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Charlotte Pratt
Chanel is one of the leading brands for perfumes in the high end and high street market, with successful perfumes such as Chance, COCO Mademoiselle, COCO Noir & No5, with the first ever perfume being released in 1921. The brand is highly respected in the fashion industry with 100 years of perfumes, memorable catwalks, and sophisticated, classic style. Founded by CoCo Chanel herself, the brand has built itself a personality of being timeless, and elegant, embracing the modern woman that everyone desires. The Chanel perfume chain is constantly growing, with memorable adverts, new concepts and designs always being released. Each perfume is different with similar aspects of the logo on the bottle neck, vintage lid and the basic, minimal label. Coco Mademoiselle is one of the most anticipated perfumes of the chain, with two feature length TV ads and Magazine AD. Found in I-D Magazine, (Pre-Spring 2014) issue, the 2011 released advert (taken by photographer Mario Testino) takes across a double page spread, bringing all attention when the reader is flicking through. I-D magazine is known for its alternative and rebellious attitude, filled with luxury and high end brand adverts and edits. Chanel is a luxury brand, and is also seen in magazines such as Vogue & Elle. However, I feel the advert is too mainstream, clean, and not as innovative as other brands which are shown in ID Magazine, making it not as appealing to the I.D consumer/reader. The casting of Keira Knightly for the advert brings in celebrity endorsement, making the product more desirable to not just loyal consumers of the brand, but to also fans of the model herself, expanding the brands audience. Relating to the Attribution theory in advertising, the model (ie Keira) is known as the Persuasion Model, as her being ‘famous’, is persuading consumers to also buy the product effortlessly, aspiring to be her. In addition supported by Mark Tungate this is a easy way to sell any product “stars give brands a welldefined personality for a minimum of effort, and bring them with rich fanatasy world consumers aspire” (Tungat M 2008).
Her style, and individual look, is a similar portrayal of Coco Chanel herself, giving the advert an overall heritage theme, connecting also to the loyal consumer. She embraces the modern Coco Chanel, with mysterious, playful, empowering attitude, shown through her pose. Her pose, is a reference to Patrick Demarchelier’s photo of Kate Moss, for Vogue June 2013 (fig 3), with the playful, seductive posture. However with that, her pose is also feminine and sensual similar to “Venus of Ubrino” by Titan painted in 1538 (fig 2). Furthermore, her posture and expression signifies what CoCo Chanel’s perfumery vision was, where she wanted every woman to feel seductive in her perfume stating where her perfume should be used “Where-ever one wants to be kissed.” (CoCo Chanel – 1937 Harpers Baazar). Keira’s pose reflects her vision perfectly as she is lying down with her neck on show.
Style of her hair and makeup, is classic, timeless, and glamorous, with a palette fitting with the products colour theme. Earth tones, and pale pinks included in the palette, and being known for Chanel’s key colours, and romanticizing the advert, fitting in with the TV Ad’s storyline. However the garment choices is a clear clash to the root style of Chanel and modern fashion, as instead of just a glamorous garment, she is wearing a biker-styled jacket/suit (originally designed by Karl Lagerfeld), which has the inspiration of Harley Davidson’s brands roots, of the biker/grunge street trend & giving her an rebellious image. The colour of the jacket is classic Chanel, however with the masculine style; this gives Chanel a fresh, modern look. Her captivating pose and style in the advert, gives Keira the desirable look of what every woman wants to be, or wants to be seen as. The position of the advert is spread across the double page, not the classic product and model in the centre. The advert tells a short story from left to right, starting with the name of the product on the left, and the product and model on the right. This gives the reader the curiosity to find out more, and by that they have to analyse the whole advert.
