This advertisement appeared in the May 27, 2013, issue of People magazine. It portrays a Caucasian woman, probably in her 20s, dressed in all white, wearing jewelry and high-heeled shoes. She is very skinny and pretty, and could be a model. She is sitting on a white stool against a grey background. The text reads “SHORTCUT #5 LIGHT UP IN WHITE.” At the top of the ad, it reads “free shipping, free returns. The company who created this advertisement is Piperlime, and their slogan is “The Shortcut to Chic.”

One advertising technique utilized in this advertisement is Beautiful People. The woman wearing the clothes from Piperlime is skinny, pretty, cheerful, and fashionable. This makes the consumer think Piperlime clothes will make them look like models as well. But this can plant a false sense of security in someone’s mind who is wearing Piperlime clothes. Repetition is also used in this advertisement. The word “shortcut” is repeated in the text accompanying the picture as well as in the slogan. People are always looking for easier ways to do something and Piperlime takes advantage of that by promoting their items as shortcuts. “Free” is also repeated, making the reader think that buying Piperlime clothes is a good deal and they will be able to save money. Another advertising technique used is Simple Solution. The slogan makes readers think that just by wearing the clothes, they will be chic. But this isn’t true. It also makes readers believe that Piperlime clothes are a shortcut to looking beautiful and will fit in their busy lives. Consumers might be more willing to purchase items from this clothing line if they believe it will make their lives simpler. However, buying Piperlime clothing could create problems instead of solving them, such as a financial problem due to the high cost of Piperlime apparel. Finally, this ad utilizes Card Stacking. It persuades people that Piperlime clothes are fashionable and will help them look chic, but it leaves out the information that fashionable clothes aren’t the only thing that will make someone beautiful.

This ad promotes the values of beauty, purity, and envy through their use of colors and person. The woman who is wearing the clothes is beautiful and pretty, which suggests that Piperlime clothing will make someone beautiful. The color white used in the stool and the clothes worn by woman has an underlying meaning. White is used to symbolize cleanliness, purity, and divinity. This subtext makes the ad more appealing to consumers, even though they might not realize the true meaning of the colors. Envy is promoted through the use of the color green in the text at the bottom. This suggests that other people will be jealous of someone who is wearing Piperlime apparel. Green also symbolizes money, which is evident in the high price of Piperlime items.

This ad fails to tell us important information about Piperlime. What exactly are they selling? Where, besides the website listed, can someone buy Piperlime clothing? What types of clothes do they sell? How much does it cost? What sizes of clothes do they sell? All of this information is important for a consumer to know and understand before s/he makes a purchase, especially if it is a large, high-priced purchase.

Women may find this ad offensive because it suggests that clothes are the only thing needed to make someone pretty. This ad also says wearing all white clothes is chic and a shortcut. But Piperlime clothes are not necessarily a shortcut because it can still take a long time to get ready in the morning, even if you are wearing all white. Also, not every woman looks good in white, so this ad may offend them. Some women believe that they can’t wear white, whether it is because of their skin tone, body shape, hair color, or the time of year. By using the words “light up in white,” the ad also portrays the image of lightening up by losing weight. It makes the reader feel like only very skinny people will be able to fit into Piperlime clothing. Overall, this advertisement portrays Piperlime clothing as a shortcut in our busy lives. It suggests only skinny and pretty people will be able to fit into Piperlime apparel, that wearing their clothes will make someone look chic, and that their clothes are a shortcut to looking more attractive.