Calvin Klein - Sexual advertising material

Credit: Calvin Klein.

Credit: Calvin Klein.

Credit: Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein latest advertising campaign of spring 2016, pushes the boundary on what we as consumers think is acceptable to experience seeing a sexual advertising image (Telegraph, 2016). The topic of the campaign is #mycalvins, allows us as a viewer, to see a sexual side of the models posing in these images. One image sees model ‘Kendal Jenner’ hold and squeeze a grapefruit in this images. The fruit itself is to resemble a woman vagina and the explicit images with the fruit being place between her lips and legs is in a sexual expression (Telegraph, 2016). Another image see’s model ‘Klara Kristen’ (ABOVE) being shown with her dress being placed above the camera and you can openly see her in a sexual context. Klara Kristen herself actually defended the image, she defended this advertisement by strongly enforcing she was only portraying an artistic view and not to be seen an innocent girl caught sexuality (Vogue, 2016). Would someone be encouraged to purchase a Calvin Klein product from seeing up a woman dress, as a viewer you are looking like a predator up a young girls dress. A woman might want to be seen as hot and sexy, as the models in the pictures, so will not be offended by the graphic they see and will want to buy these products from their sexual imagery  (Telegraph, 2016). 

This campaign relates to how we communicate in our current culture and that sex plays a huge part in communication to anyone, whether this be friends or strangers through advertising campaigns (Fashionista, 2016). Calvin Klein have stated this campaign acts a visual presentation of artistic views and hence, sparks an emotion from the public by what they are seeing and not just portraying woman sexually (Telegraph, 2016). Calvin Klein himself is not a fan of this work and advertisements with such models as Kendall Jenner, Klein has stated he would rather show woman as power symbols than just virgin sex symbols (Vogue, 2016). However, this campaign is insanely sexual in the terms it makes a consumer want to go and buy the product and hence have a tastes of this hot and sexy life portrayed by Calvin Klein products (Vogue, 2016). 


Credit: Calvin Klein


Credit: Calvin Klein

Sexual imagery is nothing new or something which is not already be seen before, sexual advertising does sell products and spark interest from people, this is why Calvin Klein fashion advertising works (Telegraph, 2016).This is not the first time Calvin Klein has attempted to evoke an emotion from publics. In 1990 Calvin Klein had a topless Kate Moss straddling a topless Mark Walberg in an advertising campaign to promote Calvin Klein underwear (Vogue, 2016). This campaign was intended to shock the public and hence make people talk about this campaign and allow people to tap into this culture being shown. This campaign alone generated 85million profit for the brand in America (Vogue, 2016), and since its debut has still been the discussion moment of when fashion advertising used sexual imagery to it's fullest for the first time. However, does this make it right to look at a topless eighteen-year-old girl and think this is only an advert, not intended for anything more, or again truly showings sex sex. 

The idea is ‘Sex does sell’, but can it still sell when there is no shock value from the consumers or publics watching (Telegraph, 2016). Sex does play a massive part in what we see in fashion advertising and will always play a huge part into why we buy the products we buy. For example, consumers, would not buy Calvin Klein underwear from a sixty-year old woman posing in an advert half nude. Consumers want to see a young, tight and toned girl to be wearing the underwear in a sexual way to attract us as consumers to buy it, so we can be just like that young girl in the graphic as a result or get a girl like that in our life (Vogue, 2016).

References:

Fashionista, 2016., Fashionista columns. [online]. [viewed 10th November 2016]. Available from: http://fashionista.com/2016/05/petition-against-calvin-klein 

Telegraph, 2016., Telegraph Fashion. [online]. [viewed 10th November 2016]. Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/brands/calvin-klein-launches-predictably-provocative-advertising-campai/

Vogue, 2016., Vogue articles. [online]. [viewed 10th November 2016]. Available from:http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/calvin-klein-upskirt-ad-controversy-klara-kristin-defends-photograph 

Inspiration Feed, 2016., Inspiration feed Sex-Sells. [online]. [viewed 22nd November 2016]. Available from: http://inspirationfeed.com/inspiration/sex-sells-50-creative-sexual-advertisements/

Tom Ford Advertising Campaigns - Too much?

