“La vie est belle”: Elegance at its Finest

Print ads are no doubt still prevalent and a salient part of the PR world today. It is important as an aspiring PR professional to analyze print ads to understand deeply what the advertisement is trying to say, and whether the persuasion method and design principles used are effective. I will be analyzing a print ad by Lancôme that features Julia Roberts and their “La vie est belle” perfume.

Through Julia Robert’s graceful posing, the elegant scenery and the vibrant and icy pastels, Lancôme’s “La vie est belle” ad will persuade the audience to buy this perfume in order to smell compelling and promote independence.

There’s no question why Lancôme chose the beautiful Julia Roberts to endorse their perfume. She is one of the most well-known and respected actresses in Hollywood, stemming from her role as Vivian Ward in the 1990 classic, Pretty Woman. She is a role model for women of all ages and has appeared in many roles in movies as women who won’t be shown up and are vividly independent. Not only that, but she sends a message to her fans and followers that they don’t need a man to be successful. Julia Roberts is truly the perfect person to represent “La vie est belle” because of her refined nature and grace.

Within the ad, Julia Roberts is seen in a showstopping white embellished gown, with an open back. Her smile is classy and polished, which undoubtedly makes the whole advertisement. Although she is dressed to the nines, her smile embraces her natural beauty and encourages self-love. She is positioned looking over her shoulder, back at the camera. This communicates happiness and joy, and that Julia Roberts is candidly living her best life. This assists with the elegant tone of the ad and makes the audience feel that the perfume would be compelling.

The shining scenery in the background is another main focal point of the ad. The Eiffel Tower is seen in the background, and there appears to be a faint sunset and a view of the skyline just behind it. Paris is a place of love and affection, but this ad truly focuses on the concept of self-love and how Julia Roberts is thriving on her own. There are also fountains of glitter-like water, suggesting and pointing to the name of the perfume, which translates to “life is beautiful”. The setting is sparkling and lavish, and again, captures and compels the audience in.

A key component of Lancôme’s advertisement is the color scheme. They provide icy and pastel colors all throughout, focusing on the elegance and cultivating nature of the product. Julia Robert’s white gown highlights her beauty and grace, and the soft pastels within the sky and fountain provide calming and lustrous effects. If instead, the advertisement included a bold and vibrant color scheme, the tone and theme would be loud and flashy. If they used bright reds, blues or neon colors, instead of conveying elegance and glamour, it may suggest “bending the rules” or a rebellious or wild nature. This would most likely shift the intended audience of young to middle-aged women to teens looking for some spunk with a new perfume. This would also defy the message of the ad, where the current color scheme of icy pastels makes it classy and conveys simplistic happiness.

The elegant and classy aspects of Lancôme’s advertisement for their perfume “La vie est belle” are created by the endorsement of Julia Robert and her graceful positioning, the whimsical scenery, and the light and icy pastel color scheme. These elements together inarguably shape the idyllic tone of the ad and exude the meaning that life really is beautiful, if you can believe it is.

Background information:

Julia Roberts has been an ambassador for Lancôme’s“La vie est belle” since 2012. Her most recent campaign for the perfume took place in early 2018. The shoot was photographed by Alexi Lubomirski and shot by French visual artist, Bruno Aveillan. In addition, Aveillan has notably worked for Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Guerlain. This advertisement has been seen in numerous magazines, including but not limited to InStyle, People, Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Glamour.