A Study On The Absence Of Female Subjectivity In Chanel No.5 Perfume Advertisements

Chanel is one of the most prestigious international brands drawing people' attention from all over the world,especially among females.Since 1910 when this brand was established,it has been regarding females as its primary consumers.And Chanel No.5 is the first product to use television for advertising in 1953.There is no doubt that Chanel No.5,as one of the most classic series,is upmost with its time-honored history and unique brand charm.Influential as Chanel No.5 is,few scholars take notice of the female subjectivity presented in its advertisements.The author of this thesis finds the absence of female subjectivity in Chanel No.5's advertisements,which contradicts with its product position of voicing females' liberation and freedom.This thesis analyzes strategies in the Chanel No.5 advertisements through visual analysis,textual analysis and quantitative analysis.And analyzing the influence of gender theory and characteristic of consumer culture is able to further prove the absent female subjectivity in the advertisements.In addition to introduction and conclusion,this thesis is divided into three chapters.In the first chapter,through analyzing 87 pictures and 13 videos of Chanel No.5 advertisements,the thesis reveals the objectified female image in the Chanel No.5 advertisements by showing stereotypical female images in the process of selecting spokesperson and female body;The second chapter analyzes two strategies in the Chanel No.5 advertisements,voice-overs and speeches given by protagonists,which reflect the male-dominated discourse in the advertisements.The third chapter demonstrates the voice of women as the “other” through examining background music and slogans,which further proves the absence of female subjectivity in the Chanel No.5 advertisements.