A comparison of how women have been represented in fragrance advertisements from 1920s, 1990s and 2011.

 

     (MAVIS Vivaudou 1920s Print Ad.)

      The focus of the representation is on the woman performing a pose like a dancer. This is observed from the fact that the woman is being held up by the character dressed as a pierrot and that the woman represented is stretching out her arms the same way a ballet dancer would. This is a theatrical illustration in a way that the use of this fragrance allows women to be a part of a "show" the same way the represented woman would. The woman is dressed in a bright gold skirt which is reflecting the delicacy in her fashion and its wideness is imaging the woman like a swan along with her highly stretched arms. Her shoes match the golden design of the skirt and its unique and sophisticated design is an impressive figuration of the Art Nouveau style. Her theatrical illustration in this advert matches the way she is dressed and it's a major cause the woman is 'irresistible' as the advert suggests.

      We also observe the oriental representation in the architectural format of the building surrounding the woman. The main focus of this advert from the presentation of an oriental style is a message of co-existence with the European environment around it. What this would refer to is the fact that such contrasting position is presenting an opportunity for the users of this fragrance to experience the traditional East Asian styles along with the use. Possibly and most likely, this would be a crucial attraction to women who have placed their interests in the Oriental scent. The shadows that cover the arc proves to the observers that the print advert is not just a print, but rather provides a feeling that we are actually in the midst of the experience of the orient. The architect makes a perfect parallel to the women's skirt and doesn't give us the feeling that the co-existence of the Oriental feeling along with an European one is awkward. 

( Red for Men 1990s Print Ad. ) 

     My second choice, Red for Men, forms a great contrast to Vivaudou’s Mavis advertisement in its representation of women. Where the female in Mavis is considered the epitome of feminity in her dainty and balletic pose, the female in the Red for Men advert is featured as almost masculinised in the fact that she is taking a predatory and an assertive pose. This is derived from the motion her body is taking such as grasping the man’s hair as if to control him and taking the higher stance in their relationship. Whilst in the Mavis advert, the woman was presented more as a controlled figure in contrast to the man in the pier rot outfit, the Red for Men advert presents her as the person in command.

     Also, as the Mavis advert shows an idealised romantic image of the woman, the Red for Men portrays a different image. In the Mavis one, it has been stated that the whole atmosphere of the advert is giving us a theatrical feeling due to the woman's stance and the art nouveau style of her clothing and surroundings, as if by using the fragrance a woman would feel they were being involved in a fantasy world. However, Reds for Men shows a direct contrast. The woman in the advert is of an earthly image with her short hair and strong possessive stance. She is somewhat taking the image of a man in the way she is portrayed as a strong figure and she shows a great want showing a unique side of the fragrance’s attraction. 

     Furthermore, the woman represented in Reds for Men  is significant in the fact that she is undressed along with the man to disperse sexuality and a sense of joyfulness. An achievement of this illustration is to indoctrinate the observers that they are at a beach or a summer holiday sort of location. This convinces people in a sense that, 'If fun is what you are looking for, this fragrance will do the job'. Not only does being undressed give you the feeling of enjoyment and interest, but this is also a good way of presenting sexuality and grasping extreme awareness, leading to the purchase of the fragrance. Such illustration is not noticed from the Mavis Vivaudou print advert, and this is from the fact that the timeline of 1920s focuses on theatrical attraction rather than natural sexuality. 

    ( Miss Dior Cherie, Moving image Ad. 2011 ) 

    The third advert that I chose is Miss Dior Cherie. This advert concentrates more on the representation of freedom from being dependant on anyone to make her happy. This is much like a post-feminist assertion of independence that women will experience unlike the first and second advert which describes the attraction the user might experience from it. The advert has a 'main colour' of pink to show an elegant and soft image of French sophistication. From the woman's clothings to the backgrounds of the scene, the woman is portrayed as if she is in her own world that was created for her to enjoy. The information that is passed on from the advert is that the fragrance allows the user to enjoy life the way the model in the advert does. This is a very well portrayed engagement with the busy lifestyles of today and creates another sense of attraction for women to be interested in. 

     The woman in the advert carries a free spirit allowing her to carry out what she desires to do. From the start to the end of the advert, every second illustrates the open life that the woman is enjoying. For example, in the scene where the woman is walking across the bridge, we realise that she has an elegant smile over her face and her posture represents her freedom of belonging to where she is. As the advert moves on, she designs her own dress, rides a bike along the city, and tries out what she wants to. This acts as an incentive for people with busy lives to realise the message that life is there to enjoy. She never loses her smile throughout the advert and this is a sign of her bliss and happiness.

    

      Furthermore, the Miss Dior Cherie advert has the main theme colour of pink which is a representation of girlish and daintiness. Throughout the advert, numerous objects and background settings carry the colour of pink which is a unique characteristic that this fragrance wants to represent. What the advert wants to conclude from the use of such a bright yet soft colour is the presentation of a dainty image the user will contain. This characteristic can be compared to the Mavis Vivaudou which represents the woman as dainty from the use of her pose as a ballet dancer as well. This proves that the Miss Dior Cherie is trying to portray the woman in  an elegant yet old-fashioned way which shows a highly contrast to representations from the 1990s such as the Reds for Men print advertisement. 

     Additionally, the Miss Dior Cherie advert focuses on the dream and fantasy that the user will experience from the fragrance. All the events in the advert not only show the image of a, ‘free woman’ but also, the representation of a woman in her fantasy world. The advert shows scenes of the woman riding her bike unreservedly inside the city, meeting the dream man of her life, and flying over the city of Paris on a bundle of colourful balloons. Nothing in her world can disturb her from her freedom and allows her to do whatever she desires. This can be compared to the first two print adverts which both represent the women as full of freedom and fantasy. Especially in the Mavis Vivaudou advert, the theatrical representation is a comparison factor to the Miss Dior Cherie woman and her fantasy dream. Even though the city is full of cars and is clearly a busy background, the woman rides freely with a graceful smile on her face. One of the most significant events in the advert is her confrontation with the dream man of her life. This is because after she sprays the Miss Dior Cherie perfume on herself, the man she has dreamed of arbitrarily appears on the streets with a warm smile directed at her. The scene that comes up next shows the two sharing deep love with each other in an elegant background with bright sunshine and dazzling colours. The advert meets the end by showing the woman flying high above the city of Paris with a bundle of balloons. This concludes that freedom and fantasy are rewarded to the user of the fragrance and in a very splendid manner.