Study Task 2 - Consumerism

STUDY TASK 2 

Using the text Berger, J. (1972) 'Ways of Seeing', write one critical analysis of an advert which, in your opinion, reflects the logic of consumerism, or the social conditions of consumerism, discussed in the lecture 'Consumerism' (17/10/13). Use at least five quotes, referenced according to the Harvard system, in support of your argument.

In this critical analysis I will discuss how advertising is so powerful by persuading the consumer to purchase the product. John Berger suggests ‘Publicity is the culture of the consumer society. It propagates through images that society’s belief itself.’(Berger, J. (1972) 'Ways of Seeing, pp.139). This is a good example of how brands portray false needs they do so by playing on buyer’s needs and desires. In this CoCo Mademoiselle advertisement it is clear to the buyer that the brand and fragrance is expensive but an affordable luxury making it desirable to a woman.

‘All publicity works upon is anxiety. The sum of everything is money; to get money is to overcome anxiety. Alternatively the anxiety on which publicity plays is the fear that having nothing you will be nothing.’ (Berger, J. (1972) 'Ways of Seeing, pp.143) John Berger Suggests that having such a brand or item can cancel all feeling s of uncertainty and you will feel like a better person in yourself by obtaining such quality brands. The people who buy Channel care what people think. The fact your wearing channel you don’t need to tell people how much it is everyone knows it’s expensive this fragrance will give women a somewhat sense of superiority.

Consumers want everyone else to think they are affluent , they chose brands to let everyone know , that they are successful, and have social standing they, buy and own expensive brands to give the impression that they are wealthy. John Berger - ‘Money is life. Not in the sense that without money you will starve. Not in the sense that capital gives one class power over the entire lives of another class. But in the sense that money is the token, and the key to, every human capacity. The power to spend money is the power to live. According to the legends of publicity, those who lack the power to spend money become literally faceless .Those who have the power become loveable’ (Berger, J. (1972) 'Ways of Seeing, pp.143) The advertisement oozes class and wealth just by looking at the advertisement you can tell it’s expensive. Buying channel is a status symbol.

In this advertisement for CoCo Mademoiselle it features the expensive fragrance bottle pressed against Keira Knightley’s lips. Although the intention is to be seductive it is still tasteful. ‘Publicity increasingly uses sexuality to sell any product or service, but this sexuality is never free in itself; it is a symbol for something presumed to be larger than it: The good life in which you can buy whatever you want. To be able to buy is the same thing as being sexually desirable’ (Berger, J. (1972) 'Ways of Seeing, pp.144 ) The advertisement gives a women a sense of false need and hope that they will obtain this class and desirability when buying the fragrance. The advertisement works so well because it sets Chanel apart from other fragrance brands it doesn’t use half naked women to sell their brand their status of Chanel does it for them. Using Keira Knightley in the image was to portray a beautiful women full clothed yet the desirability is obvious.

‘Publicity principally addressed to the working class tends to promise a personal transformation through the function of the particular product it is selling.’ (Berger, J. (1972) 'Ways of Seeing, pp.145) After seeing Keira Knightley in the advertisement the women who buy Chanel want to appear how Keira Knightley is portrayed. They feel owning the Chanel fragrance and wearing it will change how they are perceived. They want to be beautiful and desired. Advertising works because it does give you some hope that you will be like the model or actress in the advertisement, this is why advertising is so successful if women who buy Chanel didn’t feel classy and attractive publicity would fail.

In conclusion the brand, the advertising all exude class, the perfume itself is a quality product, the consumer are sold not only perfume, but a sense of worth, the women who wear it smell and feel great, knowing that when they wear they will smell great and the sense of pride, when others ask what perfume they are wearing, is one of joy, this feeling comes from purchasing high end brands. The advertising for this product compliments the perfume.