Summary
Creating advertising is a complex process that requires energy and strategies for a successful advertising campaign. There needs to be more than a pretty image and a loud headline to make a product sell well and attract customers. Advertising strategies are based on linguistic, visual, and discursive aspects that allow advertising at a high level. Louis Vuitton’s Place in the Sun perfume advertisement combines all the attributes of unique style and visual and linguistic saturation that make the perfume recognizable and marketable.
Description
The linguistic concept applicable to this advertisement refers to interpersonal interaction. Advertisers seek direct interaction with their consumers to reveal their products through feelings and emotions (Goatly & Hiradhar, 2016). This approach is practical for perfume advertising because many fragrances accompany a person and lead to different associations. This explains one of the main features of advertising – addressing the consumer through the constructions “you’re” and “you’ve” (Place in the sun, 2021). This advertisement should be analyzed from the point of view of the consumer who is willing to follow the fragrance for pleasure and to refresh his memories of happy days.
The advertisement includes a short narrative about what the fragrance is all about. It includes a description of the perfume, which includes a selection of certain herbs (rosemary, thyme, pepper, and cloves) and citrus fruits (orange, yuzu). In addition, the text mentions the emotions and sensations the user may experience when using this fragrance. These feelings are described as bright, fresh, and at the same time soothing. The text also uses elements of repetition and the gradual unfolding of each fragrance mentioned at the beginning (Place in the sun, 2021). The description contains a logical beginning, followed by a sharp middle or denouement and a gradual recession of the “plot”.
The reader learns about a fragrance by immersing himself in its flavors and notes. First, one learns about the sun and the fragrance of yuzu, neroli, and herbs; then about what each note means and what emotions it reveals; at the end, the scene closes with the fragrance of cypress. The description is structured in such a way as to connect the consumer’s feelings with the fragrances. In addition, the description contains many subtle and unique words that are tied to the feeling of certain feelings.
Table 1 shows the detailed connections between linguistic description and visual perception.
Table 1. Linguistic and visual elements
Interpretation
This perfume description is a gradual immersion of the potential consumer in a variety of bright and exciting fragrances, usually associated with sunny summer days. This description can tell that in the view of the creator of the fragrance of summer and the sun. The authors of the text associate sunny days with bright floral and citrus scents, which are firmly remembered and can remind of warm memories. Since the visual interpretation of the fragrance is associated with the sandy coast and the sea, according to the idea of the creators, the perfume also recalls the freshness that water brings (Morin, 2018). The description contains these elements: “sun, surf, and sand,” further reinforces the audience’s perception of this perfume (Place in the Sun, 2021). The authors of the text created it to convey to consumers the need to feel the sun and the sea at all times by creating a sweet and detailed description of the fragrance.
People reading this text may remember not only the recent association with the sea and the sun. It can also appeal to those just about to experience these scents and impressions. The text can talk about those who want to realize their dreams and get the memories of a few happy days in the piggy bank. In addition, the text appeals to people who are discovering something new. The perfume’s description allows the reader to plunge into the atmosphere of summer days and rediscover their desires for summer. The text was created not only to sell the perfume but also with a sincere desire to share their ideas about the fragrance of the sun and the sea with the audience.
Explanation
The authors of the text most likely have social values and beliefs that relate to the need to fill life with vivid moments. The ideology is built on the presence of memories that define the lifestyle. This means that the perfume is a way to convey your mood to the audience – the sea and the sun are essential elements of human life. To experience at least one “sun-drenched summer day” is worthwhile for the memories to become a “caress” and often remind us of how valuable it is to pass them at any time (Place in the sun, 2021). In addition, the text could have been written so that the potential audience would refer more often to everyday minutiae as the glare of the sun, the different smells in the air, and the emotions.
The creators’ values are to follow the dream, gradually immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the place and time, and create a certain level of luxury around them. Although the target audience of the fragrance belongs to the luxury class, the creators can declare themselves in any social strata. This is justified by the fact that the beliefs of the creators of the text are built on available memories and feelings. The authors mix two advertising genres: visual and textual interpretation and direct interaction with customers. The audience wants this interaction, so the ad seeks to create a direct open dialogue and invites the audience to join in by purchasing a fragrance.
References
Goatly, A., & Hiradhar, P. (2016). Critical reading and writing in digital art age. An introductory coursebook. (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Morin, A. (2018). Commodities, the visual and the senses: Perfume editorials in high-end fashion publications in the 1970s. Open Edition Journals, 7(1484).
Place in the sun. (2021). Fashion Quarterly New Zealand, Autumn 2021.