In this Juicy couture perfume ad, there are two girls with a giant pink and gold box between them in a plain white room. The box says “VIVA LA JUICY” on it in big writing with a crest above it and “JUICY COUTURE” in small writing. There is plastic wrapping around the box, like it had just been half opened. The girls, who are each holding a bottle of the perfume, resemble dolls. They stare at the viewer with emotionless faces. One is standing, cuddling the perfume bottle. The other is sitting on the ground with limp limbs, a giant perfume bottle in her lap. The bottles of perfume each have a pink bow. The girls wear large black hats, short and preppy dresses, knee-high socks and flats. Their hair, nails, and makeup are flawless. In the top left corner, there is a logo that says “EAU DE COUTURE 2.” In the bottom left, it states where the perfume can be purchased (at Macy’s and Juicy Couture stores). “JUICY COUTURE” is written in gold at the bottom of the page.

This ad is directed towards wealthy, fashionable, white teenage girls and young women because it was found in Seventeen magazine and contains young white models. Juicy Couture uses beautiful people to influence girls into believing they can become beautiful by purchasing the perfume. This is a big lie because a perfume won’t bring you beauty or self-confidence. Their signature logo at the bottom of the page is a symbol of wealth and high fashion because it is in gold and written in a classy font. It is associated with money and fancy clothes, making people want to buy the perfume to be stylish.

It seems as if the models which resemble dolls were just taken out of their packaging—the giant box. No one wears hats like those that the models are wearing. However, that is the exact type of hat that many dolls wear. Also like dolls, the girls manage to look pretty while showing no emotion. The models’ doll-like appearances give the idea that women are objects. Like dolls, the women in this ad are waiting around for someone to make decisions for them because they can’t do anything on their own. Their only purpose should be to sit around and be pretty. This is exactly the image that society gives to little girls: they should be pink, flawless, frilly, and pretty. But what if a girl wants to wear comfortable clothes? What if she wants to make her own decisions? She should be empowered to be strong physically and mentally, and be confident with the way she is.
The giant pink box, the cute dresses, the hats, the size of the larger perfume bottle, and the pink bows all create a feeling of youth. It seems Juicy Couture is trying to make their product attractive to younger buyers. If this is true, is this message acceptable? Should young girls be trying to be juicy?
This ad forgets that simply smelling good will not make you beautiful, perfect, and desirable. It also leaves out key information concerning buying the product. How much does it cost? How much perfume is in a bottle? How does it smell? The editing done to the models’ bodies and faces to cover their flaws hides the fact that no matter how beautiful someone is, they are not perfect. By printing the ad without edits, the brand could show a more realistic image of women. Printing an ad with average-sized women instead of tall, skinny models would also create a more truthful picture.
Female empowerment is a growing idea in today’s society, which makes it surprising that advertisements like this succeed in promoting products. However, with a careful and critical eye, we can scrutinize these negative ads and change our buying habits to make them a thing of the past.