[BA Fashion Essay] Analysis of Fashion Advertisements - Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry: Essay

BF-FH132 Cultural & Contextual Studies 1B

Analysis of Fashion Advertisements - Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry

Irissa Nur Khair BAFMIN2A / 20600

Rohaizatul Azhar Lecturer AY2018/19 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fashion Media and Industries

LASALLE College of the Arts Faculty of Design Singapore

Accepted by the Faculty of Design,

LASALLE College of the Arts, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Fashion Media and Industries

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________________________________ Irissa Nur Khair

Fashion has always been a reflection of culture and social codes that shape our society today. In December 2018 and January 2019, Dolce & Gabbana (D&G) and Burberry had released their respective campaigns for the Lunar New Year, both displaying a

hypervisual and unconventional perspective of the yearly festive occasion. D&G presented the majestic grandeur of Chinese culture whilst Burberry weaved traditional British values into a ceremonial Chinese family portrait. An advertisement is more than “simply a transparent vehicle for a message” (Williamson 17), it is an opportunity to create emotional depth between the brand and its audience. It is important to dissect every signifier within an advertisement and its intended meanings in relation to the brand identity and message. This essay seeks to decode two fashion advertisements from Burberry and Dolce and Gabbana and ascertain which is more successful in conveying its message to its audience.

Figure 1: Burberry Chinese New Year 2019 Campaign Photographer: Ethan J. Green

Figure 2: Dolce & Gabbana The Great Show 2018 Campaign

Videographer: Domenico Dolce

It is common practice for luxury fashion houses to uphold the aesthetic ideals of fashion models since the 1990s, which are “waiflike models with slighter frames and quirkier looks” (Evans 299). To set themselves apart, Burberry and D&G have gone against the grain by casting outside of the norm. Figure 1 depicts a group of Chinese individuals of various ages, amongst them are an elderly woman, three men, two children and two actresses, Zhao Wei and Zhou Dongyu for Burberry’s first Lunar New Year 2019 campaign. In Figure 2, Chinese model Zuo Ye fronts D&G’s promotional campaign film for its Shanghai’s ‘The Great Show’ fashion show in 2018.

The visual aesthetic range of models used in the advertisements signifies both brands efforts in its promotion of racial inclusivity within the fashion sphere. The products worn are given meaning as they are a “reflection of something exterior”, which the brands endorse and want its audience to know that cultural appreciation is wholly encouraged by the brand (Williamson 35). The advertisement “cultivates positive associations” as it resonates with the shifting mindset towards social causes that consumers care for (Segram).

As D&G’s audience have already seen similar advertisements from the brand featuring Chinese models, the social impact is subdued. To Burberry’s audience, the use of an all Chinese cast to celebrate Lunar New Year with their Chinese market for the first time is fresh and impactful. Thus, the publicity for Burberry is greater.

The relevance of subjects plays an important role in successful advertising too. In Figure 1, prominent Chinese actress revered for their work in the entertainment industry, Zhao and Zhou were selected to front Burberry’s campaign. Here, they are used as aspirational signifiers. By choosing two known Chinese actresses, the brand has the intention of using their successful and established profiles to reach out to a new market, which is the one in China.

Figure 3: Burberry Chinese New Year 2019 Campaign Photographer: Ethan J. Green In Figure 1, Zhao and Zhou are captured in rather formal and dignified poses, alongside the rest of the cast, communicating the themes of togetherness and ceremony.

This transference of positive attributes from Zhao and Zhou to Burberry is successful, as it relates well to the supporters of the actresses. Upon further analysis, the inclusion of an elderly lady places even greater emphasis on the theme of family. This contributes well to the narrative as elderly folks are revered in Asian communities. Representing the matriarch of the family, she is placed in the centre as seen in Figure 3.

Apart from its well-known subjects, the campaign consisted of three adult males, two young children and an elderly woman. It can be assumed that the group of individuals represent a family unit, which is in line with the campaign message of gathering the cross generations of family for a seasonal celebration. To quote Paul Jobling, “as clothes grow simpler and less important, the human factor becomes dominant” (25) Burberry allows for the human element of family to be the focus of the campaign, offering itself as an alternative to the glamorous aspects of its luxury items.

The image itself was inspired by classic portraiture, juxtaposed against an urban environment such as the buildings in the distant background. Taking into account that this is Burberry’s very first attempt at appealing towards their Chinese market, it was sensible to

merge the traditional and contemporary elements of Chinese culture and Burberry’s British heritage respectively.

In Figure 2, Dolce & Gabbana features fresh-faced Chinese model Zuo, a recent university graduate. Unlike Zhao and Zhou in Figure 1, the brand is unable to tap on the personal attributes of the model to further boost its campaign. This random selection might not hold significant value to D&G’s audience, lowering its success in contrast to that of Figure 1.

Despite projecting different messages in their campaigns, Burberry and D&G have similarities in its fashion portrayal. Both images use colours, specifically shown through clothes, as signifiers. The concept of colour holding a cultural connection is still relevant in advertising today. Judith Williamson describes colour as a “basis for a connection unstated by the verbal part of the ad.” (Williamson 20) Burberry’s campaign image’s colour palette is that of red, white, beige and black, which make up the original colours of the brand. The auspicious red colour of Lunar New Year had been adapted seamlessly into the image through the classic check sweater, vests, hoodies and sweatpants. These “elements and grammar of clothing take on meaning in cultural context” (Miller-Spillman 84). It is vital to note the substantial occurrence of black in the outfits. While black colour is taboo for the Lunar New Year, it is also a symbol of power or invisibility that makes one “feel hidden away in” (O’Keeffe). It signifies the versatility of black garments in various situations and by extension, the adaptability of Burberry’s garments. The black contrasted against the fair complexions of the individuals adds an air of sophistication, elegance and edge to their roles in the image. The composition of these colours hold cultural meaning, coupled with contemporary additions to communicate Burberry’s brand identity, regardless of the occasion.

