Ever since the first magazine and book, brands have used semiotics to push the appropriate image to their target customer, making the consumer admire and desire their products. But what happens when a brand pushes too far, when the image they are trying to give is too controversial? Is it genies that this image has become embedded into the viewers mind? Even though the image is hated, it still has the customer constantly thinking of the brand. Or is it vulgar? Using crude and inappropriate images into order to get attention without being able to with the product. Is the literal a distraction?
“Signs acquire their potential meaningfulness by contrasting themselves with what they are not” (Medi Semiotics, 2002, 9)
Tom Ford. The luxury men’s and womenswear brand has a history of overly provocative and sexualised adverts, with frequently naked men and women.
I chose this specific advert out of the shoot and the many other provocative images by the brand for its extreme simplicity and naive mockery. The advert unlike many other perfume adverts is to me not as sensual or proactive due to its playful and fun expressions. Yet this ironically has the two models in more intimate pornographic positioning. The clever use of combing both mischievous attitudes and overly explicit placements allows the image to be more perverse by balancing each other.
“It’s important to note that the entire campaign for his Neroli Portofino fragrance is risqué. However, no one is quite as scandalous as that of the two completely naked models in an extremely compromising position.'”
To me this advert epitomizes the brand as it captures every aspect of it. These 3 images so a raunchy and seductive position yet with an overwhelming sense of desire and admiration from the spectator, this to me is the brand completely. even though the advert is for perfume it still represents the clothing with regards to the fact it makes the wear feel strong, and rule-breaking desirable and has the views of said person look at them with an envious lust to hate but be them!!
To finalise, no matter what anyone thinks about the campaign and whether or not its too controversial, it cannot be denied that it has in fact represented the company perfectly, drawn the attention of its target market and grabbed the attention of the media. what more could any brand want??
Julia Rubin. (2011). Tom Ford’s Latest Fragrance Ad Is The Most NSFW Ever. Available: http://www.styleite.com/beauty/tom-ford-neroli-portofino-ads/
Only 1l Lewis James 