The typography of the ad has a contrast, between sophisticated and urban. The Chanel title on the right is to its classic brand motif, making it recognizable to the viewer. However, due to the edge of the fragrance concept they want to create, the name of the fragrance is roughly ‘painted’ on the image. This also shows the contrast of the advert story, of glamour, high class woman, taking on the edgy, alternative style. The advert has a target of the disposable income consumer, who has perfume as an essential item to their daily routine, however has a love for indulgencing products. The consumer is loyal to the brand and the perfumes, however due to the celebrity endorsement; this widens the target of the advert. The advert is reaching out to the audience ages 25-40, due to advert portraying the woman every woman desires to be, and the classic Chanel elegant look. Chanel is one of the most empowering brands overall in perfumery, with rival brands such as Dior also in the chain. Miss Dior (fig 4), released in 1947 with the advert released 2011 starring Natalie Portman in floral dress, and embraces innocent, feminine beauty. This advert is CoCo Mademoiselle’s rival advert and product. Dior perfume being released first, Chanel soon came after, with similar aspects such as ‘Miss’ and ‘Mademoiselle’ both meaning, unmarried/uncommitted. The Miss Dior advert is feminine, innocent and soft, with CoCo Mademoiselle being hard, masculine and edgy. Both brands have similar consumers, of the empowering, desired woman; however CoCo Mademoiselle has took the opposite spectrum to Miss Dior to attract the consumers.
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Overall the advert is memorable, with the celebrity endorsement, and the experimentation of playing around with Chanel’s original brand image, with a modern taste. The advert portrays the heritage, the brand, and the meaning of the product name, fitting in references of Coco Chanel such as in style, mood and model. However, the advert itself where found I feel is poorly placed, such as being in found in I-D magazine when the brand itself is an opposite consumer to the magazine’s loyal reader, such as in style and brand interests.
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Bibliography Website: Niven L. (11th April 2013) 10 Spring/Summer 2013 Scents http://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/2013/04/11/10-new-spring-summer-2013-fragrances-perfumes/gallery/961450: Accessed 19th March 2014 Website: Melhuish K. (1st October 2009) ..Top Ten Biggest selling perfumes http://www.dailymail. co.uk/femail/beauty/article-1217210/The--Biggest-Selling-Perfumes.html: Accessed 19th March 2014 Website: Rodriguez L. (17th October 2013) Chanel Brand Personality http://prezi.com/jwbmuebcqwpb/chanel-brand-personality/: Accessed 20th March 2014 Website: Unknown (March 21st 2011) Chanel Coco Mademoiselle http://www.temptalia.com/chanelcoco-mademoiselle-with-keira-knightley: Accessed 20th March 2014 Website: Sandi In The City (March 10th 2011) http://sandiinthecity.onsugar.com/chanel-coco-mademoiselle-fragrance-keira-knightley-spring-2011-karl-lagerfeld-ad-campaign-joe-wright-alberto-amman-14829946: Accessed 19th March 2014 Website: Dahl S. (3rd February 2014) Persuasion Knowledge http://dahl.at/wordpress/category/advertising-communications-marketing-theory/ : Accessed 21st March 2014 Website: Unknown (September 15th 2013) Persuasion Theory http://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/persuasion-theory/98959/: Accessed 21st March 2014 Website: Neel J. (17th July 2009) Mademoiselle Coco Speaks http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/celebrityphotos/2009/07/17/coco-chanel-quotes-and-photos/gallery/392381: Accessed 21st March 2014 Magazine: (fig 1) I.D Magazine. (Pre-Spring 2014) Issue No. 329. p13-p14. Website (fig 2): Clark A. (November 29th 2011) Naked:Nude http://isak.typepad.com/isak/2011/11/: Accessed 20th March 2014 Website (fig 3): Francesca. (May 6th 2013) Kate Moss by Patrick Demarchilier (SAIL AWAY) http:// papuatattoo.com/fashion/kate-moss-by-patrick-demarchelier-for-vogue-uk-june-2013/ Accessed 21st March 2014 Website: (fig 4) http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/natalie-portman/images/18346242/title/miss-diorcherie-add-photo: Accessed: 21st March 2014 Book: Tungate M. (2008, p.120). Fashion Brands – Branding style from Armarni to Zara. London: Kogan Pages. Chapters/secetions (Brand In A Bottle pages 151-155) (Celebrity Sells pages 119-123) References CoCo Chanel (1937. “‘Where should one use perfume?’ a young woman asked. ‘Wherever one wants to be kissed, (online) available at http://www.vogue.co.uk/spy/celebrity-photos/2009/07/17/cocochanel-quotes-and-photos/gallery/392381: Accessed 24th March 2014 Tungate M. (2008, p.120). Fashion Brands – Branding style from Armarni to Zara. London: Kogan Pages