Women and even girls these days look to society to tell them what they should be. Society takes this large task and flaunts what is “in” in magazines, television and movies. The trick is determining what is “in.” One would accomplish this by watching every footstep of Britney Spears or another false idol of today’s world.
Revlon’s ads perpetuate the want in women and girls to feel wanted by its use of text, models and coloration/environment. These three items that can be detected every solitary ad Revlon publishes in magazines or shown on television. Their messages to the female gender are also indifferent. Whether in the written word or by use of techniques, Revlon tells the reader what to think.
In magazine articles, no celebrity spokesperson’s voice can come out of the ad and persuade you to buy and object; thus, the model used must do all of the “talking” with her expression and text can be used to convey the overt statement of the ad. The outside message is simple: buy more, get more from Revlon. The font size is larger on the verbs to indicate action is important and the target audience should do so immediately. The motif of the word “more” is a rich shade of burgundy, which is almost the exact same shade as that of the model’s lip color. The name of the brand always should stand out (as a rule of thumb in advertisements) and in this ad, the rule applies. Revlon, although in a smaller font, is bolded. The effect makes the text “jump” out at the reader. Another interesting aspect of this particular ad is the tiny word: advertisement in the upper center. A likely comparison would be the warning labels on cigarettes. The company wants to subtly warn the reader that this is just an advertisement and not real life. The warnings on cigarettes tell of the damage, but only to a low degree. The company does not truly care what pain or anguish they inflict on their readers. Money is the only issue at hand. Capitalism rules all.
Many women want to feel feminine and admired. Revlon’s new “On the Red Carpet” line’s goal is to let women achieve this goal. Beauty supplies are not necessary in attaining admiration and femininity. Make up is hollow, shallow and washes off with water! The sought after admiration drains down the sink after one day. The goal is accomplished for one day. The next morning, the women must repeat the vicious process. Why not pay a small amount more for make up with a more positive message that is helpful for one’s skin such as Neutrogena?
The model of an ad is more than likely going to be a beautiful, slender young person. In Revlon’s case, this person is a woman because of their target audience. The young woman in the ad is of a honey complexion which tells the reader: the sun is good! Go outside for five hours or to your nearest tanning salon to make yourself dark and get cancer! Cancer is pretty! Her outfit is revealing; however, the ad focuses almost entirely on her facial features and not on her attire. The top is all the reader can see. Her shirt is silky and pink to compliment her perfectly clear complexion and give the ad a sense of femininity. Her hair is tousled to express the image of glamour. Since Marilyn Monroe had to catch her dress as it blew up around her, being ravaged by the wind seems to be considered “sexy.” This windy technique is a rather clever way to give more of the attention to her face.
Fear of being disposed of by a boyfriend or husband could convince women to want to look like a model on a Revlon cover. Rejection is a powerful sickness that many women can catch. The “On the Red Carpet” line of beauty products want to tell the women that if they use Revlon products, they will never have to fear rejection again. This poorly-produced make up line will make you feel cheap and confident at the same time! What a deal!
The coloration of this Revlon ad is overall earthy with a touch of red and pink. Due to her skin tone, brown is almost mandatory to match. Her top is pink; thus, the color pink needs to be part of her makeup and part of the ad as well. Since her eye shadow color is pink blended with another shade of pink, her lips must have a darker color. The shade of red on her lips is scarlet/carmine and conveys the message of passion. Clearly, the makeup artist wanted the focus to be on her lips. This particular part of human anatomy is also a tool of passion. When one thinks of lips, one usually thinks of kissing. The major item in the background is the lights. They look to be a cross from vanity lights and the lights that theaters used to put around a movie title in the 1940’s on the outside of the building to attract an audience.
The sum of these two objects is Hollywood as it’s grandest. Revlon wants women to feel as though they can look like their favorite celebrity. Again, the glamour aspect comes into play. Women want to feel glamorous. If make up can make me feel glamorous, I’ll purchase that brand! If this sardine on my head will make me feel glamorous, I’ll withstand smelling horridly for the rest of my life! These false means of attaining the feeling of being wanted are blinding the female gender to what will really make them feel wanted: eating healthier or maybe even a small amount of toning. Working out can prove to be quite constructive.
Females have been influenced by society since the beginning of time. The subtle messages that are encrypted into society’s weapons such as magazine articles and television commercials force its readers to believe they must follow suit or be exiled. Parts of an ad such as its textual descriptions, model and color scheme don’t seem to impose the wrong message; however, put together, the effect is a severely detrimental one.
If women could find security in an aspect of their life that makes them happy, such as a sport or a person who loves them despite their outer “flaws,” beauty tools may not be needed any longer. Revlon’s ads only perpetuate the use of a mask to feel wanted and put women in a negative light who are not their definition of beautiful. Beauty accessories are a waste of time to apply and a waste of money to spend. Women need not focus on such foolish items such as lip stick and blush. More important aspects of life need the attention one might waste blending her eye shadow to be just the right color.
The short-lived combination of these three items in the ad will not be relevant to the fashions of fifty years from now. If today’s reader were to look back fifty years at the fashions of the 1950’s, she would find that our perception of perfection has been completely changed. Whether it is in a positive or negative direction depends on who one might converse with; however, the result is clear: ads will continue convince women to want to become the false idols of the society at that time and to feel the need to be wanted by use of superfluous means.
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