At first glance, many details stand out. The six models are young and beautiful. Fiv e out of the six are white, male, and facing the camera. Four are smiling, while the other two have smug grins on their faces. They are all wearing some type of denim, rolled up jeans, and black shoes. There is a large wood and wire fence separating t he models from the United States flag. The land on which the flag is sailing is not lush in color, but rather a drab shade of green; while the grass that the models are sitting on is a beautiful stark green. The American Flag appears tacked to the wir e fence instead of flying from a flag post. The life size glass bottle of "tommy" sits directly next to the models. The caption andfragrance name is written in all lower case white letters. Although many details may seem arbitrary, each holds signi ficant meaning.
"tommy" portrays an image of being fresh and exquisite. The product does so by using individuals ranging from age18-25 that have gorgeous skin, hair, teeth, bodies, and smiles. The models are an ideal image of America. They are young and free of w orries. They have time to frolic inthe grass, look beautiful, and dress expensively simultaneously. They relive an era when rolled up jeans, dark denim, tee-shirts, and black shoes were stylish; that period was the fifties. The fifties are remembere d asa peaceful time, when everyone was pro-America and life was simple. There were certain groups still struggling for their equality though; theseminority groups would be blacks and women. In turn, it is ironic that 'tommy ' presents both a black man and a woman within this advertisement.If one looks closely at the details, the black man, seated directly in the center, is extremely light skinned. The true black race is clearly not represented, for not all blacks have such light skin or white featu res. The woman is not even facing the camera, but rather holding on and smiling at a man. If you observe the body language, she appears to be a fool. The man has his right arm over lapping his left, showing no regard for her affection.
As in man y advertisements, this woman is just used as a sex object to sell the product. The models are mostly male, but the product is a "fragrance," not cologne nor a perfume. One would question why there lacks true representation of both sexes. "tommy" wan ts the consumer to feel that America is still controlled by white male upper-class citizens. If one wants to achieve true citizenship they must have or attempt to attain these qualities.
The American Flag has always been the symbol for The United States ofAmerica. The Stars and Stripes were officially adopted on June 14, 1777 by the Congress; it has been an emblem of freedom and liberty. Citizens willfully migrating from other countries have and still do respect the flag and its underlying me anings. That is why I have difficulty comprehending the portrayal of the American Flag within the picture. The American Flag is to be hung from a flag post at sunrise, taken down by sunset, and never to touch the ground. The advertisers decided to t ack the symbol of the United States on an old wood and wire fence from left to right; leaving the flag to blow only up and down and possibly touch the ground. Tommy Hilfiger has made a statement . . . Americas' greatest symbol no longer deserves the res pect it once received. The flag is strategically placed on the cloudy colorless side of the fence, while the models squint from the bright sun on the opposite side. The focal point of the "tommy" advertisement is brought together by the tapered flag, which serves only as a background to the models.
The symbolic meaning within the picture is endless. The American Flag represents the United States, but just as we do not respect the flag we will not respect America. The flag is the medium betwee n the struggles of life and the easy laid back lifestyle. Once a person has obtained the latter, they no longer need to show respect. America is just a means of fulfilling your dreams. The advertisers want to convince the consumers that "tommy" will b ring you a lush lifestyle and extreme happiness. "tommy" and "the new american fragrance" are in lower case white letters purposely to stress an important aspect. White is defined byWebster's dictionary as "Ardent :impassioned. Morally unblemi shed: pure." The designers want you to feel sexy and driven by emotion when you read this ad. By doing so, they hope you will go and purchase their product. They also want you to believe that "tommy" is unblemished, perfect, free of mistakes, as the w ord "white" has defined. The lower case letters represent simplicity and lack of rules and order. The letters also make "tommy" seem new and unusual. A products' name is usually capitalized, in bold print, and colorful; the Hilfiger company finds i t unnecessary to take such drastic measures to sell their fragrance. The name itself, "tommy," is the ultimate example of product modesty. Tommy has become a common American name similar to how the Hilfiger company wants ":tommy" to become a common Am erican product. But how can Americans purchase a product that does not even capitalize the country in which it "prides itself upon"? America should be capitalized no matter what context it is used in. The designers of the advertisement further my be lief that they are using America and the American Flag as a means of unjustified representation. In conclusion, "tommy" attempts to sell the ideal American image. One can attain wealth, beauty, security, health, and prosperity by following the guidel ines which America offers. According to "tommy's philosophy; once these goals are obtained, America and it's symbols no longer need to be respected.