ESCAPE by Calvin Klein

Provider: Michelle Chang

      While surfing on Calvin Klein's website, this advertisement impressed me immediately not only because it was beautifully designed, but also because it is unique and meaningful.  The ad conveys its motif of "escape" with the image of the couple, whose relationship is amorous but not in a conventional way. 

        Since these products have been designed for both men and women, naturally a pair of intimate man and woman is placed in the ad.  However, something has been slightly reversed.. The woman plays the active role instead of the man does; moreover, the images of typical men and women no more exist in this ad.  The woman looks more active because, first, she is a bit taller, and she lowers her head towards the man with her hands on his ear.  As for the man, he even squats a little bit, raising his head and embraces the woman's waist.  Secondly, while the woman searches the man's lips with her eyes opened, the man keeps his eyes closed passively.

In order to make the entirety reverse, the models' appearances also reveal the motif of "escape."  The man's sloppy, longer hair shows the image of softness, and the female model has neat one, which makes her look more stable.  In addition, compared with the man's softness and gentleness, the woman looks sturdier and better built than man, and her facial expressions are quite steadfast.  With senses of aggression, the woman's curving figure is the center of the photo, which may discloses her significance and status.  While the models serve to perfectly to suggest the idea of escape, the focal point of the ad is not the models but the two glistening color perfume bottles in the lower right corner and over the black-and-white background.  However, unexpectedly, the left, long one with lighter color is fragrance for men, and the right, short one with darker color is for women.  It is quite different and new from those couple perfumes that making darker ones for men and lighter ones for women.  Altogether, they convey the idea of "escape," escaping the norms of traditional society by turning the roles of men and women upside down. 

Under the conservative pressures, the couple seems to discover a private location to disencumber their constraints by releasing intense emotion.  Therefore, the models with their feet bare may be the symbol of getting away of the common customs and return back to the primitive to secretly enjoy in the world of love and possibly sex. 

To match up with the circumstances, the designing of setting enhances senses of modernity. In the black-and-white setting, which is structured simply and plainly, the two models seem to be confined by such a narrow space pressed from both sides by two cold but clean walls.  We can imagine that this couple may just escape from somewhere socially organized to this unadorned but secret place to enjoy their intense passion.  In addition, the light originates remotely from woman's side, and we only can see the male model's shadow on the wall.  Also, the line of the corner from the woman's side is much more conspicuous than the man's blurrier one.  It probably conveys the images of woman's thoughts or everything is brighter and more distinct.  Though their space is restricted, it is not entirely closed.  We cannot clearly determine that the distance is such an extremity, and there is another opening towards the onlooker, which likely suggests their amour is capable to broaden up the space.

Unlike most perfumes for couples, which are purposely designed and sold together to emphasize their intimacy and compatibility.  This ad substantially conveys the image of "escape" with the conception of overthrowing the tradition that men and women keep.  The idea of organizing an enthusiastic woman and a moderate man to release their passion in a confined space is quite admirable.  Moreover, this ad is not only undoubtedly beautifully made, but transmit the motif successfully.

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(external) Literary Criticism: Feminism