Abby Mitchell
Ms. Blommer
English 1010
October 1, 2012
Rhetorical Visual Analysis of Chanel Advertisement
Few people realize the true impact of product advertising, but the truth is that the modern consumer is severely affected and often subconsciously influenced by advertisements, especially if it is a quality and persuasive advertisement. But how does one create an effective ad? That is literally the million-dollar question that keeps the advertising industry so competitive and prosperous. The French fashion house, Chanel, has constructed a striking and persuasive image to lure the public into desiring and ultimately purchasing its product through the appeal of ethos and effective visual tools.
Fig. 1. Coco Mademoiselle
In whole, the overall expression of Knightley’s face evokes these intense reactions towards the advertisement and the product. The text in the advertisement is minimal. The creator chose to write the company’s name and trademark in the upper right hand corner, making this the most dominant text. The creator also chose to write the name of the fragrance across the bottom of the image in loose, white lettering. This suggests that the product name is not the most important part of the advertisement, and instead the intention is to force the viewer to notice other factors first, such as Knightley’s eyes and the Chanel trademark. Though one text is dominant and the other is easy to overlook, both texts portray an air of light simplicity due to clean and relaxed white fonts. The simplicity is an effective tool in the marketing of the product in that the advertisement does not feel too blunt or candid— the perfume and the text succeed in complimenting each other.
This advertisement incorporates a number of visual appeals, including attention to composition, lighting, and color. The composition of this ad leaves no room for wandering eyes; the viewer is forced to look at Knightley, then the bottle, then the ‘Chanel’ trademark in the top corner. The lighting is very dramatic which again brings the viewers attention towards the lightest and most contrasted areas of the