This advert promotes the perfume “Ange ou Demon” (meaning “Angel or Demon” in French) by Givenchy.
The whole concept of the image is based on the name and there is an emphasis
on the contrasting sides of the picture (good and bad), which evokes uncertainty
and leaves the audience with the question – “Is the women portrayed an angel or
a Demon? I feel that the target demographic is a relatively young woman,
approximately the age of the model (between 20 and 30) that craves command, as
this is the impact the model has on the audience – to be in in control, which
is a desirable quality many women aspire to have.
The “Angel” in her is reflected in
the brightly lit white dress of the picture as white connotes goodness, innocence, purity
– the characteristics of an angel. It is also expressed through
the silver eye shadow on her eyelid, the soft red on her lips and the simple
yet glamorous makeup. On the other hand,
the demon can be seen through this bareback dress and the sheer laced mask
across her face. This mysterious
perspective is also demonstrated in the dimly lit section as the word “Demon”
connotes dark and evil, which gives the audience an impression of secrecy and
dominance. This can be very appealing to women as it subverts the stereotype of
a woman – which is generally weakness and dependence - and instead depicts the
woman as powerful and in control. This adds to the theme of confidence used to ensure the viewer will desire her. The mise en scene consists of a staircase in low key lighting, which seems to
diminish into the background beside a wall of stone. Immediately, a mysterious
and obscure setting is created that will intrigue the audience. The colour
scheme in the advert and the woman’s dress, which ranges from silvery to dark
blue seems to reflect the gradient in the perfume. This correlation also gives us an impression that the woman is
represented in the perfume bottle. By doing so, the perfume bottle also seems to
evoke the sensuality, elegance and mysteriousness that the woman has. This will
attract the viewers to buy the product. The ad is a
single portrait image with a mid shot of the model, who is placed very central,
and a low angle (she is looking down at the camera to create a sense of
superiority over everyone viewing the picture and emphasise the direct address).
This appeals to the audience and is effective in getting the product sold, as
they would get the impression that if you buy the perfume you will have that
same control over everyone and be the centre of attention. The hard focus/strong
lighting on the model and perfume contrasts with the blurry and dim background,
a technique used to bring the audience's attention to the woman.
All the techniques and lines of
appeal of beautiful, powerful and successful women are used to cause the audience
to aspire to be like the woman and have her impactful and stunning effect on the viewer and
will be led to think that they need the perfume to be like her.
Freedom by Tommy Hilfiger is a
fragrance for men who aspire to be the decisive and self-confident man
depicted in the advert - a man who can make business decisions as a manager in
any office or as a steersman on a ship. His charisma, decisiveness and
confidence are the embodiment of courage. Therefore the target demographic would be a wealthy educated man in the midst of his career (so between 25 and 40) who
wants to portray himself as self-assured and skilled in various aspects.
“Freedom” is a
powerful word (placed in the centre and in bold) to attract customers who seek
the gratification of diversion - an escape from their everyday stress and
problems. This is powerful in the way that many can relate to the problems of
life and seek the need to escape and fulfill their adventurous indulgences,
which is effective in getting the product sold. The fact that the setting
consists of a boat at sea also emphasises the peaceful atmosphere, as the
connotation of the sea is serenity, which has a positive impact on the
audience. The lighting aspect of the mise en scene also plays a big part in the
overall atmosphere; the high key lighting at the top right and the hard focus on
both the boat and the scenery make the picture clear and bright, which could
reflect the model's thoughts. This, again, makes the audience feel envious of the man and makes the perfume desirable. The
NVC of the man is calm, confident and masculine. This is shown in his relaxed,
confident posture, the ambitious look into the distance (instead of direct address)
and the exposure of his skin. The body hair also adds to the masculinity and
supports the male stereotype.
All these points contribute to the overall message of the
advert, which is that this perfume causes everyone to become this free,
determined and successful person – an idol to all men – and makes the perfume
seem like the source of this lifestyle.
Terminology
Media language
Audience
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