Viktor & Rolf Advertisement Analysis

ADVERT ANALYSIS Chloe Murphy N0500689 Fashion Communication and Promotion Level 1 Creative Networks

Fig.1 Main spread of advertisment

INTRODUCTION Taken from ELLE magazine’s November 2013 issue, the advertisement promotes Dutch designer duo, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren’s (Viktor & Rolf) first ever perfume, ‘Flowerbomb’. In line with the brand’s quirky nature, the advert stands out from the rest as a result of its interactive composition.

Although the consumer is initially presented with a set of flat double doors (Fig.2), a three-dimensional feel is created through the way in which they can be opened to reveal the advertisement in full (Fig.1) – an enchanting room of Flowerbomb luxury.

Fig.2 Front of advertisement (opening doors)

Fig.4

WEALTH,LUXURY &PARIS

Connotations of wealth and luxury are explored through the advert’s use of location and art direction. Staged in a mansion-like room, with a slightly more modern take on a traditionally Parisian home interior, the consumer finds themselves momentarily located in a secretive place of pure indulgence (Fig. 1). Having been used many a time in fashion and fragrance advertising, the decorative wall panelling that spans the entire room is a familiar connotation of, and in some ways a shorthand for, ‘luxury’.

Whilst the marble fireplace compliments the walls in their subtle expression of classic affluence, the centrally-placed chandelier (representative of the perfume bottle) carries more ostentatious implications. Its hardedged, octagonal shape contrasts from the curvaceous wall decoration, giving it a more contemporary feel and creating far more overt connotations of wealth. Additionally, the chandelier’s entirely crystallised and glowing structure is a glaring suggestion of its weight and worth - a means of attracting the consumer to the bottle, without them actually having seen it yet.

Parisian interiors of the ‘Haussman Era’ - so named after Georges-Eugène Haussmann, chosen by Napoleon III to carry out what is commonly known as ‘The Renovation of Paris’. Elements of the room such as the decorative walls, the dark wooden floor, the positioning of the mirror above the marble fireplace, and indeed the fireplace itself all pay homage to Paris’ Haussman Era. Even the double doors (Fig.2), of which the consumer must initially interact with, have been heavily influenced by a 19th Century Haussman-style home.

When learning of the history behind the V&R brand, it becomes apparent that the Parisian-inspired location and art direction are appropriate. Much like brands such as Tom Ford, the entire V&R identity consists of the designers being the literal faces of it, thus a nod to Horsting and Snoeren’s own past and inspirations has great relevance.

It was in Paris that the Dutch duo first came to light, taking the city ‘by storm’ in 1993 and becoming ‘regulars on the French circuit’. Not only this, the two also mine inspiration from fashion designers whose stories happen to be similar to their own, in terms of Paris being their initial place of major achievement. Spanish designer Cristobal Balenciaga, for example, experienced almost immediate success in Paris, following the 1937 opening of a couture house in the city. The Parisian referencing therefore does not only reflect the importance of the brand’s past, but also echoes V&R’s current inspirations.

Inspiration behind the advertisement’s location and art direction lies within, and historically references, mid-19th Century Paris. The location echoes characteristics of Fig.3

Fig.5

MAGIC& FAIRYTALES The use of styling and props within the advert combine to create an atmospheric feeling of magic.

Stretching across three quarters of the page, piles of packaging-inspired boxes take on a variety of shapes and sizes. Appearing beautifully gift-like, they have been composed and styled in a way that creates connotations of Christmas. The post-production sparkles and presence of the fireplace, along with the memories it evokes, strengthen the advert’s hushed, ‘Night Before Christmas’ feel.

An obvious reasoning behind the advert’s inclusion of elements that signify Christmas is that it is in-fitting with the publishing date (November 2013) - a period of hysterical gift buying. However, a second logic suggests that the consumers’ own interpretations of Christmas strengthen the overall theme of magic, whilst acting as an emotional and visual tool in bringing to life the written message, ‘Share the Magic’.

Fig.6

V&R are openly passionate about magic and fantasy, and the fact that they have used them in the past suggests that the advert’s depiction of these elements, through props and styling, is indeed brand appropriate.

According to Voguepedia, ‘Fantasy and make believe are what drive Horsting and Snoering’, and so the advert’s tale of a magical, V&R style Christmas is reflective of the designers’ own ambitions. The fantasy-themed advert also follows in line with some of V&R’s previous pieces of work, such as their 2011 illustrated book, ‘Fairy Tales’ (Fig.6), and ‘Le Parfum’, an impossibleto-open ‘fictional’ fragrance. This same fiction remains within the perfume advert, but rather than existing as the product itself, exists instead as the marketing story.

ELLE magazine has a total audience of 5,644,000, of which 90.15% are female, with a median age of 36.4.

Having placed the advert in ELLE, this is its intended audience, and so it becomes questionable as to whether a magic and fantasy theme is appropriate. It is potentially a wrong choice for this age group, as they are less likely to find the theme relatable in comparison to a younger audience.

