A comparison of the representation of women in fragrance advertisements from 1920s, 1970, and 2000s

ART DECO, TALL BODY, Feminine  ORIENTAL, SILK IMPORTS, font

=need to research further

In this advertisement it is representing the new Mavis fragrance under the house of Vivadou, a popular perfume brand from 1920s. A young women is shown wearing summer attire and smelling multi-coloured flowers. Therefore I believe the purpose of this advertisement is to sell it to women who wish to feel floral and feminine.

The whole print is shown to be very oriental with the colours such as red, gold and small flower designs. The woman is shown as wealthy, with a long dress made out of many fabric and an elaborate floral headdress. This may link in with, at the time, the western interest in imports from the east such as silk. Therefore this ad would have been seen as modern and the perfume, desirable. The ad is a cartoon not a photograph, and the woman has been elongated so the dress can flow behind her elegantly- making the fragrance feel feminine.

The background shows a fresh, snowy mountain top, despite the plants in the lower half of the picture. Text that says: ‘January’ shows that this was an ad released in winter. What the ad is trying to tell the customer is that this perfume can make them feel like it is spring/summer or it is a fragrance for all year round. The snowy mountain is kept in the corner of the ad, making the flowers and the young woman, the main focus.

The black in the print, that separates the mountain and the ‘garden’, is shaped into a curve. This was at the time that Art deco was beginning to emerge …