|
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. ¡@[back] (external)
|
