Dry Cleaning’s A Bitch
Life, Musings October 12th, 2008On the way home from work last Friday, I saw a poster ad for the Van Heusen brand on the side of a bus. The image I saw happens to be the same one that’s on the front page of their website (i.e. the blueish one with the dude on the foreground and the blurry swimsuited woman in the background) that got my thoughts rolling long after the bus had driven past.
Here’s a couple of thoughts that flitted through my brain.
- Argh, get away from the pool, man! She looks like she’s going to slink seductively towards you and probably drape herself on you, which would then make your suit and shirt all soggy with chlorinated water. Do you want to have to go get that dry cleaned? I realise I hate seeing people fully dressed next to pools!!
- What’s that woman doing there anyway? Not only does that brand not sell woman’s swimwear, but that she’s too blurry to be advertising anything.
- Is that what the advertising is trying to tell us? “Wear our clothes and you too can get near to blurry, scantily clad women!” Sexist undertones? The ideal man = wearing suits, ideal woman = wearing swimsuits in pools?
- Why is he holding a thin, girly, necklace/bracelet? Is that HER jewelry? WHY IS HE STEALING HER SHIT? Is he actually a petty thief? Is that the only way he could afford these undoubtedly expensive clothes?
And so forth.
Hmm probably shouldn’t make it a habit posting at four in the morning.
I think it’s a known fact that the insertion of a scantily clad woman in any ad will sell the product. Even if it’s for incontinence pads. :P
This made me lol. I also hate seeing people fully dressed/wearing extremely nice clothes near pools. It gives me the heebie-jeebies.
My instincts tell me that the Well Dressed Man is obviously some kind of international spy, intent on either seducing her or beating her to death with his pocket watch (pretty sure that’s what the chain is attached to).
Perhaps the Barely Clothed Woman is also an international spy, or the head of a clandestine organization bent on world domination.
Haaahaha, unlike you, I make up random stories when I see ads likes this. The first thing that came to my mind was: “Ooh, maybe they’re breaking up and the guy wants the necklace back… but why would he want it? So he could give it another girl? What a cheap guy!”
The ad has a pretty blue, but I don’t get it. Meep. :|
LMAO I’ve never considered ads in so much depth before! Too funny!
You know, I think #4 is probably the idea they were aiming for. “Dress in these nice and fine sexy suits and you can get a nice and fine sexy lady to complement you!” …that’s the vibe I’m getting from the ad, especially since it’s “Van Heusen - Fine Suits.”