Tom Ford or his real name Thomas Carlyle is an American fashion designer and creative director in fashion and film. Tom Ford has worked with many high class fashion brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Lauren (Vogue, 2008). Tom Ford worked at Gucci for nineteen years to which his last role was overall creative director of Gucci (Kalfopoulos, 2016). At this time Gucci was facing hard struggles and were reluctant to release new ranges to avoid threats of loss of market share (Kalfopoulos, 2016). Tom ford in his entire career at Gucci was question for his style and creative inspiration of being too out there, in the sense that this is not what Gucci consumers need (Vogue, 2008). Yet Gucci needed someone like Tom Ford to create a new brand image for Gucci and spark interest in Gucci again (Kalfopoulos, 2016). Tom Ford style nearly had him fired in many of occasions at Gucci yet he progressed to the leading role of being Gucci creative director (Kalfopoulos, 2016). Tom Ford style was simply sex sells. Shortly after leaving Gucci, Tom Ford started his own brand of ready to wear clothes and cosmetics called 'Tom Ford' (Vogue, 2008). Hence what happen at Gucci and Gucci advertising style, Tom Ford uses the concept of 'Sex Sells' in all his advertising material when promoting his products (Kalfopoulos, 2016). The idea of 'Sex Sells' is true to Tom Ford nature and that consumers what to be sexy when buying fashion products and seem attractive to the other sex (Vogue, 2008). Tom Ford advertising campaigns are known to be out there and adventurous, to evoke an emotional response from the consumers, hence spread word of mouth of Tom Ford products (Vogue, 2008).

Tom ford target market is: 25- 45 independent woman who desire to have Tom Ford style of life he promotes through his advertising campaigns

Production country: England, France, Germany and United States

Credit: Tom Ford


Credit: Tom Ford


Credit: Tom Ford

The adverts images above for Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Perfume range, which is also a waterproof range, hence the water in the images. As a consumer we look at the above imagery as purely two individuals having fun while naked not selling products. You would not think the above image is used to sell perfume and attract consumers to buy this range from this advertising campaign (Vogue, 2008). The models in the images represented above, sell the idea of sex when selling perfume, they are selling that when you buy Tom Ford products you will get a part of the naked and sexy life. According to Tom Ford 'Sex does sell', the importance of showing an sexual attraction in an advertising campaign is vital to increasing sales and market share (Vogue, 2008). This concept does work as Tom Ford uses this methodology of ' sex sells' from his starting days in Gucci and hence in his 19 years of being there increased their market share due to his sexual campaigns (Kalfopoulos, 2016).Tom Ford consumers behaviour is they want the hot and sexy life he promotes in this entire life. Tom Ford uses this idea of sex sells to evoke emotions from consumers to hope they wonder why they are naked and hence buy the products (Vogue, 2008). Consumers do receive a shock value from Tom Ford campaigns graphics and hence create a behavior around Tom Ford of being all about sex. However, for a consumer, if this is something you want, they know were to go to a have a taste of that life. 

Credit: Tom Ford



Credit: Tom Ford

The above images is an extreme measure of trying to evoke emotions from a consumer and that advertising this male cosmetic product represents a male penis. Tom Ford is selling the idea of, if you buy this product this will happen to you, if you spray his perfume (Vogue, 2008). The cosmetic product is situated in a way to think if a male consumer buys this product, this will in return happen to them. Would a consumer think this is what happens or would consumers only be evoked with negative emotions of why this girl is naked and posed in these sexual ways, or does Tom Ford sexual approach to selling his products really a marketing success guide on how to sell fashion products.

References:

Kalfopoulos, Alexia., 2016. To what extend did Tom Ford and his marketing technique imposed at Gucci affect the turnaround of the company. Business and Management Press.

Vogue, 2008. Vogue Biography. [online]. [viewed 3rd November 2016]. Available from: http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/tom-ford-biography

Inspiration Feed, 2016., Inspiration feed Sex-Sells. [online]. [viewed 22nd November 2016]. Available from: http://inspirationfeed.com/inspiration/sex-sells-50-creative-sexual-advertisements/