Analysis of an Advertisement - Case Study Example

Analysis of an Advertisement Advertisement is perhaps the most powerful instrument in the hands of modern media in the context of communicating with people irrespective of national boundaries, cultural outlook and ideological constraints. The evolution of modern advertisement started during the 1920s with the dynamic advancement in the field of business and marketing strategies and with the advancement of time advertisement has not only remained as a simple device in the hands of business organizations for promotion of their products but it also has emerged as an effective medium to reflect the changing trends of socio-cultural existence both in a particular social or global context. There is not denial of the fact that in the current situation advertisement is mostly used for commercial purposes but relevance of advertisement for the purpose of enhancing common awareness or for any other benevolent reason, also cannot be denied. A successful advertisement encompasses several aspects within its limited scope, starting from prevailing cultural elements to basic aspects of human requirement and understanding; ultimately, the entire effect of an advertisement generates the point of appeal at the psychical level of consumers. Thus, keeping apart its commercial usability, it can be said that advertisement is an artistic creation and the new Nina Ricci Perfume ad, which has been chosen as the subject of analysis, clearly speaks on behalf of this observation. Technological advancement and several experimental attempts that are aimed at communicating actual meaning of a visual effect more effectively to audience have helped in drastic developed in the scenario of creating advertisements. One of the most important aspects of the new age advertisement making is that it not only focuses on main theme of the ad but at the same time, drawing reference from different cultural and social perspectives it incites the consumers or target audience to purchase the product. However, unless there is a successful combination of creative bent of mind and technological aspects, creation of a proper advertisement is not possible. In this context, providing adequate importance on production elements and proper utilization of the resources becomes highly important. Production elements generally refer to devices like music, audio effects, editing and use of humor kits so that audience receives required information and sufficient materials for entertainment within the small span of an advertisement. The Nina Ricci perfume ad, which is the main subject of analysis in the paper, shows excellent orientation of the production elements. Audio effect of the advertisement, though mainly is prevailed by high pitch opera voice, but audience also finds several overlapping audio effects that to a considerable extent help in creating the actual ambiance so that conveying the main message of the advertisement becomes easy. The Nina Ricci perfume advertisement opens with a jingling sound, which immediately provides a clear impression to the audience as if a world of fancy has been opened. In this context, it is remarkable to find the kind of importance that production team has provided to every single minute details, starting from apparent visual and audio effect to psychological aspects of the viewer. Application of soft jingling sound is widely associated with elements of fantasy and the audience automatically gets associated with the world of fairy tales. In addition to this effect, it must be admitted that despite the ad has been created on the foundation of a fairy tale world but issues like Biblical mythology and search for the perfect element, inciting women temptation are also there. Thus, in order to provide a proper reflection to these aspects enhancement of only the fanciful environment would not have been sufficient. Thus, the Nina Ricci perfume ad incorporates several other sound effects such as sensuous whispering, tranquil strum of piano and constant jarring note, which develops background of the entire audio effect. The shrill opera voice though prevails major part of the advertisement but it is remarkable to see that each of the audio effects is clear and distinct and also carries respective symbolic application. Editor of the advertisement has exhibited marvelous skill when it comes to harmonious presentation of the entire situation and ideas of different magnitude. The advertisement can be witnessed as an amazing assimilation of different but precise shots. In the opening we see a short but precise focus on a crystal sphere through which the audience receives permission to enter a grand mansion with fanciful settings. At the same time, if we observe carefully, we will find that outer portion of the sphere also bears reflection of a woman’s face and immediately the audience is provided with an impression that the situation what they are going to see is actually narrated to them from a third person’s perspective. The same impression has also been carried forward as the main subjects, namely, the princess and Nina Ricci perfume bottle receives distinct focus from the camera. The camera here acts as an impartial participant in the entire situation, only narrative events that are happening within the mansion, to the audience. Selection and arrangement