Similarly, in Dolce & Gabbana’s video, Zuo Ye donned a red sequined dress and flashy gold accessories that decorated her neck and arms. The outfit clearly exhibits

European fashion due to the ostentatious square neckline of the dress and Sacred Heart earrings. The outfit signifies the brand’s way of upholding its brand identity of Italian new luxury and unconventional dressing. Once again, the combination of two bold colours, red and gold, had been showcased well in the video campaign to better promote the D&G’s ‘The Great Show’ fashion show that was set to be their biggest fashion yet in Shanghai. This is due to Lunar New Year being the most festive occasion for the Chinese community, it seemed apt to reuse the same colour palette to appeal to the likes of the Chinese market, despite the video not celebrating in the aforementioned event itself.

As such, this bleeds into both brands being successful in sticking to their brand identity. Burberry had reflected its brand aesthetic perfectly and the family values approach was an active effort to engage with the Chinese culture on a meaningful level. The poised and solemn expressions of the cast was a comprehensible approach to not promote a false appearance of bliss but instead, take on a global and tolerant perspective.

Figure 4. Burberry Christmas 2018 Campaign Photographer: Juno Calypso It is evident that Burberry has remained consistent in its brand imagery, portraying a larger story than the surface. From Figure 4, we can draw similarities in Figure 1 in the way the photographer had chosen to portray the respective festive season. The image gives off insidious motives and described as ‘creepy’ but beneath the facade, it gravitates towards a timeless, refined, grandiose quality.

Burberry seems to include prominent figures in their campaigns, creating a deeper meaning for their products and story by linking their personalities to the brand image. In this context, the entire cast of characters signifies the campaign message of togetherness during a festive occasion. The actresses, alongside the elderly lady, maintain a gaze towards the camera in Figure 3. This translates to maintaining eye contact with its viewer, establishing a human-like connection with its viewer. In her book, Decoding Advertisements, Judith Williamson wrote that “advertising is based on evoking emotion” (30). Therefore, the sophistication exuded by the portrait through their unconventional expressions allows the brand to create a narrative that invites the audience in.

Just like Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana’s video campaign reflects its eccentric aesthetic that pushes unconventional narratives within fashion through strong innovation. In Figure 2, Zuo, dressed flamboyantly, is depicted as having meals in a shophouse. This communicates that although the character may look and be perceived one way, it does not exclude them from behaving in another way.

Figure 5: Dolce & Gabbana Spring Summer 2016 Campaign Photographer: Domenico Dolce Drawing similarities from Figure 2 and Figure 5, it is obvious the characters in both campaigns are dressed well and extravagantly. Instead of location, it is now the action of eating that would come across as the odd factor. By using the models’ hand to eat spaghetti, this conveys the idiosyncratic quality that Dolce & Gabbana possesses and showcases to the public, let alone their target markets. It is no surprise for Dolce & Gabbana to challenge societal norms. The brand essence lies in contrasting features, juxtaposed against each

other to bring depth to the campaign.

Figure 6: Dolce & Gabbana The Great Show 2018 Campaign Videographer: Domenico Dolce

While it is commendable of both brands' efforts to present inclusivity by engaging Chinese individuals to promote the Chinese culture within their campaigns, the underlying motives may compel one to think otherwise.

In the book, Ways of Seeing by John Berger, he wrote that effective advertisements “need a visual language with historical dimensions” (Berger 140) Chopsticks are a prominent symbol of the Chinese culture and heritage; a tool to impart values and express affection in the family for decades. Yet, it was not utilised appropriately. In Figure 2, Zuo had used chopsticks to eat supersized food items out of its intended cuisine, which in this case were spaghetti, cannoli and pizza.

Upon viewing the video, one is propelled to witness the unsettling mockery of Zuo. She is “caught in an amusing attitude, or better still, a comic one; her pose, her expression is excessive [and] caricatural” (Calefato). Zuo is quite literally being objectified by the male voiceover in a rather patronising and condescending tone with his innuendo-laden speech on how to “properly” eat the dishes, as seen in Figure 6. It is clear the imagery derived from the attempt to ‘tackle’ these large food items is absurd and signifies that is nearly impossible to assimilate the Chinese culture into the more dominant Western culture.

It communicates to the audience that with D&G, it is an unattainable goal to fully adopt their lavish European lifestyle and they would be subject to ridicule if they attempt to do so.

D&G’s use of a Chinese model is mere tokenism as it is a poor attempt to show its racial inclusivity, however, negates its intended message by mocking the Chinese culture. It is evident that there is the “tendency to treat the object as simply a reflection of social movements” (Sawchuk), and in this instance, treating Zuo and her culture with respect. The lack of thought is appalling, which makes the video a weak and ineffective approach to storytelling.

Nonetheless, is featuring individuals of minority groups in publicity materials merely an advertising strategy that proves beneficial only to the business at hand? Burberry and D&G both delivered campaigns that present a socially-inclusive front and challenged the definition of one-dimensional storytelling.

The use of well-known figures adds to Burberry’s credibility for maintaining its brand identity of sophistication, elegance and sensibility. While the campaign image’s reception by the public was varied, its execution of a realistic Lunar New Year gathering, akin to that of a British Christmas in Figure 3 is noteworthy. In comparison, the D&G campaign pales in authenticity and genuineness through the use of a powerless model and scripted exaggerated actions.

In closing, Burberry has a better brand presence that effectively communicates its message of togetherness to its audience; therefore Burberry has the successful advertising campaign.

(word count: 2007)

Works Cited

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