Does marketing encourage desire and aspiration through the construction of images of perfection?

In this essay I will look at three super brands and talk about how the are encouraging desire and aspiration through people of all ages and how they are effecting the idea of perfection, which is one of the main techniques to increase sales of their products and gain a wider audience and therefore expanding the brand. This essay is also going to include strategies and techniques that more commonly used to create sales and new opportunities for the brand.

Marketing is incredible important it’s just as important as the product itself, even if the product isn’t that great marketing can persuade and convince the consumer/target audience that they need the product and if they do buy the product they will become or look like the product in some way. The main goal of marketing is to encourage consumers to want and buy their products. Especially with the fashion industry brands and major outlets rely on marketing campaigns in order to grab the consumer’s attention to their product and make them be a part of the ‘Brand’ itself by making them wear their brand logo and style. It’s not uncommon that brands send false and unrealistic messages to the consumer, which then the super brands shape and create ‘The perfect image’ that then the consumer believe as the perfect image is to be thin and have a nice toned body, the majority of female and male models have had extensive make up and stylists make them look perfect for the shoot and the brand, But we still buy into this idea that if we buy the product we too can look like them when we wear the clothing.  A good example of sexualizing a brands image, when Hugo boss creates a new fragrance or a clothing they use a half naked celebrity looking ‘Perfect’ after hours of make up and editing on Photoshop to create the artificial image of what is perfect. 

One advert that particularly stands out is Hugo Boss’s  2012 campaign to release a new brand and style of clothing, they used Mark Wright, The Only Way Is Essex actor photographed wet with his top unbuttoned walking out of a swimming pool with the brand logo Hugo Boss showing on his boxers, this type of marketing is very common with super brands but does that make it right? All brands need to be sure not to overstep the mark when using sex appeal as a marketing technique, people that they advertise their product to we be of a similar character to the model that they use, or rather people that want to wear there clothing, Hugo boss wouldn’t want an obese spotty male wearing there clothing. In some cases people will see this as ‘positive’ marketing and a good opportunity to make an increase in sales and expand the brand, but on the other hand they need to be sure to take in to account the ethical and moral damages that it could cause to the brand on a whole. American apparel are another brand that fall into the danger of causing ethical and moral damage to their company as they really over sexualize with their advertising campaigns they show almost fully nude woman with them just barely being covered up with either a hand or an arm covering them up. It’s now become apart of American Apparel’s style to create controversial adverts, but they should try creating a family friendly image this could fall into the trap of being morally and ethically disrespected as a company by members of the public.

The ‘Perfect image’ has changed over the years but still plays an important role to super brands, as the idea perfect image has evolved and changed through the years the importance of image has increased in value to brands like G&G, Hugo Boss, Armani and Hollister this is just an example of some of the brands that rely on marketing campaigns and image. Today ‘apparently’ size zero models aren’t just supposed to be what you see in a magazine but also what you see in your mirror and this what the brands want us to aspire to.  This in essence is the brand creating an exclusive club for consumers because not everyone has the ability to reach a size zero or afford the most expensive clothes. These marketing techniques that portray the idea of todays modern day ‘perfection’ work well for companies and rack in a ridiculous amount of money for super brands but conveys a very unhealthy message to young adults which some blame when it leads to health issues, there lies truth behind the issues that these images convey, it’s been know for eating disorders to present themselves when super brands are telling you that smaller is better and if your not fit and toned you should be, they create an image that show men and women lusting over each other because they both fit the criteria of todays perfect image.

Today’s underwear models are usually shown in sexy and tight fitting underwear, they want to make it appealing to 18-30 year olds but this can be seen as a negative marketing and impropriate for children. It’s not just important about which they choose to advertise it’s also important on where they choose to market the campaign and also who they wish to see it. The super brand Hollister only employs people who look like models and the people they use for their adverts to stay true to the theme of their style. When you enter a Hollister store the first three things that you will notice is that the store is very dark with few spot lights in the store with very dim lighting, you will notice that every one who works there is easy on the eyes and has a modern day ‘perfect’ look to them, these are the type of people that they marketed there clothing to, and last you will notice that Hollister stores all have a very distinctive smell too them. This is a perfect example of taking your brand to a new level of marketing they want the perfect image to stay true throughout the whole marketing campaign. It works well for the store but this discriminates against people who are religious or don’t fit the idea image of perfect.

Brands like Superdry have gone in the other direction with aspiration and desire by trying to portray a very different message to their audience. Super Dry, a brand that does not use normal advertising campaigns in the conventional forms of billboards etc. Superdry market their product to both male and female teenagers and young adults to 20+. It’s a popular brand with it’s demographic but it’s mainly marketed to a specific stereo type and pop culture. The brand is most commonly seen on students, but is more popular with males rather then females. Superdry don’t advertise in the traditional marketing methods they don’t advertise outside of clothes stores for example TV, Billboards, posters and magazines etc. They use a modern way of marketing using the web 2.0 to market their product. The brand relies more on PR with the likes of David Beckham wearing some of the products, which will boost awareness and sales, They have created this sense of authenticity within the brand opposed to creating a model, which all its consumers must fit. Super dry successfully achieve an unrivalled strategy, which promotes urban clothing, while giving you an individual look. The individuality over the brand has created a big following for Super dry while also gathering it a big celebrity following.

Sometimes not heavily promoting a product can work in its advantage as it can articulate the quality of the product. They have multiple outlet stores around the world. But their main place of distribution is over the Internet, they use web 2.0.

Unfortunately it’s true that half naked men and woman sell clothes and attracts the right attention from the audience however they also seem to over use and sell sex appeal to the consumer. Superdry has a unique form of advertising while at the same time gaining respect and revenue almost effortlessly. Super dry rebel against conventional methods of marketing and base their products around lifestyle rather then one look and have succeeded in making profits through this strategy. The way super brands market there will always be many ethical and moral concerns surrounding it, but I don’t see the fashion marketing industry changing any time soon.