of shots by the editor has played a crucial role in development of the entire setting. For example, the sequence of the shots that explain deep desire of the princess for Nina Ricci perfume can be explained. First shot of the sequence shows the princess to enter the room and her facial expression changes immediately. The next shot encompasses a broad canvas, starting from entire setting of the room to the apple tree at the end and apples pied underneath, and the third shot shows the reason for illumination in the princess’s face, the red color Nina Ricci perfume bottle hanging from the apple tree. The fourth shot quickly again shifts on the princess’s facial expression, which quite explicitly explains a sense of fulfillment fused with strong, subconscious wild desire. The mysterious, yet tempting smile on the princess’s face explain this aspect. Unless editing of an advertisement is highly efficient and reflective, it would not be possible to communicate the ideas in such well decorated manner to the audience. Another brilliant example of editing in this ad can be cited through arrangement of shots during the princess’s climb to the top of the apple heap in order to procure the perfume bottle. The editor has chosen short shots that have focused on hand and leg movement of princess during her climb of the heap of apple. On one hand such movements suggests the germinating wilderness and passion within a woman and on the other it also symbolically represents desperate quest of a young woman heart in search for her emotional and physical fulfillment. However, development of all these incidents have actually occurred due to the Nina Ricci perfume; thus, in the final situation shot shows complete focus on the perfume container and its reddish illumination has been projected in such a manner that it automatically supplies a clear message of temptation to the audience. At the same time, contrast to the perfume container, entire surrounding including the princess also becomes blurred. It is due to effective editing, the audience receives a clear message from commercial perspective that Nina Ricci perfume is such an entity that has supreme capacity to fulfill a woman’s desire towards fulfillment of her womanhood. One of the major reasons behind evolution of the modern advertisement is drastic development in the industrial sectors, change in taste of common people and increasing rate of hedonism in social context. The commercial sector capitalized on these issues and tried to enhance their profit to a considerable extent. However, unless there would have been a proper medium of marketing these products to consumers, it would not have been possible for the companies to sell their products to consumers. In the context, advertisement emerged as an extreme effective weapon in the hands of the corporate organizations. In today’s context, advertisement mostly serves the purpose of promoting a product or providing information to consumers regarding its utility. The modern ads mainly function as an effective device that bridges the gap between consumers and business organization. Despite the fact that advertisements are mainly used for commercial purposes but in case of benevolent or non commercial reasons advertisements are also used effectively. The subject of discussion, Nina Ricci perfume advertisement, however, is a commercial one. Functionally this advertisement is purely commercial and aims at promotion of the Nina Ricci perfume to young, female consumers. Use of a young female model as protagonist of this advertisement and her eager quest to get the bottle of perfume clearly indicate the fact that aim of the manufacturing house is to attract the female consumers. However, in the modern times, advertisements are made by keeping a deep and integral connection with socio-cultural elements of human beings. Thus, an advertisement may be made by keeping in mind clear commercial aspects but it also contains within its precise scope several elements that represent different layers of functioning from socio-cultural perspective. The main function of the Nina Ricci perfume ad, at the superficial level is to promote the product among young women consumers. However, if we attempt to explore different layers of meaning in the advertisement, we will encounter that the advertisement also has functioned as an effective medium to represent a conventional social outlook towards women as gender. Context of the ad is a brilliant fusion of fairy and mythological backdrop. References from both these sources would clearly show the fact that women have traditionally been regarded as inferior to their male counterparts. They also have been projected as entirely dependent on male gender for their development and are regarded as responsible for any kind of problems. In the advertisement we see that the princess is on a quest to search for femininity and fulfillment of womanhood but unlike mythological references she is not accompanied by any male or does not receive help from any male counterparts during her quest. However, it is soon exposed that her quest to attain goal is focused on procuring the Nina Ricci perfume, which also symbolically implies fulfillment to her womanhood. Creation of valorous ambiance, magnitude of passion, and desperate attempt of the princess to attain the goal: each of these aspects