The
movie Sex and the City advertises
everything from clothes to restaurants. It is based on the very popular
television series and picks up where the series left off. Sex and the City is about everything that four best friends go
through while living in New York City. However, they are not girls who enjoy a
simple way of living. They are very much attracted to all the luxurious things
that the city has to offer. The movie advertises many things because the girls
are considered to be fashion icons that many women look up to.
According
to chapter 10 of Understanding Movies, “Virtually
every movie presents us with role models, ideal ways of behaving, negative
traits, and an implied morality based on the filmmaker’s sense of right and
wrong” (Giannetti,3). The stars of Sex
and the City are role models, and if they are wearing or doing something,
it is likely that it will gain popularity.
In the movie, Carrie is getting married and Vogue asks her to be photographed for their wedding issue. In the
scene, Carrie tries on multiple high-fashion dresses and mentions the brands
while trying them on. She mentions Vera
Wang, Carolina Herrera, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, Dior, Oscar de la Renta, and
Vivienne Westwood. Although she eventually chooses the dress by designer
Vivienne Westwood, her name-dropping was a very beneficial form of advertising
for all of the designers. It was especially beneficial for Vivienne Westwood
because if the iconic Carrie Bradshaw would wear a dress by her to her wedding,
many brides would want to do the same. The products evoke pathos for the
audience because it gets them excited about Carrie getting married and trying
on her wedding dress. It is also a form of ethos because they are brands that
are well-known by a lot of people and it allows for them to appreciate the
dresses even more. The fact that the photo session is to be printed in Vogue magazine is also ethos because it
is a major fashion magazine with millions, if not billions of readers. The fact
that so many people purchase the magazine is a form of logos because people are
able to rationalize that having a spread in the magazine is something
significant.
The
movie advertises Louis Vuitton, a famous brand in different ways throughout the
movie as well. One way is by having a famous fashion icon Andre Leon Talley,
who appears in the movie as himself, carry a Louis Vuitton suitcase with his
name on it. According to Understanding
Movies, “Many filmmakers believe that casting is so integral to a
character, they don’t even begin working on a script until they know who’s
playing the major roles” (Giannetti, 5). Obviously the scene in the movie with
Andre Leon Talley was not written until he agreed to come out in the film. This
was a form of advertisement for both the film and Talley because many people
got to know him with the film and others who knew him might have watched the
film because he was in it. This was a form of ethos because he is a fashion
icon making him very credible in this particular movie. There is also a scene
where Carrie’s assistant Louise is telling her that her dream is to own a Louis
Vuitton purse, but it is too expensive for her. Towards the end of the movie,
Carrie gifts the tear-filled Louise her first Louis Vuitton purse. It is a form
of pathos because the scene is very emotional, while it is also ethos because
Louis Vuitton is a very famous brand in the fashion industry. Louis Vuitton has
many customers already, which is a form of logos, but the movie advertising the
brand could have only helped it grow in popularity.
Advertising
in movies can be a negative thing if it is not done wisely. Fortunately for
this movie, the advertising was done impeccably and fit the storyline completely.
None of the advertising seemed out of place or was harmful to the movie. In
fact, one of the reasons I love watching Sex
and the City is that I get to see the fabulous things the characters wear,
and the amazing places they go to. This is definitely one of my favorite movies
of all time.
No comments:
Post a Comment