A comparison of how women are represented in
fragrance advertisements from the 1930s, 1990s and 2012
Parfum Un Air Embaume by Rigaud (1930s)
This advertisement clearly links the oriental to feeling of
sexuality and the Middle East to the perfume. The beautiful woman in the
picture is dressed in revealing clothes which exposes her belly button, lower
arms and her neck. It is very much the outfit that consumers in the west would
imagine an oriental belly dancer would wear. Although her head is modestly
covered her neckline is plunging and the bodice is tight and revealing;
altogether the outfit is very oriental and sensual, suggesting to the target
buyer just how seductive and exotic they would be if they bought this perfume.
This advertisement projects the feeling of an oriental bazaar
or palace. The confident smile on her face is attractive for people. She is
desirable and obviously rich by the clothes she wears and the strutting peacock
next to her. The peacock is a sign of elegance and beauty and is looking at the
woman as she enters almost reverently. She stands in a graceful and elegant
way, almost imitating the peacock.
The perfume bottle itself, lights up the room inside. The men
are lit up and engulfed by the perfume. The lighting is dim giving a mystique.
It sets the scene and gives the advertisement a mysterious effect overall. She
is wearing gold signalling she is rich and glamorous. The dress she wears is
low cut and is revealing, it is very different from the people that it was
aimed at; some of the woman it is aimed at would call it scandalous but would
also secretly want to buy this perfume. I believe that this perfume is aimed at
woman who want a difference from the life they have. The women who buy this
perfume want to be admired by men and in the centre of attention. They wish to
be looked upon with envy from other woman and want to be the glamorous and
famous. It is very different and endears itself to women in an adventurous way
as many adverts back in the 1930s would not be like this. This advert seems
almost revolutionary in the way that it would be looked down upon by many
because of how different it is.
The advert has also suggested that to buy this perfume is to
be high class. In the slogan in the bottom right corner, they call it ‘The exclusive perfume with a touch of the
Orient’. This seems to me that they have designed the perfume to be for woman
who wants to be rich and glamorous, which I have to say, is quite a few. They
have also advertised it as a foreign smell. They have tried to advertise the
difference between them and other perfume brands. They have designed the
perfume as exotic and exciting, much different from places that normally
manufacture perfume like France or America.
Paloma Picasso by Paloma Picasso (1990s)
This advertisement has taken a dramatic change from the
previous one. This one is attractive to women who wish to hold power. This
advert is obviously trying to link power to the perfume brand. The way in which
Paloma Picasso holds herself and the expression she has suggests that she is
her own woman. Her red gloves and her gold ring suggest high class and power,
very different to the 1930s advert as that advert showed the woman through the
male’s point of view. Most of her body is covered up by her hands and the
perfume bottle itself. The clothes you can see are scarlet. The straps that
adorn her shoulders suggest she is wearing a scarlet dress. Scarlet as a colour
is normally associated with power, wealth, love and war.
