The company Louis Vuitton created this ad. Louis Vuitton sells a variety of high fashion products, from handbags to jewelry to clothing, in this particular case they are marketing for a purse. The target audience is white females between the ages of 25-49, this is known through the fact that the ad was found in W Magazine, which targets white women from the ages 28-49. The commercialized item (the purse) can sell anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on the vendor used. This cost also points to the target age group since a very high paying job or a woman with a lot of influence would be the only ones able to afford such an item also the target ethnicity in this ad as shown by a classic blond white woman.

The print includes a flawless blond woman, dressed in a simple yet very high fashion dress and heels. She appears to be on a beautiful coast, with calm water, lined with cliffs. She is relaxing against a classic blue Mustang, parked on a old stone paved road. While she is staring off into the horizon, she holds a Louis Vuitton purse above her right knee. The words Louis Vuitton is in the bottom right hand corner of the print, and in the left hand corner the words, “Sold exclusively in Louis Vuitton stores and on loiusvuitton.com 866-VIUTTON” are displayed. That’s it. There is no price presented anywhere on the page and in order to determine the price you must visit either a retail store or the website.

Three persuasive techniques used in this ad is 1) the symbol of serenity 2) beautiful people and 3) Nostalgia. The symbol of serenity is shown by the serene aura the picture gives. The woman is looking off into the horizon in a relaxed position that is accented by the ocean and an old stone paved road. The water, which is completely calm, could be a device that is used to attract serenity and a complacent feeling. This feeling however is completely unrealistic. The cliffs that in reality should have been lined with jagged rocks seem to have a soft quality to them making them seemingly beautiful and relaxing. The picture of serenity and always being happy is a false hope. No one can be happy all the time and by portraying the fact that a purse can make everything seem calm in your life makes this ad an unrealistic depiction of life.

The beautiful people technique is shown in the model’s flawless skin and perfectly manicured hands. Both give off the aura that she is self confident and beautiful. Leaning against the car she has her blond hair blowing in the wind, which although it is a very cliché picture, it seems to work in monopolizing the purse and that through her owning it, she has been made a more confident and self assured woman. This attribute is one that many women want and by marketing the purse in such a way it could lead to women actually wanting the purse so they can feel self confident. Although, in reality a purse is not going to change how one feels on the inside.

The technique of nostalgia is used as the ad presents a beautiful scene. The coast on which she is on seems exotic and beautiful. It reminds one of the simplicity that was found in childhood as the reader peers on the scene. Its landscape allows the reader to escape to time that was not busy and demanding, it reminds the reader of happiness. And of course all this is gained through the purchase of the purse. However, the ad leaves a lot of things unanswered. Like the questions of where is this beautiful place that brings back waves of nostalgia? Who is the woman in the article and why is she dressed so beautifully for a simple day out? Where is she going? Why is she there? And what makes the purse so important to her?

The ad in general is most simply a lie. No purse could make you so beautiful and bring serenity and simplicity to life. Perhaps if the company had used a more common looking woman and a more recognizable place, such as work or a coffee shop, perhaps the readers could relate to the ad and the want for the purse would deepen. There is also the fact that the ad promotes the rich and beautiful life and seems to say that if you are neither of these things you are not worthy of owning such products. This effect is negative and does not help with the campaign of the purse in any way. Perhaps the only good thing that can be gained from the ad is the affect it would have on wanting to show the company that even if they weren’t rich or beautiful the purse could still be attained. This would teach self-assurance and hard work in order to buy such a pricey item.

This ad effectively lures a reader into buying the product. By using emotions to manipulate the reader, the reader feels drawn to buy the item in hope that it will bring beauty, serenity and relaxation into their lives. However, perhaps if readers were able to discern facts from lies, readers would be able to better control their feelings allowing them to not succumb to such means of campaign.