“I suppose, yes, I’ve been guilty of provocation but it’s also common sense marketing - put a bottle of scent in a women’s cleavage, or between her thighs - and men will notice” (Vogue UK June 2009).
It seems oxymoronic that in advertising, the fashion industry, and many others alike, regularly use models wearing little to nothing in order to sell their products. We’ve all heard the much-discussed and controversial concept of whether ‘Sex Sells’, and no-one has proved it quite like Mr. Tom Ford.
Some love him and some hate him - but to me, he is a creative genius. Despite the fact that numerous campaigns have been slammed for their provocative and controversial nature - much of his success is owed to this.
As previous creative director of Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, he knew these tactics worked. Who could forget that famous ‘G Spot’ Gucci campaign (2003) shot by Mario Testino. It may have been argued to be ‘vile, coarse and degrading to women’, yet Ford’s work led to a huge turnaround for their womenswear leading to a 90% increase in sales (Telegraph Fashion 2015). I agree, his work may not be politically correct, but it has never stopped the targeted audience from buying his products. Similarly, it gets people talking about the brand. We live in a world today where fashion magazines are filled with an endless stream of advert after advert, so to shock may be the way forward.
Following his success at YSL and Gucci, he moved on to develop his own label of menswear, beauty, eyewear and accessories in 2005. The campaign, shown above, was shot by photographer Terry Richardson in 2009 for Ford’s first men’s fragrance. Both Richardson (who was known to shoot controversial campaigns) and Ford believed that there was a need to go for a sharp and increasingly graphic approach which would reflect upon the bold and provocative nature of the fragrance. With this campaign, the targeted audience is generally middle-class men - so it seems Ford has been particularly clever here.
It’s straight-forward genetics that men will respond to this image in a certain way. It may be interpreted to objectify women, but for men - they will be led to have their ‘eyes on the prize’, as their gaze is directed towards the fragrance itself. He has carefully used seduction as a means of bringing in the consumer. By the way in which the campaign is styled, men may even believe that by by purchasing the product, they will be able to get women. This campaign, and many others, scream sex and glamour - two things which Ford has become associated with meaning he has created a particular image for himself.
It is important to note that the fashion industry has always come with controversy. After all, it is a means of expressing oneself and showing individuality. There is no space for mediocrity.
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