The Fragrance of a New Man? Masculinity and Fashion in Young Males’ Cologne Commercials

Year 2015, Issue: 3, 86 - 104, 01.02.2015

İvan Ferrero Ruiz

Abstract

The consolidation of the masculine market within the fashion world has given rise to an increasing objectification of the male figure. In such context, men’s cologne commercials portray a youthful, handsome man who embraces masculinity from a highly fashioned perspective. The style of these ads is imbued with a sense of artifice, illusion and mirage that nonetheless blends in with the man-model whose beauty and confidence become an attainable goal for consumers. Here, the alluring rhetoric of advertising comes into play, equating the possession of a fragrance with such attributes. Drawing on Lipovetsky (1987), I address the connection between fashion and advertising, focusing on the particularities of the perfume market. Subsequently, I examine commercials from some of the current top selling fragrances for young males: Paco Rabanne, Armani and Chanel. My analysis is two-fold: first, I focus on the conscious background artifice; second, I examine gender portrayal and expectations. My goal is to visualize current patterns in masculinity and show how these commercials enhance beauty and individualization. Such qualities are captured in models that frame a type of man who combines the current penchant for style and fashion with the traditional masculine attributes of power and control

Keywords

masculinity, advertising, cologne, fashion

Yeni Erkeğin Kokusu mu? Genç Erkeklere Yönelik Kolonya reklamlarında erkeklik ve moda

Abstract

Erkeklere yönelik piyasanın moda dünyası ile birleşimi erkek figürün nesneleştirilmesinde artışa yol açtı. Bu bağlamda, erkek kolonyası reklamları erkekliği moda perspektifinden kucaklayan genç ve yakışıklı bir erkek portresi çizmektedir. Bu reklamların tarzı, güzelliği ve güveni tüketiciler için erişilebilir bir hedef haline gelen erkek-model ile birleşen bir kandırmaca, illüzyon ve yanılsama hissi ile aşılanmaktadır. Burada, kokuya sahip olmayı bu niteliklerle eşitleyen reklamcılığın cazip retoriği devreye girmektedir. Bu çalışma kapsamında Lipovetsky (1987)’den yararlanarak ve parfüm piyasasının özelliklerine odaklanarak moda ve reklam arasındaki ilişkiyi sorgulayacak; akabinde ise, şu sıralar en çok satılan, Paco Rabanne, Armani ve Chanel gibi genç erkek kokularından birkaçının reklamlarını inceleyeceğim. Gerçekleştireceğim analiz iki katmanlı olacaktır: İlk olarak arka plandaki bilinçli kandırmacaya odaklanacak; ikinci olarak da cinsiyet betimlenmesini ve buna ilişkin beklentileri inceleyeceğim. Amacım erkeklikteki güncel örüntüleri görselleştirmek ve bu reklamların güzelliği ve bireyselleşmeyi nasıl arttırdığını göstermek olacaktır. Bu özellikler, stile ve modaya yönelik güncel eğilimi ve geleneksel erkek özellikleri olan iktidar ve kontrolü birleştiren bir erkek tipini çerçeveleyen modellerde bulunmaktadır

Keywords

erkeklik, reklamcılık, kolonya, moda

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