Marketing encourages
desire and aspiration through the construction of image of perfection. Is this
acceptable?
Many consumers vehemently object to the very existence of
Marketing. In this essay it will outline the reasons behind this and why the Marketing
Industry can be blamed for creating an unnecessary image of perfection, which
the public aim to be a part of.
Chloé
Gaby Aghion founded Chloé, the leading brand in the
“Ready-To-Wear” range, in in 1952, after she moved to Paris, France in 1945.
Along with creating Chloé, Gaby Aghion coined the term “prêt-à-porter” which
means “Ready-To-Wear”. She then owned Chloé until 1985, when the
company was bought-out by Dunhill Holdings (now
Richemont Group). In 1997, Stella McCartney was appointed
the Creative Director of Chloé.
As a fashion company, Chloé want their brand values to
be seen as perfection, vintage and sophistication. They show this through their
use of adverts, web design layout and print-based media. A majority of their
adverts consists of perfectly portioned women having fun and being carefree.
This is something that not all of society may be able to be a part of. Therefore,
their target audience is the middle class, those higher up the social economic
scale, (B,C1) which
have the money to spend on Chloé products. Chloé are extremely simplistic with
their marketing techniques; their main choice of marketing is print-based media
– e.g. adverts in magazines, billboards etc. Chloé are a very female-based
company, and they promote the beauty of women.
Through their print marketing material, Chloé
are attempting to their consumers that they are a high-end, exclusive brand.
Their use of colours and layout add a vintage feel to
the advert. Chloé also always have their logo, which is also very simple, in
the advert. The only time Chloé included other words in the picture is when
they are promoting their perfume.
The women that star in their clothing adverts
particularly are without doubt, perfectly portioned and dressed well with
perfect make-up. Realistically, these do not exist unless you are a model.
These adverts only make the public desire to be like them, who then may be frustrated
when they look at themselves in the mirror and do not see this. In their
clothing adverts, the women used always seem to be on-the-go, this contradicts
their image of sophistication and simplicity as the middle class, those higher
up the social economic scale, (B,C1), are
seen as never on-the-go, unlike those lower down the social economic scale. Chloé
are attempting to sell a perfect lifestyle, on-the-go, but still looking
fabulous. On the other hand, their perfume adverts take a very different route.
The “perfect women” is still in use, but the adverts themselves are extremely
simple. In most cases, it’s just the face of the woman on show with the bottle
they are advertising. Also, in these adverts they use their logo and they add
the title of the fragrance where needed.
For example, in this advert, the woman is presumed
naked, which again, shows natural beauty of being female. The perfume is
something that people lower down the social economic scale can afford; unlike
products such as dresses, bags and shoes that feature higher in the product
pyramid – the types of products are only affordable for the very wealthy. They
are targeted at a niche market. Therefore, the use of women in these adverts
differs from those in their clothing adverts. This is because they are still
beautiful but are showcasing a more natural feel, which is more obtainable by
society.
The perfume adverts promote natural beauty, which is
something that everyone can be included in. The adverts are plain and simple,
which again is something that appeals to people lower down the social economic
scale because it seems affordable. This makes them feel as though they are part
of the higher class and can afford Chloé products.
Chloé produce products and adverts that create desire
in the consumer; who then find they cannot live up to these “perfect” people’s
standards. Perhaps super brands should begin to consider the psychological
impact said marketing has on their potential consumers.
Adidas
Before Adidas was created, brothers Adi and Rudolph
Dassler joined together and founded the company ‘Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory’.
This was after the designer of the pair; Adi had started to hand make sports
shoes in their mother’s washroom. Although the company grew, Rudolph left ‘Dassler
Brothers Shoe Factory’ to start his own brand, which would later became Puma. The
innovative design of Adi’s shoes began to grow, and he got his big break when
Jessie Owens competed in the 1936 Olympics, being endorsed by and wearing track
and field shoes of Adidas.
