Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer known for launching his namesake line in 1986. He is creative director of Louis Vuitton and known for blending grunge style with classic looks. Marc Jacobs advertising campaigns are unconventional, using unexpected models and suggestive imagery that focuses more on aesthetics than the clothes.

1. Marc Jacobs Brand Analysis
Tania Araj
Semiotics - Prof. Franco
IED Florence
March 27, 2012

2. HELVETICA
Origin: Helvetica is a popular sans-serif typeface developed in
1957 by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger with Eduard
Hoffmann to compete with the Akzidenz-Grotesk font in the Swiss
market. The aim of the design was to create a neutral typeface that
had great clarity, and could be used on a wide variety of signage.
In 1960, the typeface’s name Neue Haas Grotesk was changed to
Helvetica in order to make it more appropriate for the international
market. ‘Helvetica’ is Latin for ‘Swiss’. Throughout the years many
variants of the typeface were developed.
Uses: Helvetica is a popular choice for text logos and company
names, including those for 3M, American Airlines, BMW, Jeep,
JCPenney, Lufthansa, Microsoft, Motorola, Panasonic and many
more. It is also found on NYC subway signs and US government
forms.
Movie: In 2007, a documentary film was made about Helvetica
to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the typeface. Its content
consists of a history of the typeface along with interviews with
leading graphic and type designers. The film aims to show
Helvetica’s beauty and ubiquity, and illuminate the personalities
that are behind typefaces.
Helvetica is clean, serious, legible, and often used for government
and public transport signage. I chose this font because I use it a lot
in my work for brochure text, business cards and the like. It is very
neutral yet not at all outdated and gives a European feel to things.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica

3. BRAND
Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head
designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as Marc by Marc Jacobs, and
has been the creative director of Louis Vuitton since 1997.
Jacobs introduced his namesake line in 1986 and quickly became
the youngest designer ever to win the CFDA Perry Ellis Award
for New Fashion Talent. Marc Jacobs is to America what Miuccia
Prada is to Italy. He stuns, delights and scares the fashion world
and most of his collections make references to the fashions of
past decades from the 1940s to the 1980s. He also likes to use
unexpected models in his campaigns (Charlotte Rampling, Dakota
Fanning, Posh Spice), and fashion photographer Juergen Teller.
Marc Jacobs started grunge style, and the brand defines grunge
meets classic style with trends mixed in with the individual style
of the company. Marc Jacobs advertising campaigns are raw,
ecclectic and sexually suggestive. The images often raise the
obvious question: where are the clothes? But fans of the designer’s
work will recognise the unconventional approach to Marc Jacobs’
advertising campaigns.

4. ADVERTISEMENTS
STRATA
1. Top of page for sky
2. Top of text
Icon: blue sky, grass, flowers,
open field, perfume bottle, 2
female models, white dresses,
3. Top of right model & top of blond flowy hair, daylight,
perfume bottle graphic text
4. Top of left model
Index: the explanatory text
about the perfume at the top
5. Top of clothes of left & right and bottom of the page, the
model website
6. Top of flower field
Symbol: the logo, name of
perfume and the flowers on the
perfume bottle cap
Name: the logo
Veins:
1.the sky Meaning evaluation: it is good,
2.the flower field strong and active, in the sense
3.the model on the left, that it portrays the feeling you
4.clothes of model on left, get when you wear the perfume,
5.model on right, which transports you to a field
6.clothes of model on the right, of daisies, it also shows the
7.perfume bottle models interacting with the
8.text product.

5. STRATA
1. Top of white background
2. Top of text
3. Top of sky
4. Top of model
5. Top of model’s dress & top Icon: blue sky, white horse,
of perfume bottle white background, female
model, short hair, blond hair,
large perfume bottle, graphic
text
6. Top of horse Index: the explanatory text
about the perfume at the top
and bottom of the page, the
website, the credits
Symbol: the logo, name of
perfume and the flowers on the
perfume bottle cap
Name: the logo
Meaning evaluation: I find this
Veins: to be a bad and weak ad as I
1.the white background don’t understand the purpose
2.the blue sky of the horse, and the perfume
3.the horse is not coming off as the center
4.the model of attention, it could be an ad
5.model’s dress for something else. It is active
6.perfume bottle as the product is present in the
7.text image.

