Making of the Chinese male parfume advertisment

Obviously the first step would have to be thinking about the Chinese male consumers and
discovering as much as one can about the Chinese culture and fashion preferences. Yet, my
primary preoccupation was the notion of change and wheter it is possible in the human society.

Talking about a culture we always have a set of structures in mind, some traditions, customs and
believes which are hard to change, or better say, tansform into something regarded as alien or
unsutable for the particular context. So the question is, what should we do about the information,
and unavodably certain stereotypes obtained through the research? Given that all statements and
suposed facts we gathered depend on the subjectivity of their narrator, the certain
historical/social context (so that they are in a process of constant change and reshaping), and that
my reading of a text always implies certain prior assumptions and prejudices, I decided first to
focus on my starting hypothesis and define my standing on the possibility of change.

Under what condition does the change of one’s beliefs and values occur? Can we talk about the
profound change of the society which is presumed to be closed and totalitarian as much as the
Chinese one? And in this particular case, what do we want to achieve with this advertisment?

Although each product is obviously made to bring profit and compete on the international
market, it is highly relevant to question its advertising potential in creating a new demand or
changing the existing power relations and modifying the deeply rooted believes and traditions.

So what are the typical values in the Chinese society and most common stereotypes connected to
its tradition?

The most asserted ones are definitely family values, obedience and respect for the elderly,
unquestionable loyalty to the state, as well as the collective spirite and unity. Above all,
traditional /patriarchal gender roles and harmonious „spiritual“ life are esteemed to have a great
significance in the daily lives of Chinese people.

Then, the question arises, should the advertisment persume that the conformist habits of the
people are not prone to changes and that their minds are programmed to recognize and value
only what is already established as a certain prerogative? Or, can one hope that by creating a
shock effect and disturbing the of accepted balance of the general dichotomies there is a space
for potential transformation and eventual progress?

First, I tried to take up a less commercial option and go with my inner believes in the potential
for change in every man, and consequently a room for transformation and creation in any
society.

So, the “Disharmony” advertisement is meant to turn the dominant value system upside down
and thereby create the space for different interpretations and subsequent change. The very name
attempts to break with the pattern of established values, taking up a more controversial path to
provoke a reaction and gain audience. It should be said, though, that the target audience is
between 20-40 years old, that is, the generation which is supposed to have the greatest desire for
rebellion and changing towards the so-called modern values.

The subtitle “Evolution“evokes the concept of progress and advance, implying it is necessary
and unavoidable. The Parfume bottle, on the other hand, symbolises Chinese tradition, while the
hands clearly indicate the need to move forward, go beyond that tradition and out of the gloomy
past (represented by the grayish colors). In the background we see red fists, the simbol of
resistance and ambiguous invocation of the revolution, but this time in a new, contemporary
manner. The smashed TV also indicates a rebellion against authority and controled information,
which is supposed to attract youth, but also make other people question their attitudes.

The assumption is that even though China is said to be very traditional, we shouldn’t
underestimate the needs and wishes of every individual to differ and to rebel against certain
norms, even though their behavior could be objectively regarded as retrograde or as part of a
specific culture. Young people want to believe they are open minded and modern even though it
is mostly far from the reality. Yet, thanks to this, they will be attracted by the ideas of change,
modernity, progress and opposing concepts such as disharmony. Besides, the older generations
are hardly going to change their habits, so my ad aims at younger people and their interests.

However, after the ad was finalized, I was wondering if I should let my own ideological
convictions prevail and dominate the marketing and business logic. Realizing I might be pushing
a bit over the top, I made a new advertisement, now considering the Chinese cultural specificities
and before all, profitability and success in the market.

This time my assumption was that the habits of the older people can indeed change, but only if
we establish a mode of conveying a message which can best fit into their world view and work in
a more subtle and compliant manner. Consequently, even though it is assumed that old people
don’t change their habits easily, the simplistic picture and suggestive proverb are supposed to
ring a bell in the traditional and authoritarian/obedient minds of the elderly men.

The meaning of a proverb can be summarized in the following: “even the longest and most
difficult ventures have a starting point”, which implies that since Chinese men don’t use
perfumes very often, this could be a turning point in their life in a way.

This is a famous saying by the Chinese philosopher Confucious, so it is presumed that it is well
known and respected in the traditional Chinese society, and that the ad will therefor gain
attention and simpathies of general public, and elderly men, in particular.

What these two advertisements have in common is the belief in the possibility of change. By
using different approaches, they both attempt to question some important issues about gender
roles, political (dis)obedience and modernity, but adapted to suit the supposed demands of the
target audience.

Personally, I am more in favor of the subtle and ambiguous conveying of the message, even
though I invested more energy and passion in creating the more shocking advertisement. Still,
the straightforward and obvious message then seemed too superficial and intrusive and I came to
appreciate the more traditional and conforming one, even though it was in disaccord with my
principles at first.

In the process of making this project, I tried to answer some questions about the popular culture
and its influence on the everyday lives, but more importantly, to understand the role of the
marketing and advertising and decide how much power do the institutions actually have,
depending on the different social/historical context. And more importantly, how much space is
left for personal choices, changes and creativity.