Textual Analysis - Miss Dior Cherie Advertisment

1. Media Forms

What techniques does the advert use to persuade the audience to buy the perfume?

There are various techniques that this advert uses to persuade the audience to buy this perfume. Firstly, the advert stars Natalie Portman - who over night, became a highly well known and sought after actress due to her   iconic and impressive performance in the recent film "Black Swan". The use of elite persons in adverts make the audience want to buy the product as we want something that that star uses to have a feel of their luxurious life styles. This also makes the advert and product memorable as consumers know the person and is a well known name; so they can associate them with one another, this is over an unknown person advertising  the product and not having anything else to associate it with.

Also, this advert has a sexual undertone. For instance, when she is getting dressed, she is bearing some of her skin, suggestively but not being overtly sexual. There are also many shots of her intimacies with her male interest. This gives a line of appeal as "sex sells". 

2. Media Representations

How does this present women?

In this advert women are represented in a traditional view and the characteristics that are ideal to possess. The first shot is of her sniffing a bouquet of flowers, of which we can infer are a gift from a male admirer. This conveys that women are treated like princesses - being surrounded with gifts. In addition to this, when they begin to kiss, it is soft and ingressive. This shows that she is respected by the man. This leads onto the fragility of women. They are usually seen as inferior to men; and so should be treated with "care". The pale, pastel colours (like wise in her parisian style boudoir) suggests this, it also connotes beauty fairness. A characteristic women are expected to possess.

Symbolism is used in order to reflect women. The bouquet of flowers and the worms eye view shot, looking up at the trees with sunlight shining through portrays nature. Therefore woman are presented to be naturally beautiful and again delicate - like leaves. Additionally the fact that Natalie Portman is fair, has clean features and is wearing minimal make up also shows the ideal and traditional way women should be - she has a "damsel in distress look" about her. They shot of the white swan symbolises innocence, purity and respect (as it against the law for them to be killed); these reflect the way women are to be presented.

3. Media Audiences

What type of audience would this advert appeal to?

The primary audience of this advert is women aged between 18-30. This is due to the use of the youthful looking actors used and also the fact that Natalie Portman has now become a style icon for women within that age range. They would most likely to relate to this target audience as they would like to identify with her. Again, the colours aren't mature, vivid, colours, they are very much colours representing youth.

The secondary audience would be men as the message this presents and portrays about women infer that women should be shrouded with gifts and treated specially. Therefore this would make a good - romantic -gift. And they may hope they'll have the loving, caring relationship that is portrayed in the advert.

4. Media Institutions

What image does this advert portray about the Dior brand?

This advert portrays a certain image for the brand. The advert protrays that the brand is aimed at a certain type of person. It is named "Miss" Dior, and this connotes that it is for women who are unmarried. Furthermore, the advert portrays an adoration for elegant, feminine women - the close up shots frame Natalie Portmans face and put all emphasis on her. Therefore we can infer that men may want to give this as a gift. Thus telling us that the brand is prestigious as it is worth something. and would be a well recieved gift. In addition to this, the mysterious shot with the black sunglasses and with her wearing the black dress connotes classiness and wealth and this therefore, it is aimed at people with a disposable income.