girl, with her skin showing, is mainly all white. The male in his suit is mainly all black, with the exception of his face and white undershirt. Additionally, the bottle the cologne is held in, which is placed in the bottom right hand corner, is all black as well, with the words Armani Code printed on the bottom of the bottle is small print. While the ad itself is quite simple in design, it’s the meaning behind the picture that provides the most power. The message behind this advertisement is if Armani Code cologne is worn by any man that so many girls will like that man wearing the cologne in a sexual way that the man will eventually become sick of the females and focus on other things. This particular ad targets males while chasing the

The man is fully clothed in a suit, which represents power and formality. It is extremely suggestive as it looks like he came to this position without the woman’s knowledge or consent since her sunglasses are pushed up for her to see. He is in a dominating position where she has to look up at him and the man’s face isn’t shown in the ad, which shows that he is confident. The ad is suggesting that if you have Sky Vodka, you can look glamourous and wealthy as well. The men are always given more power and a higher status than the women (Appendix A). The second image reveals how femininity is portrayed. In the ad for Dolce and Gabbana’s Monico Lipstick, notice the lightness of the woman’s hand touching her face, the touching of one’s face, especially the finger-to-mouth pose is reminiscent of a child. She is also dressed seductively with a come-hither look on her face that is bold and suggestive (Appendix A).

In order to capture our attention, the company first creates an appealing visual to draw us in. In the Revlon advertisement, the face of an attractive Argentinian male dominates the page. He holds a seductive pose, staring directly at the viewer while simultaneously winking; this creates a feeling of intimacy with the viewer. A white woman’s hands are then carefully placed in his hair and his mouth; she is playfully touching him while he gently bites her finger. The use of a white female and Argentinian male conveys the idea that women find men of “color” more attractive and masculine. The woman is hidden in the image, consumed by a black background. This gives us the freedom to imagine her as anyone, including ourselves. If we buy this product and use it, we will attract the attention of men and be more flirtatious. Her nails are then strategically painted a bright pastel green and she is wearing an enormous flashy ring to highlight the nail polish as well as bring