Advert Research 2

Advert 2: Guerlain Paris

This is an advert for a perfume, therefore the only way the product can be shown is in its bottle, however the images used on the advert are supposed to depict the scent to the viewer. The viewers focus on this image is drawn in many directions as many things are featured. Dark and light is used frequently in this advert, drawing your focus to different parts of the image and creating a mysterious atmosphere for the product and suggesting that the product itself will have musky scent.

 Along the left-hand side of the image there is a thin strip that contains an image of what looks to be a condensated window, or some kind of glass with water droplets all over t. The background behind it goes from light to dark, with a small section of light afterwards and then back to dark at the bottom. This reinforces the idea that it is condensation on a window rather than an obscure piece of glass as there is a range of light/dark areas in the background. In front of this image is a symbol that is a dark gold/burnt orange colour and is not a singular shape but rather an arrangement of flowing lines that create a symbol together. Looking closely at the symbol you can see the brand logo of two backwards “G”s in a serif font that has more flowing lines around it. The colour of this symbol is very similar to the colour of the product inside of its bottle creating a colour theme for muted golds. The focus is on this symbol primarily over the glass in the background suggesting it could be a developed brand logo for this perfume or is being used to create a stronger brand identity of being an upper-class brand.

The middle/right of the image contains different images, the largest being of a female looking sideways towards the camera in a close-up shot. The model is wearing natural makeup and is not wearing any bold colours such as red or blue, but instead is wearing neutral colours that are meant to look natural, creating a glowy/dewy effect on her skin, implying she is young and naturally attractive. Her eyes are looking directly into the camera which is a convention. Her hair is dark and pulled away from her face, drawing all the focus to her face and mostly eyes.

She is also wearing no jewellery such as earrings and has no visible piercing, again conveying the idea that she is innocent and natural. She is not visibly wearing any clothing as the shot is above the shoulders giving the advert overall a more sensual atmosphere as she seems to be undressed. This is also a convention of adverts, for women to be scantily dressed to advertise the product further. The model is not looking directly into the camera but is instead turning her head slightly and looking sideways into the camera, which is unusual as most of the time the model looks directly into the camera. The model overall is attractive which will sell the perfume further as it implies if you buy and wear this perfume you too will be attractive/sensual just like the model is portrayed to be.

In front of the model there is a faded image if pale pink flowers over her face. This does not completely draw your attention away from her face but instead gives the whole advert a girly/feminine atmosphere as stereotypically flowers are considered to be feminine.  Furthermore, this depicts that the perfume in the advert has floral notes therefore giving the viewer an idea of how the product may smell. As the flowers go across the centre of the screen the viewer naturally sees them first, showing they have been pit there intentionally for the viewer to notice.

In the lower right section of the advert the product itself is shown in its bottle giving the viewer a visual sign to look at. The bottle itself is clearly classy and looks to be expensive due to its shape and the thickness of the glass. To the left of the bottle is a variety of texts that give information about the product. The font used is a bold serif font that accentuates the femininity of the product and the classy nature of the brand overall. This font is used in all of the text it is just the size that changes, creating a sense of continuity for the viewer. Furthermore, the font used features a slightly darker gold to the gold used for the large symbol on the left which also matches the perfume, linking everything back to the product itself. Above the text is the brand logo which is featured in the symbol, however it is much smaller and clearer to read. Below the symbol is “Guerlain” in the largest font and below it is “Paris” in a much smaller font. This creates a strong brand identity and clearly identifies that brand for the viewer. Below this is “Nordstrom Bloomingdales. Jacobson’s’ Lord & Taylor” in a much smaller size font suggesting it is the least important information.

In summary, a brand identity has been created through the feminine imagery used throughout such as the flowers and the use of dark/light as well as the text/symbols. All of the above create an upper class/elegant atmosphere overall depicting that the brand too are upper class and experts in what they produce.