Journey with Louis Vuitton Bags

Advertising Louis Vuitton Bags and Hennessy Cognac: An Analysis

Advertisements portray products as representations of everything the target consumer desires to become. What the advertisement clearly does is thus to signify, to represent to us the object of desire. It could therefore be argued that the most important concept in advertising is the notion of “me.” In order to be successful, advertisements need to portray an image of “me” and tell us how to become more appealing, attractive, sexy, etc. Using the principle of vanity, the advertisement contains textual information and images that convey perfection. The main purpose of advertising is to sell products, but the advertisement not only sells the reader the product, but also depicts a future image of the reader as a more desirable and happier person while using the merchandise.

Magazine advertisements contain various symbolic messages in an attempt to reach their target audience. Two such advertisements, Louis Vuitton and Hennessy, use subtle symbolism to attract a reader to their product. The advertisers of these products use beautiful pictures and strategically placed images of the merchandise to spark an interest from consumers. Witty slogans and precise camera angles enhance dramatic effect. These advertisements do not simply say in a few words what their product will do for the consumer. In most advertisements, it is expected that the consumer interprets from the images the notion that their lives will improve when they are seen in public with the product. Using Technical Communication, by Mike Markel, one will understand that advertisements are conveying images of perfection to consumers.

The Louis Vuitton (LV) advertisement, portraying Alison Hewson and Paul David Hewson, aka Bono, walking in a vast African landscape, reflects a journey of two rich and famous individuals carrying LV bags. At first glance, one will notice that the two are just arriving at their destination after...