Wei Ning Chi
Professor Woods
English 1A
20 Feb 2011
Advertisements Analyzing Between the Advertisements of Chanel’s Fragrance “No. 5” and Givenchy’s Fragrance “ange ou demon”
Advertising promotes goods, services, images, and anything else that advertisers want to broadcast. It is becoming a main element of mass media. In order to attract audiences, advertisers use various techniques on their advertisements to make people aware of the firm's products, services, or brands. Even though the techniques used by advertisers are infinite, they have a common goal to convince those who might be their consumers to purchase their products. It is necessary for the advertisement to be more attractive and unique because they are in competition with all the other adverts for similar products. The advertisements of Chanel’s fragrance “No. 5” and Givenchy’s fragrance “ange ou demon” use different techniques to persuade different interest and age consumers purchasing their products. This perfume advertisement features Chanel’s fragrance “No. 5.” The perfume has been described "the world's most legendary fragrance" in Paris. The perfume bottle was in a square shape and was placed at the bottom right hand corner of the advertisement. The top of right side of the advertisement was the subject ‘’No. 5’’ that the Company of Chanel strongly promotes. The entire background of the advertisement was settling by dark brown wood doors combined together. The golden color surrounded every wood door’s up sides, down sides, handles, and windows. Most background colors represented golden and light brown. A mature woman who wore a black long formal dress and a pair of leather boots was standing on the left side of the advertisement. She was looking outside from inside of the window and raising two of her hands on the pole of the window. Her hair displayed by curl shape that has been already tied neatly on her head. She was wearing a black valuable watch on her left hand. Her face represented a peaceful expression.
First, the light source seemed to be the top central of the advertisement. The light was only falling oblique on the woman’s body, part of the golden ruffles within the wood, one slice of rectangle carpet, and the perfume bottle. Yet, the light was not lighting up most carpets in the background of the advertisement. This method of lighting made the woman standing out and resplendent in golden perfume bottle. The whole image comprised by multiple colors which were lamplights displaying golden light to the woman and the bottle, the nude beige of the woman’s skin and her dark brown curls, the dark black eyeliner and mandarin orange eye shadow clear showing on her eyes, the cherry red lips on the face, the combining black and silver color watch, the yellow white boots, and the golden ruffles surrounding within the dark brown word doors, and also the platinum cover on top the yellow bottle of the perfume white square background and the black texts inside within the yellow surrounding outside.
Second, the ingredients of the advertisement complemented the perfume. The oblique light from the lamplight made the mature lady and the perfume standing out because the areas of light mostly covered by the woman and the perfume. This helped to obtain the viewers’ attention directly to the woman and the bottle. The woman wore a black long feminine qualities dress gave an impression that the woman was donned to the perfume bottle. The perfume bottle also seemed to be evoked the luxurious and classical that the woman had. This will attract the viewers to buy the product.
Third, the focusing color combination is simple but set off the significance of the perfume. The black dress and the black watch that the woman wore, the black eyeliner on the eyes, all revealed the breath of noble. The dark brown curls of hair made the woman look more mature. The makeup that she used in the image all displayed by light color that made of woman looked more temperament. All these color ingredients imply the sensation after using the perfume. The decorating was by platinum cover, and the shiny yellow of the perfume bottle even evoked the noble elegant for the perfume.
Third, the position of the woman fits the work absolutely and conveys the message successfully to the audience. She bent her back, and her hands lightly touched the handles on the door demonstrated a rather seductive pose. Her facial expression further gave a flavor of peaceful look that seemed to be the message of mature the producers wished to put forth through the advertisement.
Last, the background setting by the dark brown woods is very appropriate because it exhibits the imagery of "the world's most legendary fragrance.” Also, the decorating of the lamplights and classical wood doors all evoked a classical elegant legendary of the fragrance. It has all the ingredients including setting of the imagery, color, light, the woman evoked the feminine and the background all hinted the implication of the fragrance bottle alone. This setting expresses the meaning of perfume advertisement absolutely to the consumers.
Another perfume of advertisement depicts Givenchy’s fragrance “ange ou demon.” It means “Angel or Demon” in French. The perfume bottle was a tear drop shape and was placed at the bottom right-hand corner of the portrait advertisement. The left of the bottle was the text and left of the center of the advertisement was a woman’s side profile with her head turned front. The setting was a stairway next to a wall that seemed to reduce into the dark.
First, the light source seemed to be the top left side corner of the advertisement and it was falling obliquely on the woman’s body and eventually illuminating the stairway and perfume bottle, making a crystal appearance for the bottle. Other than the light areas, the rest of the advertisement was dark, consisting of black and deep blue obliquities. These obliquities replenished the dark navy blue inclination of the perfume bottle. The whole image included three main portions of colors which were the dark blue to silvery white inclinations of the bottle and dress, the beige glow of the woman’s skin and her blonde curls, and the highlights of the silver eye shadow entrenched in a black lace mask and the light red lips on her face.
