This is an ad for Essie brand nail polish that I found in Seventeen magazine. It gets right into it: "Want a taste of luxury?" That's pretty blatant snob appeal. Will nail polish really put me in an elite, sophisticated clique? Doubtful. But this ad is trying to make me believe it. If I want to be in that group, I have to "get my hands on" this nail polish before its too late and I'm lumped together with the common, non-Essie folk. It's called Belugaria, a completely made up, unnecessarily long word that exudes wealth and class -- it sounds like a small country with a powerful monarchy. Beluga, however, is a type of caviar obviously consumed by the rich and famous.
This ad really appeals to the need for prominence. The nail polish itself is shown in great detail and actually looks like small jewels, if not actual caviar. I have one question: Why would anyone want something that resembles fish eggs on their fingers? I guess the answer is that they want to be admired for their class and sophistication. It's hard to believe that nail polish will elevate me socially, even if it is shaped like caviar.
I also spotted some jargon in the paragraph below the large text. It's filled with really impressive words that are hard to understand: "encrusted, "multi-faceted", "prismatic". All of these describe the nail polish, but could easily be replaced by simpler and just as meaningful words. I assume they are there to confuse and overwhelm the consumer into thinking that this advertiser knows something they don't, or that the level of luxury shown by this nail polish is too high for them to even comprehend.
Ads like these are pretty entertaining. I am actually a bit sickened right now, after the thought of having to paint caviar on my nails. I don't care if it takes me to "a whole new level of taste and refinement." It's just plain gross.
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