Perfume Ad Image Analysis of the Shalimar

Perfume Ad

Image Analysis of the Shalimar by Guerlaine

Description of the Image

This image analysis is of the Shalimar by Guerlaine perfume advert which is represented on the title page. The image is of a young attractive woman who is in a seated position. She is sitting with both legs extended on the ground. She is dressed in a lighter color formal gown that has a luxurious appearance. One of her hands, the hand closest to the viewer, is positioned on the ground while the other appears to be holding some of her hair and is elevated almost to the level of her head. The image of the young woman herself is clear and has great detail however the background is fuzzy and hard to make out.

The perfume bottle that the ad is trying to sell is shown in color, positioned on the bottom right hand side of the image. The image of the perfume bottle is about the same size as the woman's torso and slightly covers a small portion of the woman's forearm in the advertisement. The pinkish color of the perfume is the largest amount of color shown in the image and the blue lid and tassel on the neck of the bottle is the brightest color shown in the image. There is also a gold button that is attached at the base of the tassel. The bottle itself is sort of a V shaped container that is narrow at the base and wider at top. The lid to the bottle looks something like a blue glass cork that is round on the top. The bottle is labeled as Shalimar in uppercase black lettering with the phrase "parfum initial." Above the image of the bottle in the top right hand corner is the brand name, Guerlain, which appears in bold black lettering.

The woman's facial expression is something of a cold blank stare. The look that she is giving serves as the focal point of the image. What the artist was trying to convey with the look is subject to subjective interpretation. The woman in the image is named Natalia Vodianova and was photographed by Paolo Roversi (Amby, 2011). The photographer shot the woman in clear detail while the rest of the image is blurry and out of focus. Furthermore the image is dark with light greys and almost a black and white image with a sort of glow.

Contextualization

The ad was produced in 2011 as part of the launch of the new product. There were several other images with the same photographer and the same woman. While the image being analyzed shows the woman dressed in formal clothing, other advertisements in the same series were prepared with the woman, Natalie, being in the nude.

Figure 1 - Another Advertisement in the Series (Vodianova, A., 2011)

A video was also produced in the advertising campaign which shows the same model posing nude. The model is shown in several sexy poses and the commercial rolls through these poses every few seconds. The commercial is also shot in the same black and white form that is shown in the images. Below is a frame from the commercial that was part of the same campaign.

Figure 2 - Guerlain Commercial (YouTube, 2011)

The product that the advertising campaign is promoting is the new scent from Guerlain that was launched in 2011. The perfume is marketed as:

Shalimar Parfum Initial -- scent of desires, joy and sensuality arrives in a flacon which reminds us of shape of the traditional edition. The new bottle is taller and sleeker than the previous. It is decorated with blue stopper and blue tassel on the neck of the flacon. Liquid of the flacon is coloured in warm pink.

Composition of Shalimar Parfum Initial is created of citruses, green notes, flowers, woody accords and oriental scents. Starting from citruses, the composition adds zest of bergamot and orange. Rose flowers and jasmine enjoy embrace of woody accords of vetiver and patchouli, while oriental notes of vanilla, white musk and luscious tonka give seductive warmth to the whole composition. Green notes provide a fresher tone to the composition (Fragrantica, 2012).