Second, essentials of the advertisement replenished the perfume bottle. The dress of the woman was a inclination from silvery white to a blue that ultimately fell into a black outline while the perfume bottle consisted of a gradient from black to blue and finally to silvery white. Those two gradients were exactly inverted and that was creating an obvious contrast between the two centers of attentions which were the bottle and the woman including the background. This helped to catch the viewers’ attention directly to the woman and the bottle. The similar gradient of the bottle and dress also gave us an impression that the woman was donned in the perfume bottle. By doing that, the perfume bottle also seemed to be showed by the grace, sensuality and mysteriousness that the woman had. This will charm the audiences to purchase the product. Third, the color mixture was very well matched to the name of the perfume “ange ou demon.” Angels are symbols of purity, unsophisticated, and paradise. White with a hint of silver was a perfect choice to evoke the purity that angels has. Also, a deep blue was to symbolize the darkness in demons was absolutely an appropriate selection. Fourth, the styling of the woman was very appropriate. Other than the point mentioned above regards the color of the dress, a lower dress brought across the sense that this fragrance was seductive to attract audiences to purchase the fragrance. In addition, the demon in the woman could be seen through this lower dress and the laced mask on her face while the angel of her was expressed through the silver eye shadow on her eyelid, the soft red on her lips and the simple but gorgeous makeup. A coiffure on the woman head as well presented both angelic and demonic feeling. Her curls were in a soft blonde shade, but given a rather strong surface by the strong lighting.
Fifth, the background of the stairway was very suitable because it displayed the imagery of heaven and hell. The two opposite elements could be linked by that seemed to be infinity extend stairway.
Last, the position of the woman adapted the composition completely and conveyed the message effectively to the audience. The woman was placed in such a way that she looked as if she was in the middle of the stairway, therefore representing a influential imagery of ‘angel or demon’. Next, her side contour accompanied by her had turned to face the camera completely and her hand slightly touching the wall represented a seductive pose. Her facial expression gave a flirtatious look that seemed to be the sense that the producers wish to bring forward through the advertisement.
There are similarities in both advertisements which are using the oblique lights to emphasize the women and the perfume bottles in the advertisements. These techniques will make consumers to understand the significance of women and associate with the perfume bottles. Another similitude is the background, the advertisement of the “No.5” conveys the message of "the world's most legendary fragrance" from the setting by the dark brown woods plus the decorating of the lamplights evoke a classical elegant legendary of the fragrance. Also, the background of the stairway in the advertisement of the “ange ou demon” is very appropriate because it displays the imagery of heaven and hell. In addition, the positions of the two women in the advertisements all fit their works properly by putting forth impressions through the advertisements. However, there are lots of differences between these two advertisements of the “No. 5”.and the “ange ou demon.” The light source seemed to be the top central of the advertisement of the “No. 5” whereas the light source seemed to be the top left side corner of the advertisement of the “ange ou demon.” Besides, the color is a quite contrast in between these two advertisements. The colors in the advertisement of the “No.5” were mostly simple but represented a mellow sensation. Yet, the colors in the advertisement of the “ange ou demon” are gradually levels to symbolize the meaning of “Angel or Demon” and represented a passion sensation. The mostly contrasting is the facial expressions in between these two women. The woman in the advertisement of the“No.5” facial expression was peaceful and seemed to present gentle feeling to consumers while the woman facial expression in the advertisement of the “ange ou demon” was having by flirtatious look to present attractive feeling to consumers. Thus, the consumers for the perfume “No.5” might be in a more mature age rather than the consumers for the perfume “ange ou demon.” In conclude, this essay has endeavored to give detailed analysis of two advertisements which were not only designed to provide a suitable image of the product, but were also shown to have a strong relationship with the subject context in the signs were placed. Two images of the advertisements all can draw consumer attention by differ techniques such as light sources, the women, the colors, and the backgrounds. Also, there are lot of similarities and differences in between these two advertisements. The similarities are placed by obliges lights to emphasize the women and the perfume bottles, the proper positions of the two women, and the suitable backgrounds. The differences are the simple colors versus gradually level colors, and the woman of peaceful expression versus the woman of flirtatious look in the each advertisement. These two advertisements all try to be more attractive and unique by different skills to persuade those who might be different interest and age to purchase their products. Most advertisements are only just focusing how to attract audiences purchasing the firm’s products, but is should be more focusing on the education purpose to make people have a better living.