Topic 4 - Reading Photographs - Advert analysis
Write a few lines about what the brand or organisation is trying to communicate about the product or service being advertised. Don’t labour this task: the prose can be as loose as you like, bullet points or note form is fine. Make sure you credit the source
This advert for Hugo Boss ‘Tonic’ is communicating a number of things to me.
1. The connection and overlap of the botted fragrance and actor Chris Hemsworth suggest to me that if I buy this fragrance, I have the potential to become successful like Hemsworth.
2. Hemsworth is handsome, so potentially this could offer the target audience a false promise, buy this, become this. It could also be targeting partners (wives, girlfriends, boyfriends, etc), who have the desire to turn their partner into Hemsworth both with the idea of their partner gaining success or so they can imagine Hemsworth whilst their partner is wearing the fragrance.
3. Following on from the buy this, become this concept, it makes me think I can become successful in New York, a cut throat city where it is difficult to become famous, popular or get to the top of the high buildings in the background.
4. By featuring a bridge and Hemsworth on ‘our’ side of the bridge it suggests that he could have come from nothing and as a result of the product, has crossed the bridge to what might have felt unachievable before, life in Manhattan, notoriously desirable but rarely affordable. This makes Hemsworth more relatable and the product less ‘elite’ and unreachable, widening the potential target audience.
5. #MANOFTODAY suggests a person who has their finger on the pulse, in a City like New York people might find this important as they could feel this might lead to social and economic success for themselves or the person they buy the fragrance for.
Andrewprokos.com. (2020). Worldwide Ad Campaign for Hugo Boss Men’s Fragrance - Photographer... [online] Available at: https://andrewprokos.com/news/hugo-boss-worldwide-ad-campaign-prokos/ [Accessed 15 Oct. 2023].