has been represented in a mock heroic manner. The princess, who emerges as a heroic figures in context of this advertisement finally becomes a comic figure, whose valor, passion and desperateness all are aimed at attaining trivial elements that are effective in the context of decorating physical beauty of women so that they can attract attention of their male counterparts. Just the manner a mythological heroic figure breaks open a castle gate, overcomes barriers and finally mounts a huge distance to reach his goal, the princess here also opens closed door of a room, crosses the fine floor and finally mounts the pile of apple to reach her destination. Ultimately the entire situation represents a mock heroic tale where women are portrayed as creatures for trivial gain and they receive a particular kind of satisfaction by remaining obsessed with such trivial attainments. Thus, the traditional socio-cultural reflection regarding role of women in the modern socio-cultural context has remained unchanged and layers of meaning of the advertisement clearly suggest truth behind such observation. Plot of this advertisement comprises two themes and both the themes have been provided with equal attention. The advertisement opens in a manner as if it would narrate tale of a beautiful princess and in this context use of the crystal sphere in the very opening scene is remarkable. The opening scene provides such a clear impression that it leads the audience to believe as if she is invited to a world of fancy as a princess and the crystal sphere is her medium for entrance (Nina Ricci Perfume). The woman figure, in the advertisement, also becomes a symbolic manifestation of spontaneous feminine spirit that is engaged in the quest of something and finally she has found it. Complete focus on facial expression of the woman after she enters the room and glances at the bare tree with apple heaped beneath it immediately makes it clear that finally she has found something that would give her womanhood with the perfect fulfillment (Nina Ricci Perfume). It is from this point onwards the beautiful princess transforms into the ancient and eternal spirit of women in accordance with biblical references. The fairy tale atmosphere is immediately transformed into the world of biblical mythology, where the princess becomes Eve in search of forbidden knowledge. According to the Bible, Eve resulted in the fall of all human beings as she tempted Adam to taste the forbidden fruit. Here, influence or presence of any male figure has entirely been denied and it seems that the woman has taken her decision to taste the forbiddance all by herself. Unlike the Holy Bible, apple does not become carrier of the forbidden taste; rather the taste is encapsulated inside the Nina Ricci perfume container and the apples become her ladder to reach the source of taste (Nina Ricci Perfume). This advertisement can be regarded as an excellent example that demonstrates a general impression of society regarding women irrespective of caste, culture and ideological boundaries. Though women have been presented as virtuous human beings and in the post modern philosophical reflections often provide emphasis on the aspect of their individual entity as human beings, but in reality women are considered as sensuous creatures and essentially vulnerable to temptation. In this advertisement, through the woman figure, the spirit of womanhood has been projected in the same manner and automatically it also becomes a remarkable example of comparative media as the audience receives a comprehensible impression about social observation regarding women in different socio-cultural contexts. The advertisement also reflects evidences of exceptional camera use. The ambiance of grandeur and sophistication fused with spontaneous temptation has been perfectly communicated to the audience with the help of camera use only. Short focus of camera from different angles shows the elegance of surrounding to the audience. Complete focus on facial expression of the woman figure, her eyes and in the very next moment on the perfume container and providing a glimpse of her reflection on the glass body of the container clearly indicate the pleasure of achievement at the end of a forbidden quest. Brief but specific camera focus on the hand and leg movement of the woman (Nina Ricci Perfume) shows her eagerness to reach her destination and at the same time it also symbolically represents the impression of wild emotional drive in all human beings. The advertisement is replete with fairy, mythical and biblical connotations and excellent use of camera movement has made these connotations more realistic. Finally, background music of this advertisement has a very important role to play in fulfilling the entire ambiance and it also provides a clear reflection of the suppressed wild ecstasy, which is ready to respond to temptations within every young women. Use of opera music and masterfully oriented woman voice in the background, at once, has perfected the elegant, royal, fairy but mythical circumstance and it has helped in conveying the message that young women spirit in search for temptation only receives fulfillment with Nina Ricci Perfume. Work Cited Nina Ricci Perfume. Advertisement. Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USeoyat4yos. Retrieved on: 16.02.2010 Read More