Cartier

     I found this advertisement in a fashion and beauty magazine the other day. It is a two-page spread advertising the jewelry brand Cartier's diamond rings. The phrase on the right page reads, "True love has a color and a name." The background depicts the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, and there are white roses in the foreground along with the red box and rings.

     The first thing that stood out to me in this ad was the statement on the right. It seems like Cartier is trying to say that their products are the definition of true love. "True love has a color and a name": the color is red and the name is Cartier. They're saying that that box with the rings inside is an integral part of the feeling of true love, and you can't feel that emotion without Cartier brand jewelry.

     This ad appeals to the need for prominence. It displays several items that are generally associated with wealth, sophistication, and class. Aside from diamond rings, which are of course expensive, high-end products, the ad includes white roses and the Eiffel Tower. Roses, especially red and white ones, definitely embody that feeling of elegance that comes along with the need for prominence. The Eiffel Tower is a popular tourist destination, but it also symbolizes a fashionable and chic style coveted by many. Conveniently for Cartier, these items are also associated with love (the theme of the ad). Roses are traditionally given to loved ones and the Eiffel Tower is located in Paris, the city of romance.

     This ad also appeals to the need for affiliation, especially because it suggests that Cartier products are a necessary part of a loving relationship. By giving someone those diamond rings, you can achieve true love and romance, which no other brand can produce. Obviously, that assertion isn't accurate. Love is an emotion that is based on non-tangible feelings, and no materialistic item can replicate those feelings.