Seven Deadly Sins

The advertisement above was released in 2016 as Gucci's most recent campaign (at the time) for their famous "Guilty" fragrance line. The photograph is a still-image shot of a short video which airs the full advertisement. The video was aired on television as well as shared on various social medias, including as YouTube and Facebook. The advertisement pictured above, however, was published in gossip magazines such as People Magazine and US Weekly. The intended audience of the advertisement is likely wealthy individuals, as Gucci is a brand that sells exclusively expensive products. The author's use of social media and gossip magazines for advertisement likely reaches a younger audience, as teenagers and young adults are frequently the largest population holding social media accounts. However, Facebook is used by a massive adult population, so the airing of the ad would be seen by the older and likely wealthier individuals belonging to that social media platform. This population will likely take the ad seriously as they have the maturity to recognize the purpose of the author's focus on sexuality as well as the money to purchase the product, while the younger population exposed to the ad may be lacking either or both of these qualities.

The ad features famous actor Jared Leto with models Julia Hafstrom and Vera Van Erp during an intimate exchange in a bathroom. The use of celebrities in the advertisement reflects a higher target socioeconomic class, as the income of the individuals in the advertisement is likely to be similar to that of the target audience. The author's inclusion of three well-known attractive celebrities increases the appeal of the product since it displays that the product is worthy of use by the famous. The author's decision to include both male and female individuals in the photograph reflects that the target audience is both men and women, not just one or the other. The ad also takes into account the audience's diversity of sexualities through its portrayal of two women and one male, as it shows that the fragrance increases the sexual allure of both homosexual and heterosexual individuals. This furthers the appeal of the product because it increases the appeal of the product among several audiences instead of just one.

The deadly sin portrayed in the ad is lust, and the author successful plays off this concept through the application of several techniques. The color scheme is one of warm tones, which emphasizes the intimacy and sexualization occurring in the photograph. The inclusion of gold accents on the bathtub reiterates the target audience as belonging to the upper socioeconomic class. The author's decision to place the bathtub in front of a mirror is significant because it offers an even more suggestive atmosphere than simply having two unclothed individuals portrayed. By including a mirror, there is less left to the imagination and the sexual appeal of the advertisement is strengthened.

The advertisement's minimal use of words makes it clear that the point of the photograph is to show off the sexual appeal of using the product rather than communicating specifics about the product, such as cost or size. The lack of information about the product shows that the ad is not targeted to the general population, who might not be familiar with the brand. Rather, the ad is aimed towards individuals who are already familiar with Gucci, and due to its price range it is implied that this population belongs to the upper class. The name of the fragrance as being "Guilty" further establishes the purpose of playing off of the audience's sexuality, as it shows that there is pleasure to be found in actions that society might deem guilty. This label both acknowledges that the ad is playing off the sin of lust and communicates that it recommends partaking in actions that live up to the name. The name also reflects the author's acceptance of actions that society may deem unacceptable, such as homosexual relationships which they play off of in the ad.


Works Consulted:
WWD, Jennifer Weil |. “Jared Leto stars in new Gucci fragrance ad campaign.” Los Angeles Times,    
     Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2016, www.latimes.com/fashion/la-ig-jared-leto-gucci-20160826-   
     snap-story.html.