Melissa Hardcastle
THE CONCEPT: To produce a series of Chanel adverts that promote a more positive portrayal of glamour and femininity in the media. The aim was to avoid the dominant female stereotypes that were analysed in the theoretical and written element of the module. Female stereotypes create an ideal and standard for women which in turn manipulate the female audience’s opinion of themselves and what it means to be a woman. This is a prime example of how female identity is shaped and exploited in advertising.
Context Of Practice
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The aim was to create realistic adverts that represent an aspirational image of femininity and still appeal to a Chanel audience. The concept was inspired in particular by a case study on the advertising of Chanel, which demonstrated the inclusion of a stereotype within adverts. In the most recent example analysed, Chanel were seen to be taking what looked like a step in the right direction by promoting an image of independence, however, the connotations of sex appeal still applied. Direct inspiration for the practical was taken from this and informed all of the design decisions.
Melissa Hardcastle
Context Of Practice
THE WOMEN: The most important design decision when thinking about the adverts was to ensure that the women chosen met the requirements of the concept. The women would all have to portray a more positive image of glamour and female identity and not be reducible to their sex appeal alone. The glamour makes the concept relatable to the brand of Chanel, and female identity provides the opportunity to bring in themes from the written element. It was also important to make sure that enough adverts
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were made, and therefore enough women were chosen, in order to make the point that there is no, one image of femininity. The women chosen are all hard working and charitable and therefore stand for and represent far more than their aesthetic of sex appeal. All of the women are not typically part of the male gaze which make them eligible for the adverts. It was important that the women were a change from the usual but still identifiable with Chanel. Despite being significant in terms of the reasoning behind each woman, the change is subtle, which ultimately makes them realistic. Researching each of the women showed that they are all heavily involved
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with different charities and foundations that range in showing support for women, children, animals and victims of tragedies. Along with their charitable qualities, the women chosen are all hard-working and respected in their field of work and for who they are as a person. This is something that represents a more aspirational image in the media. The accompanying publication produced alongside the adverts includes a detailed explanation of why each woman was chosen, as well as the reasoning behind selecting the images have been included in the adverts. This right decision regarding the women ultimately created the synthesis between theory and practice.
Melissa Hardcastle
Context Of Practice
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WHY NO 5? Another decision that needed to be made was which of the Chanel fragrances to include in the advert. No 5 is the oldest and first of it’s kind, not only as a Chanel perfume, but the first designer fragrance of all time. It was created in 1921 by the founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel. As a fragrance that is nearly 100 years old, it has had multiple ad-campaigns, one of which was analysed in the written element of the
module. As well as having multiple ad-campaigns, No 5 has reached a level of iconic status throughout the world and is still one of the leading perfumes. It acts as a classic example of an association between a brand and its products, and It is for these reasons that No 5 was chosen over another fragrance, as it adds impact and strength to the concept of the adverts.
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Melissa Hardcastle
Context Of Practice
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DESIGN DECISIONS:
BLACK AND WHITE:
THE NO 5 BOTTLE:
STRAP LINE OR NO STRAP LINE:
The decision to have black and white images was initially based around the fact that the photos needed to look like they were all for the purpose. Deciding to include famous women meant that secondary source images had to be used for the adverts and as this was the case it meant that the same background was not present in all images. Converting the images to black and white created a uniform for the photographs. Converting the images to black and white was influenced by the fact that the adverts had to look like real Chanel ads. Black and white is often the first thing people think of when they think of Chanel, and for this reason it was an appropriate design decision.
The decision to include an actual image of the bottle was also based around wanting the advert to look like a real Chanel ad and therefore be identifiable with a Chanel audience. The No 5 fragrance has become synonymous with Chanel and its bold and legendary status in the beauty world has contributed to this. Having the image of the perfume bottle in the advert not only makes the adverts look more realistic in terms of having all the typical advertisement features, but it also adds to the idea of making an impact with the adverts, and emphasising the new association of Chanel, and in particular, No 5 with a healthier and more positive image of glamour and femininity.
The decision of whether or not to include a strap line in the advert was also an important one in terms of achieving the desired level of synthesis. The adverts aim to avoid promoting a negative portrayal or stereotype of women in advertising. A stereotype is created by an unrealistic ideal in the image, and an element which contributes to the creation of the stereotype as well is often the strap line. The written element showed that often the strap line within an advert helps build an unachievable ideal of a woman. The absence of a strap line has created a level of ambiguity around the presence of a stereotype, and therefore does not define the women in the ad or the audience.
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Melissa Hardcastle
Context Of Practice
CONTEXT: To demonstrate how the aim to create realistic looking Chanel adverts was achieved, mock-ups have been created to show the adverts in the context of where they belong.
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