This ad was created by the Chanel Company. Chanel is one of the most established haute couture designers in the world. They produce perfumes, cosmetics, handbags, and high fashion clothing.
Chanel clothing and handbags can cost thousands of dollars and are typically owned by celebrities and the wealthy. However, what they are marketing in this ad is unclear. Is it the outfit? The handbag? The bracelets? The viewer is left to assume it is all three.
The woman and man featured in the ad are Caucasian and appear to be in their early 20’s. This ad was found in “Vogue” magazine and will definitely catch the eye of a wealthy, young white. The target audience is probably between the ages of 21-30, because they would need a steady job to afford such luxurious clothing.

In the ad, a young white female around the age of 20 is leaning against the side of a black Rolls Royce convertible. To say she is wearing a shirt would be an overstatement, because the woven, beaded top barely covers her torso. Only the black jacket she has over the top is keeping her breasts from being completely exposed. She also has on metallic see-through shorts that have an inseam of less than an inch. The man in the driver’s seat is leaning over, staring at the woman. At the bottom of the page it says “Chanel” and below that the phone number and website address are displayed.

Chanel is trying to portray a classy, high status lifestyle in this ad. The fact that she is wearing textured, shiny high fashion clothing and leaning against a $450,000 car gives the impression that affording such a lifestyle makes her superior. The woman is very beautiful but her face is completely void of emotion. She comes across as being dull, with no personality. But because she stands there with barely any clothes on and looks pretty, she catches the man’s attention. Since the man in the ad is looking at her body and not her face, the viewer can assume he only wants sex. Her outfit and the way she is standing on the side of the road gives the impression she might be a prostitute. This portrays her as nothing more than a sex symbol. It objectifies women by giving viewers the idea that a woman is nothing more than an object for men to stare at, use, and disregard. It stereotypes women, making them seem powerless and dependent.

Chanel is using beautiful people and sexuality to persuade the viewers of this ad. They also use the big lie; they are trying to advertise that by buying these clothes, men will become more interested in the woman wearing them.
The unhealthy message is that looks and money are the only things that matter. It’s showing women don’t need to be smart or have any admirable qualities. As long as they are beautiful and skinny they will attract men. Although the price of the clothing is assumed to be expensive, the ad says nothing about the cost or construction of the products. The ad could be more truthful by including the price of the clothing and where they can be purchased.

This ad has many flaws. Realistically, what 20 year-old could afford such a car? And where would anyone wear an outfit like that? This ad glamorizes money and beauty and makes those who don’t have either seem inferior.
The viewer should look beyond the obvious in this ad to see the underlying meanings and the actual message Chanel is conveying. By doing this, viewers may be able to resist the allure of the beauty and ritzy lifestyle Chanel wants them to believe they’ll attain by purchasing these clothes.