LIGHT BLUE CAMPAIGN:
http://www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/beauty/perfumes-fragrances/light-blue/notes/
review on first advertisment with a woman with dark hair-
For the purpose of this assignment, I chose to use the semiotic analysis method on a Dolce & Gabbana advertisement. According to Berger, semiotics is defined as the science of signs. It is how the advertisement or commercial gets their message across to the viewing public. If you take a look at almost any Dolce & Gabbana advertisement, one word comes to mind: domination. We live in a male dominated society and that is clearly evident in this advertisement. Going along with Saussure’s system for analyzing signs, there are many signifiers and signifieds within this ad.
The way the young man is holding down the woman’s arms as if she is trying to get up, but he isn’t allowing her reinforces the idea of our male dominated society. She is appears to be struggling to get up but his body is placed above hers, giving her no option of getting up. This is also a prime example of femininity and masculinity. It shows off femininity because it represents all of the main characteristics of being a female. For example, the woman in this ad is demonstrating passivity. She is not in control of the situation and is giving off social/facial cues that she is not happy about it. On the other hand, this ad also is a great example of masculinity. The man placed above the woman is showing obvious physical strength and is in a dominant position, as I mentioned earlier.
You can also see the apparent sexual desire within this advertisement. The man placed above the woman clearly wants her sexually and is very adamant about it. The body language and clothing worn by all parties in this ad suggests sexual desire. Every model has oil on their bodies to increase this desire and want. The woman is wearing minimal, tight clothing and her male counterpart is shirtless.
Another visible sign is the woman’s dark hair. As Berger mentions, dark hair signifies sexuality as opposed to blonde hair. Blonde hair represents innocence and submissiveness. Brunettes represent exotic, sexual desires. As you can see, there are four men to one woman in this advertisement. This has really caught my attention. All four of the men are carefully placed about the woman. They are all even looking down upon her. I think this says a lot about our society and the gender roles present. All men are dominant and controlling while the woman lies helpless and passive, unable to do anything about her current situation. None of the men in the ad are trying to help this woman. They are just looking down on her seeming to be content, while her facial expressions display completely discontent.
The last sign that I noticed in this advertisement is the setting. The lighting is high and there are light, fluffy clouds in the background. From a feminist point of view, this ad is very demeaning towards women. Therefore, one would think that this ad should be dark and “unhappy”, but that isn’t the case at all. Perhaps the ad is suggesting the gender roles are heteronormative? Maybe society believes the man should “always be on top” and women should always be submissive to a man.
Heteronormative/heteronormativity: Cultural bias in favor of opposite-sex relationships of a sexual nature, and against same-sex relationships of a sexual nature. Because the former are viewed as normal and the latter are not, lesbian and gay relationships are subject to a heteronormative bias.
Femininity: qualities and characteristics conventionally understood to be associated with the female human, such as passivity, emotiveness, and nurturance. In gender studies this is to be understood through social expression and is not limited to the female human, but is expressed by all humans.
Desire: A want/wish for something, a sexual attraction, a craving. Associated with structuralist theory through discourses on
Masculinity: qualities and characteristics conventionally understood to be associated with the male human, such as physical strength, courage, and emotional distance. In gender studies this is to be understood through social expression and is not limited to the male human, but is expressed by female humans as well.
review on advertisment with the light haired woman in it-
Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
J Gorman's view
As a group, we had very mixed emotions about the advert. We initially thought it was a very aesthetically pleasing advert with all the bright colours of the ocean and the bright white of the clothing on the models. The operatic music also helps to add to the sense of beauty about the advert and gives a sense of "the finer things in life". Although it is also quite sinister too with the woman being submissive and being dominated by the male in the advert there are hints towards sexism. We were also quite confused about the clapperboard at the end of the advert and exactly what it signified in terms of the advert.
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