Adidas then become well known in the fashion scene
when rap group, Run-DMC wore Adi’s creations in music videos and interviews
etc. Along with this, in 2004, Stella McCartney launched a joint fashion line
with Adidas and established a long-term partnership with the company. Stella
McCartney calls the line she produced “Adidas by Stella McCartney”. Adidas are
appealing to a different target audience by bringing in Stella McCartney who
has an already established audience. Then, in 2006, Adidas announced their
11-year deal to become the official NBA apparel provider.
Adidas provide fashion and equipment for many types of
sport, these being; football, tennis, golf, cricket, basketball, lacrosse,
rugby, gymnastics, skateboarding, baseball, swimming and field hockey. Adidas,
whether are a very sport-based fashion line, catering for all types.
Furthermore, the company has produced a range of accessories that include;
socks, sandals, eyewear, watches, lotions, perfume, deodorants, aftershaves,
bags and baseball caps.
Adidas’s print-based advertising suggests
to the viewer that if you wear their brand, you will be the best you can. Their
adverts are dynamic, sharp and full of colour. Like Chloé, they both
portray a message that make consumers feel they need to fulfill something and
when individuals do not perform to how they are expected in their sport, they
feel frustrated and upset. Also, instead of using models in their print-based
advertising, they use well-respected sportsmen and women. Meaning that the
viewer will aspire to be like their idol. Some of the football teams that Adidas
sponsor are, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Liverpool, AC Milan, New York Red Bulls and
more. The audience will idolise these, and aim to be like them. The public that
wears Adidas will thrive on the fact that they are wearing the same clothes as
their hero and will believe they can be just like them; that is until they
realise that they aren’t part of the elite group these stars are in. The
connotations that come with wearing Adidas are; fame, power, wealth, health and
exclusivity. The public will believe that if they buy Adidas, they will gain
these pleasures.
Olympic swimmer, Tom Daley, sponsors
this advert, which promotes Adidas’s aftershave, shower gel and deodorant. With
a tag line like: “feel cool, feel confident,” they are suggesting to the
audience that if you wear their products, you be cool and confident. But again,
this is something that not everyone can aspire to and it gives false hope and
advice.
Tom Daley – a normal boy that is
obtainable by society, he still part of that elite minority that has stardom
and fame that society do not.
On the other hand, Adidas and brands a like, such as
Nike are not only worn in sports. Some people wear them for a statement to
demonstrate to society what they can afford; and it puts people in social
groups – especially in schools and college. This is because, Adidas are a brand
that children can recognise and are more likely to be able to afford as they
are sold in high-street stores and not exclusive like Chloé. Their brand values
are seen as style, talent and perfection. Adidas want to you feel that you can
be the best, like your idol. Which is why they use footballers as these are
seen as the idols that young people/children respect and idolise.
Some industries may argue that they
are trying to showcase their fashion in the best possible way, by modelling it
on people who are seen better than society. Along with this, super brands like
these keep the economy going, with their extortionate prices and this idea has
been going for centuries. Furthermore, when promoting their print-based
advertising, they do not state that this is “real life”. However, I feel this
is not acceptable because there is no point in showcasing fashion worn on
perfection, if the majority of society will not look that good or be able to
afford it.
In conclusion, fashion companies,
whether is be sport-based, female-based, perfume, denim etc. they all want
their audience to feel as though they are part of an exclusive club where only
those higher up the social economic scale can join. This is not acceptable
because they make the consumers who cannot afford to join this “club”
worthless. This quote from an unknown source sums up how many consumers and
myself feel; “Advertisers constantly invent cures to which there is
no disease.” It suggests that companies make consumers want things
they see advertisements but don’t actually need them, along with feeling frustrated
and upset when they cannot fulfill the look of those “perfect women” and
“perfect men” used in promotional print-based media – which are represented as
the norm. I believe that they also want you to purchase their products so, in a
way, you are becoming like them and you can feel that you have something and
will fit in with everyone else and continue what could be termed a vicious
cycle.
