Comparing these advertisements for fragrance from the 1950s to the present day:
This ad, marketing aftershave, shows a dapper gentlemen looking young and fresh just as the product claims to do. "Keep that young, healthy look!"
This ad showcases the new Marc Jacobs "BANG" cologne. He didn't need as many words.
This vintage Chanel No 5 advertisement is showing that the woman who wears the perfume is beautiful, elegant, and clearly desired. (and alive)
This ad for Gucci Guilty perfume shows another woman being desired. She exudes power, beauty, and lust.
What's interesting to note about the advertisements selling products to women is that both men and women are present in the ad, yet only the woman is making eye contact with the camera. Both ads show that the men are clearly focused on the woman, presumably because she is wearing that intoxicating perfume. This could show that the woman has power over the men, and if you were to wear "____" perfume, you could obtain power over the men in your life as well.
Because men are often showcased as muscle-head buffoons or geeky nerds in most commercial advertisements, its important for print advertisers to get their message across quickly and efficiently. This can mean the decrease of words (men don't have time to read a paragraph on how this aftershave will make you look good) but they can clearly see that this cologne will make him smell good (so good he won't need clothes.)
I think this post is so interesting. The marketing is so different when it comes to male products and female products, and not just the perfumes and colognes. When it comes to buying cars, many men are looking to buy the most sleek, fastest, and attentio getting car in order to attract the women. Many women are looking for cars based on the functionality. Car companies realize they are selling to different populations therefore market the products to suit the consumer. When it comes to shopping, stores designed to appeal to male shoppers might focus more on keeping the shelves stocked with items men might want to purchase. Stores focusing on attracting female shoppers might place more emphasis on ensuring that sales staff are courteous, pleasant, and knowledgeable about the products the store carries. Men decide which aspects of a product matter most and eliminate products lacking those attributes. Women use more comprehensive methods to reach decisions. Instead of relying upon elimination, women tend to integrate all elements before reaching a decision. Men eliminate the competition before everything is considered, while women only reach a decision when looking at the overall picture. Another difference in marketing strategy between men and women relies upon gender identification. Men rely more strongly upon gender perceptions than do women. Men can be more concerned over whether the product is feminine rather than useful. Women do not place as much emphasis on gender identity of products. Since gender identity doesn't exist as strongly among women it allows women to have greater choices.
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