Insolence Advert Analysis

Insolence. Guerlain. In powerful upper case, the advert tells us what it is, while a confident, angelic woman gives us an integral, solid look, completely sure of herself despite, or maybe even because of her nudity, her shimmering hair flowing behind her, the image of true confidence. This audacious woman is the key to this advert, instantly pulling your gaze towards her, with no distractions. The slightly low angled shot tells you that this woman is better than you, because she is all the things you want to be. The answer? Insolence. Even the name of the fragrance, “Insolence” is meaningful, straight forward and clear, literally meaning boldness and contempt. This advert is very clear in its purpose and concept- to be powerful, like the independent woman of today should be. The dark background, pierced by a holy light, is symbolic of this, breaking a boundary, held back by nothing. The bottle, a slick masterpiece of curved glass, shines in the light, its refection captured in the bright white light coming up from the bottom-left hand corner. The chiaroscuro lighting is used powerfully in this advert, banishing the otherwise dark background in streaks of light. This is chosen very carefully, no natural light pierces the darkness so perfectly, which too, is a metaphor for what you become after using this perfume, breaking any boundary you want. The dark veils of shadow sliding out from the side of her neck and hair are also symbols, this time of hidden power, maybe you could unveil these with the piecing light of the perfume? Asking all these questions instantaneously, the advert holds power over the potential customer, making them feel that this is what they need, to be insolent.