Task 2 - Consumerism

The Task;
Dolce and Gabbana;

Source

Consumerism is a social and economic order that encourages the purchase of goods and services in ever-greater amounts. This Dolce and Gabbana advertisement is for a lipstick, although is not really showing in any detail what the lipstick looks like, it is showing the future self what you will look like if you owned the lipstick. Showing the situation you could be in, and allowing the consumer to achieve this lifestyle and be this glamourous. "The spectator - buyer is meant to envy herself as she will become if she buys the product. She is meant to imagine herself transformed by the product into an object of envy for others, and envy which will then justify her loving herself.' (Berger, J. 1972. p134), this point is supported by Berger, as the advert is showing the women looking very glamourous, and being desired by good looking men, therefore Dolce and Gabbana are advertising a lifestyle choice not just a lipstick.

Women often don't only seek the attention of a male, they seek the envy of other females. Attention from men can be easily measured, but attention from other females, and the envy of who they are or what they do/have is a lot harder to measure. Therefore advertisements that show you a stunning women and making you envious, means that if you look or act like that women you shall make other women envious of you. 'Publicity persuades us of such a transformation and are, as a result, enviable. The state of being envied is what constitutes glamour. And publicity is the process of manufacturing glamour.' (Berger, J. 1972. p131) Glamour is something that now-a-days can be sold, often for a large profit, and although everyone is glamourous in their own way, publicity has made women think they are not aesthetically pleasing and need certain products to look like women that are. 

'Anxiety on which plays is the fear that having nothing you will be nothing.' (Berger, J. 1972. p131) People do fear that in their lives they will not be happy or content unless they have found their partner, had children and own nice things. It is seen that if you have a lot of money you are doing well in life, therefore you can buy all these nice things that are advertised 'The power to spend money is the power to live.' (Berger, J. 1972. p143). If you don't have a lot of money, the advert are offering the opportunity for you to live as if you do have money, and the product will offer you the lifestyle you want, or at least allow others to think you are living that lifestyle, and be envied. 'It proposes to each of us that we transform ourselves, or our lives, by buying something more. The more, is proposes, will make us in some way richer - even though we will be poorer by having spent our money.' (Berger, J. 1972. p131)


In this Dolce and Gabbana advert it is showing a women with nothing on but the Dolce and Gabbana lipstick, whilst still looking glamourous and wanted. This advert is trying to convince consumers that all you need is this lipstick to look this way, you don't need a certain brand of clothes or nice jewelry, all you need is to buy this product. 'The purpose of publicity is to make the spectator marginally dissatisfied with his present way of life...It suggests that if he buys what is offering, his life will become better. It offers him an improved alternative to what he is.' (Berger, J. 1972. p142). Even if the consumer was satisfied in them self, after seeing this advert they would then become envious of the women in the advert and think that they would become more like her if they bought the product, which would make them happier with themselves again.