Whilst viewing this advertisement I understood the significance of the conventions used by looking at semiology, and began to interpret them in my own individual way. The first thing which grabbed my attention to this image was the fact that the woman appears to be sort of 'blowing the man away', and also the fact that she stands out a great deal more than the male who appears more in the background. I think that this is reaching for a female target audience who associate this action with the empowerment of women because perhaps this image is symbolic of the fact that women have power over men when wearing this perfume, and therefore 'blow men away.' Also, the use of an elegant looking woman placed with an attractive male and the fact that she is in control connote the fact that with this perfume she can get attention from attractive males, and also the fact that she is in control connotes that women who wear this perfume are dominant and in control.
The meaning of this advertisement is anchored through the use of signs and objects and the relationship between them. The 'Juicy Couture' text is iconic - the viewer can easily recognise the fact that the product being advertised is one belonging to the brand Juicy Couture. The rather large perfume bottle allows the viewer to then depict that it is a new fragrance that is being advertised. The placement of the perfume bottle is indexical - the audience are highly likely to logically connect the perfume with the brand. The mise-en-scene of the perfume bottle also connotes a sense of regality which is then reinforced through the photographic rhetoric and composition of the brand name and text.
This advertisement is also very symbolic, mainly due to the connotation of the word 'Couture,' which also appears to be the perfumes name. The viewer is able to learn the conventional meaning being represented, i.e. an expensive perfume for an extrovert person - because of the phrase 'show off.' Also, the pink glitter can be associated with femininity and glamour which reflects the overall meaning of the advert.
The males eyes also appear to be covered by his hair, where as the female is engaging with the viewer; holding a direct gaze. This allows the audience even-more-so to depict that the female is in a powerful position. This can be quite aesthetically pleasing for a female viewer, or also an interesting one that holds their attention as it isn't a dominant ideology within society. Also, the typography in the text 'do the don'ts' is in a strong, bold type - which was often used in the era of English rebellion and punk; the gold chain on the perfume bottle and the black dress appear to somewhat convey this era. This appears to be counter typical as traditionally in perfume adverts, white can be seen to represent innocence and virginity.
The typography in ‘do the don’ts’ is a strong, bold type which was used in the era of English rebellion and punk, the gold chain on the bottle of perfume conveys this era, as well as the black dress. This is also counter typical as traditionally in perfume adverts, white can be seen to represent innocence and virginity. The 'lipstick' typography of the text 'show off' also adds a unique female touch to the advertisement.
As the relationship between the viewer and an image can often lead to many possible meanings of a text, it is important that the adverts preferred reading is successfully put across to the audience. In this case, the preferred reading of the advertisement has been put across to the viewer through mise-en-scene and the use of layers. The male has been been featured in the background - delivering the message to the audience that he is not the main focus of the advert and can perhaps be seen more as a 'prop' than a character. The female on the other hand has been positioned more towards the middle connoting that she is dominant and that the advertisement is targeting a female audience. The text and perfume has been brought to the foreground of the image - showing that it is following the main conventions of print advertising.
In adverts like this the women always look out of the image to address the viewer whilst male models rarely do. This use or direct address offers up the female model for scrutiny by male eyes whilst simultaneously scrutinising the women looking at the ad'. Read what Berger says in "Ways of Seeing" about woman being the surveyor of herself and how women are so subjected to the male gaze that they look at themselves and each other through "male eyes". You could also read "Backlash" by Faludi and "Decoding Advertisements" by Williamson
ReplyDelete