I first noticed this magazine ad because of the color palette and the name, "MARC JACOBS." I am fond of Marc Jacobs because I've always enjoyed his clothing designs and fragrance creations. His style combines classic lines with a sense of whimsicality that appeals to my aesthetics.
The color palette of dusty rose is interesting because it reminds me of something pure and innocent; something like childhood or soft valour. The more I looked at the image, however, the more I became disturbed by the hidden innuendos within the ad.
1. The model is dressed as a little girl and gazes at the audience as if inviting engagement.
2. The perfume bottle, in the shape of a flower, is positioned above her private part (which, in the American culture, can also be referred to as a woman's "flower").
3. The name of the fragrance, "Oh, Lola!", somehow reminds me of the famous novel Lolita, which accounts an older man's obsessive passion for a young girl.
All of this actually screams the opposite of innocence!
While I disagree with the use of sex to sell products, I do appreciate the art of layering meaning within an image. I think it is clever to construct an ad with numerous hidden codes for the audience to decipher. This setup engages the consumers and encourages participation in the interpretation of an ad. In an overcrowded marketplace, consumer engagement is one strategy to set a brand apart.
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