I have chosen two adverts to analyse both the products that they are trying to sell are fragrances. One product is called ‘Jazz’ and the other ‘Polo Sport’. Both of the adverts I am analysing use the fragrance bottle as the sign. They both use minimal text. The signified meaning for the ‘Polo Sport’ bottle is that the fragrance is for sporty people. The Signifier for this bottle is a strong shaped simple bottle with bold colours and toutches of metallic. The signifier for ‘Jazz’ is a bottle with lots of hard edges, contrasting colours and strong shadows. The ‘Jazz’ advert has three people in it, a couple and a man lagging behind on his own.
In contrast ‘Polo Sport’ just uses product information format. In the former product, the man who is alone looks hot because his tie is loosened. One interpretation is that it indicates that without the product you would be less smart and not in a relationship. Another interpretation is that he is less smart and therefore not a high enough ‘class’ to be using such a fragrance. The man in the couple looks at ease, he still looks smart showing that he was the one that benefited also shown by being a couple. The man is holding the woman close to him an interpretation is that he is drawing her closer away from the other man.
The man in the couple is much older than the man behind possibly showing that it is not just young men who can be in a relationship. This would be to sell the fragrance to older men as this may appeal. The man alone is further behind the couple enhancing the fact the couple are superior. An alternative Hettie Roebuck interpretation is that the fragrance is for women and the object of the advert is that she got the smarter more relaxed man, however I think that this is less likely because I think that the bottle is a masculine style.
I think the ‘Polo Sport’ advert chose to have the product in the centre to attract attention straight to it and so it would be remembered. The ‘Jazz’ advert is set in the city shown by the tall buildings and the people in the advert are wearing suits indicating that it is aimed at more Urban people. The people seem to be coming away from the city possibly a Jazz Club indicated by the title of the fragrance. ‘Polo Sport’ just uses a white background. This means it is less complicated and straight to the point.
The slogan at the top is red, I think this is used because it is the first colour the eye sees so your eye is meant to start at the top of the advert and then work down to the product. I think that this is effective because it is bold and simple. The ‘Jazz’ advert on the other hand uses just a black and white background but a coloured bottle this bringing your eye straight to the bottle first and to the background afterwards. I think this may have also been used as a tool so you remember it. Another idea is that the aftershave could have different moods, meaning for different occasions.
I think that the product ‘Jazz’ is an aftershave for men shown by the heavy shadows, bold contrasts in colour and lots of sharp hard edges, making it look more masculine. On the bottle it splits the word Jazz into one side black and one side white that could represent the mixing of races. I think that this use of Hettie Roebuck colour makes it look classier. I also think that ‘Polo Sport’ is an aftershave for men even though the bottle has soft edges and not so heavy shadows. I think this may be because it is aimed at a different audience as I think it is a sports aftershave.
I think that it is also for men because of the bold colours and font. The bottle uses a strong blue colour, which is a stereotypical masculine colour, it links in with sport because blue is supposed to be a cooling colour. The product does not use shadows possible as it may draw the eye away from the focus of the product. The bottle top is metallic and has cross hatching which looks likes a piece of machinery creating strong lines round the shape of the bottle linking in with it being for men. I think that they have used soft edges because a sportsman concentrates on being streamlined similar to the bottle.
There is a large image of the ‘Jazz’ product in the bottom right hand corner of the bottle. Another element in the ‘Polo Sport’ advert is the logo on the top left on the bottle. It looks like an American flag but instead of the stars it has RL representing Ralph Lauren. This may be to show it is an aftershave “with American Standards” therefore indicating that it is good quality. It could also represent with the flag that if you use the product you are part of a group or a club that is ‘suitable’ to use the product.
An alternative interpretation is that it represents a new generation, which also links in with other Ralph Laurens adverts, for example the advert for the fragrance ‘Ralph’. This heavily portrays the influence Hettie Roebuck for the new generation. This also relates back to the idea of sport. The advert for ‘Jazz’ has used photography for the visual element to make you relate more to the advert, or maybe it is to show it was to show that it is for a more sophisticated person, as apposed to the same advert if it was done in cartoon.
The advert for ‘Polo Sport’ has also used photography because it could be portraying it for a serious sportsman. The slogan “The Fitness Fragrance by Ralph Lauren”. It is down to the point and basically says use the fragrance if you want to be sporty. The slogan on the product ‘Jazz’ “C’est si Bon D’etre Jazz” which roughly translates as its so good it’s got to be Jazz. This makes it more exotic and may encourage people to buy it as French is said to be the language of romance. It also makes it seem classier. This product also used moving subjects walking into the space maybe to try to show the normality.
The camera shot used in the polo sport advert is close up and the camera was straight in front of the product also to bring your view just to the product. The ‘Jazz’ brand name is Yves Saint Laurent was big and bold and used an exotic font to match the language. I think this is to enhance the idea that it is for a classier person and a more mature man. The advert does not have a copy. The brand name for ‘Polo Sport’ is Ralph Lauren which is a famous brand name therefore people have trust that it must be a good product. People will relate it to other products, as it is a well-known brand.
