Perfume Ads, Aliens, and ChatGPT
It’s almost Valentine’s Day — which, if you didn’t know, means the retail cues are in full force. Hearts, chocolates, jewelry, perfume abound. But if there’s anything a creator can take away from commercialized holidays like this, it’s the ad creative.
Perfume and cologne ads have always fascinated — or rather — baffled me. Why exactly are they so strange?
In a world that’s becoming increasingly digital, how do you convey a scent through a digital ad? You don’t. You have to convey a feeling. A vibe.
They all pretty much have the same feel, driven by a common theme of “sex sells” or “how to be beautiful.”
But, there is one ad that went above and beyond to create a story: Prada’s campaign for their Candy scent.
Prada Candy launched this ad campaign following the story of two best friends who fall in love with one girl. At the end of the story, Candy (played by Lea Seydoux) walks out with both men on her arm.
The Prada ad reassures us of the one thing we all secretly hope to be true: That you really can have your cake AND eat it, too. But only with the help of a little Prada Candy perfume.
