Comparing Two Advertisements

Is it possible for an individual to not be affected by the media they are exposed to? It is unlikely that such a person exists; the media will always find a way to enter the mind of its audience and manipulate their emotions. In the two images I have chosen to analyze, both images are intended to persuade the viewer to buy a perfume, but each individual ad focuses on different ideas to sell the product. The older black and white ad from 1955 focuses on providing the idea of a relationship between a man and a young woman (whom wears noticeable makeup) in order to sell their fragrance called Intimate, while the 2017 ad focuses on the idea of a single woman (wearing a semi natural makeup look) in order to sell their fragrance called Rare Gold.

The target of these ads are young women who want to or already feel unique. The product is the same, the gender of the targeted audience is the same, and the presentation of both ads give off a seductive attitude. Each of the women used in the ads is young and beautiful, either to mirror the intended audience or to provoke a desire in the audience to want to be like these women. When analyzing the 1955 Intimate ad, the viewer’s eyes automatically go to the woman’s and the man’s smile, indicating a sense of mutual content and love. The emotions portrayed fools the audience into feeling those emotions for themselves and yearn for the scenario displayed before them; using an emotional appeal allows the ad to gain an advantage over the audience, making them easier to persuade. Furthermore, the ad uses a couple to symbolize love and the confidence that love brings. This strong symbol of a relationship is highly effective in convincing the reader that the product being sold will mirror the love and confidence being presented by the couple. Another noticeable aspect about the woman is her makeup and jewelry. The bold and sexy makeup look, along with the fancy jewelry both

This bright color lures the audience in and keeps them hooked. The single woman in the advertisement is meant to symbolize beauty within independence. This symbol leads the viewer towards wanting to feel like the woman is portrayed, making an emotional appeal to feel confident and happy. The ad does not have the woman in the ad wearing dramatic make up or jewelry on purpose; instead she has a semi-natural makeup look and no jewelry that emphasizes the idea that she does not need these things to appear special and confidant. Thus, making the viewer believe that the only factor that could be making her be this radiantly confident and unique is their perfume, meaning their logical appeal has been manipulated. The viewer can’t even smell the perfume, but has become certain that it’s what is making the woman stand out and be desired. The woman’s gaze, like the 1955 ad, is also directed at the viewer in this 2017 ad. Once again, this gaze demands attention and praise which is then directed to the product, given it the upmost importance. Their small caption, “Treasure it always,” uses the word treasure to convey that the consumer would be just as valuable as treasure or gold, hence the fragrance name Rare