However, it may be that ELLE readers nostalgically relate to the magical, child-like elements of Christmas that, at the age of 36, no longer experience.

Acting as a momentary insight into their sentimental, childhood nostalgia, the advert becomes more captivating for them than a more mature theme that carries less memory and meaning.

Fig.7

INTERACTION & ESCAPISM The way in which the advert has been three-dimensionally composed provides the consumer with the opportunity for both interaction and escapism. In a world full of an increasing want for interactivity, the advert’s simple but effective physically opening doors cause it to stand out from the rest of the two-dimensional print adverts. The need to interact is also met through the consumer’s gratification of discovering the secretive room themselves, hidden in amongst their magazine. In turn, this creates a strong sense of escapism. Through interacting with the three-dimensional advert, the consumer is able to momentarily escape into a magical world of V&R.

During a Vogue interview, Snoeren revealed that he and Horsting love to “trigger the imagination and open up new windows to different worlds” and “completely take you away from here and now”. The way in which the advert creates a sense of escapism is extremely reflective and representative of this, and therefore brand appropriate.

Horsting’s description of their book, Fairy Tales, also provides rationale behind the inclusion of escapism within the advert, “the sense of escapism can also be found in the enchanting world of our fairy tales.” Having shown a passion for it in previous work, it is fitting that V&R’s advertising does the same.

Following on from editor-in-chief, Roberta Myers’, description of ELLE readers, the inclusion of escapism is seemingly appropriate for the intended audience. She describes them to be “young enough to think about life as an adventure, and old enough to have the means to live it”. Therefore, the advert’s attempt to take the consumer elsewhere is not only successful in a psychological sense in that they are willing to ‘adventure’, but doubly so in a practical way as they are able to afford the product’s price tag also.

Fig.8

REFERENCES Websites IVAIN, J., 2009. Baron Haussmann (1809-1891) [online]. www.culture.gouv.fr. Available at: http://www.culture. gouv.fr/documentation/joconde/fr/decouvrir/zoom/zoomhaussmann.htm [Accessed March 17th 2012] DUNCUFF CHARLESTON, B., 2004. Cristobal Balenciaga (1895-1972) [online]. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Available at: http://www.metmuseum. org/toah/hd/bale/hd_bale.htm [Accessed March 19th 2014] BIOGRAPHY.COM, Yves Saint Laurent [online]. www. biography.com. Available at: http://www.biography.com/ people/yves-saint-laurent-9469669?page=1 [Accessed March 19th 2014] ALEXANDER, E., 2011. Fashion Fairy Tale [online]. www. vogue.co.uk. Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/ news/2011/09/22/viktor--rolf-fairytales-book [Accessed March 19th 2014] STEIGRAD, A., 2013. ELLE Magazine Names Design Director [online]. www.wwd.com. Available at: http:// www.wwd.com/media-news/fashion-memopad/elleminor-7319980?src=nl/mornReport/20131219 [Accessed March 21st 2014] ELLE, 2014. Audience [online]. www.ellemediakit.com.

Available at: http://www.ellemediakit.com/r5/showkiosk. asp?listing_id=4165173 [Accessed March 21st 2014] Books EVANS, C., FRANKEL, S., 2008. The House of Viktor & Rolf. London: Merrell.

MIDDLETON, W., 1999. Vogue’s View: “Northern Exposure”. Vogue.

ILLUSTRATIONS Fig.1 ELLE. November 2013. Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb.

Fig.2 ELLE. November 2013. Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb.

Fig.3 PLANETE-DECO. http://www.planete-deco.fr/wpcontent/uploads/2013/11/PA2.jpg [Accessed March 18th 2014] Fig.4 BERTRAND-BENOIT.COM, 2013. Baron Haussman.

Bertrand-Benoit [Online blog]. May 12th. Available at: http://bertrand-benoit.com/blog/2013/05/12/baronhaussmann/ [Accessed March 18th 2014] Fig.5 BERTRAND-BENOIT.COM, 2013. Baron Haussman.

Bertrand-Benoit [Online blog]. May 12th. Available at: http://bertrand-benoit.com/blog/2013/05/12/baronhaussmann/ [Accessed March 18th 2014] Fig.6 ALEXANDER, E., 2011. Fashion Fairy Tale [online]. www.vogue.co.uk: Vogue. Available at: http://www. vogue.co.uk/news/2011/09/22/viktor--rolf-fairytales-book [Accessed March 19th 2014] Fig. 7 BYERS, R., 2012. From Structured Daredevil Dresses to Parisian Boudoir Editorials [online]. www. trendhunter.com: Trend Hunter. Available at: http://www. trendhunter.com/slideshow/tim-walker [Accessed March 24th 2014] Fig. 8 LAMAISONGRAY.TUMBLR.COM, 2013. None [Online]. La Maison Gray Interiors [online blog]. August 5th. Available at: http://lamaisongray.tumblr.com/ post/57439170619 [Accessed March 17th 2014]