Written - Case study 1 - female razors, gillette venus

This is actually an advertisement for male razors. The tagline hashtag smelly male stubble, starting a trend, an attack against men with hair as if they smell bad because they have hair and that's what women are against. Plus the model looks displeased with the man that has hair and so to lighten her mood men should have smooth skin like she does, highlighted by the light on her legs. Her feet are crossed suggesting she is closed off too. 

Celebrity endorsement, a woman of power being Jennifer lopez representing this 'goddess' figure that women should aspire to be. It suggests that somewhere, within women, there is a hidden goddess just waiting to burst out and the only way that women can unleash this character is through shaving her legs using Venus, with the tagline ' Reveal the goddess in you.' It's all very supernatural with the sparkly outfit and the white font against the black to stand out.  The light shining from the right hand corner representing the spotlight being on you if you shave and also a sense of hope. 

 Not only is it offering this sense of power of being a goddess, but it's the goddess of 'friendship' if there were such a thing. A mythical creature, perhaps a religious one, one of status, that magically has lots of friends because she shaves, alongside the other women that shave too, a smooth cult. All seen looking extremely happy because they have found their new love of shaving together.

This one is interesting because the woman is a goddess, she is in control so much that she is in control of men too and has them 'sweeping her off her feet.' However, is she in control, or is the man in control for sweeping her off her feet, he is higher in the picture, but she seems to be the main focus because we see her face clearer than his with a positive expression and her legs take up most of the image so that our attention is drawn to them. 

I chose this picture because of the language used, 'just one stroke' as if it is as easy as that, only takes one stroke, you don't have to do any strenuous activity and you can sit back and relax and sunbathe. Also the word 'longer' used which can also represent long legs that are shown in the picture. Again multiple models used in this one to give a sense of team work, as if all females should be doing this and using the product to create a sense of unity. 

Here we don't see the woman's face but we don't need to her legs are enough to make her a goddess, so much so that a man is wrapped around her leg, as if she has full control over him as he peers into her eyes. 'He'll be wrapped around more than your finger' suggests that women have full control over men anyway, but to shave your legs means you will have even more control over them. The light glows over her body giving her more of a sense of power and an almighty 'god' like image. 

Colours used are pastel - light blue, pink, light purple - feminine. 

Words : swirl, long, embrace, smooth, irresistable, radiant, vibrant, moisture, beautiful

Hidden symbol : flower. What do flowers/petals have to do with razors? 

The razor itself, smooth to touch, more elegant in shape, rounded and curves, representing womens curves perhaps? Supposed to be sexy and easy to hold.

Venus is a roman goddess.

Venus (/ˈviːnəs/, Classical Latin: /ˈwɛnʊs/) is the Roman goddess whose functions encompassed love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and desire. In Roman mythology, she was the mother of the Roman people through her son, Aeneas, who survived the fall of Troy and fled to Italy. Julius Caesar claimed her as his ancestor. Venus was central to many religious festivals, and was revered in Roman religion under numerous cult titles.

The Romans adapted the myths and iconography of her Greek counterpart Aphrodite for Roman art and Latin literature. In the later classical tradition of the West, Venus becomes one of the most widely referenced deities of Greco-Roman mythology as the embodiment of love and sexuality.

She represents love and sexuality, beauty and desire. Hence the slogan, 'I'm your Venus, I'm your fire, you're desire'