6. STRATA
1. Top of white background
2. Top of image background
3. Top of model’s foot
4. Top of leg warmers
Icon: naked model, censoring
bar, black leg warmers, upside
down, white page, graphic text
Index: the names of the
countries at the bottom of page,
the brand name, the website
5. Top of censoring bar
Symbol: the logo and the
censoring bar
6. Top of text
Name: the logo
Meaning evaluation: I would
classify this as a bad and weak
ad, it makes no sense to me
Veins: and does not reflect what the ad
1.the white background is about. It is controversial and
2.the background of the photo gets people talking however the
3.the model brand is not clearly represented.
4.the model’s leg warmers However it is classified as
5.censoring bar active as there are leg warmers
6.Text present in the ad.

7. 2. Top of white page &
STRATA 1. Top of text aluminum background 3. Top of perfume bottle
Icon: white page, aluminum
foil, perfume bottle, metallic,
aluminum, graphic text
Index: the text on the left side of
the ad, the website, the credits
Symbol: the logo and name of
perfume
Name: the logo
Meaning evaluation: I would
say this ad is good and strong
as there is a huge perfume
bottle so you cant go wrong with
what it is for. This also makes
it active. It is aesthetically
pleasing.
Veins:
1.the white page
2.the aluminum background of
the photo
3.the perfume bottle
4.the text

8. STRATA
1. Top of white background
2. Top of image background
3. Top of model’s head
4. Top of perfume bottle
Icon: white page, aluminum foil,
perfume bottle, topless male
model, tattoos, metallic, graphic
text
Index: the text at the bottom of
the ad, the website, the credits
5. Top of text
Symbol: the logo, name of
perfume, stars of tattoos, other
tattoo elements
Name: the logo
Meaning evaluation: I would
say this ad is good, strong
and active, because it shows
the model interacting with the
Veins: perfume bottle. The metalic
1.the white background background and the different
2.the background of the photo levels of light reflecting in it
3.the model and the topless model give the
4.the perfume bottle campaign a bang, as the name
5.text suggests.

9. STRATA
1. Top of white background
2. Top of text
3. Top of image background
4. Top of model’s head
5. Top of model’s shoulders
Icon: white page, pink
6. Top of perfume bottle
background, perfume
bottle,dakota fanning, large
flower, dress, text
Index: the text at the bottom of
7. Top of photograph’s floor the ad, the website, the credits
Symbol: the logo, name
of perfume, large flower on
perfume bottle, dakota fanning
Name: the logo
Veins: Meaning evaluation: This ad
1.the white background is active, because it shows
2.the background of the photo the dakota interacting with the
3.floor of the photo perfume bottle. The ad is good
4.the model and strong as it is sexually
5.the model’s dress suggestive and seductive which
6.perfume bottle is what the perfume is meant to
7.text reflect once applied.

10. STRATA
1. Top of image background &
white paper background
2. Top of left perfume bottle
3. Top of right perfume bottle
4. Top of left model’s hands
5. Top of right model’s hands
Icon: outdoors, nature, trees,
field, 2 model hands, 2 perfume
bottles, daisies, blue sky,
graphic text
6. Top of trees
Index: the text related to the
perfume, name of perfume,
7. Top of text name of brand
Symbol: the logo, name of
perfume and the flowers on the
perfume bottle cap
Veins:
1.the white paper background Name: the logo
2.the background of the photo
3.the trees/ground Meaning evaluation: It is good,
4.the left model’s hands strong and active, it shows the
5 the left perfume bottle models’ carrying the perfume
6 the righ model’s hands bottles and portraying that it
7 the right perfume bottle is playful, fresh and one with
8 text at bottom of the ad nature.

11. STRATA
1. Top of background
2. Top of model’s foot
Icon: white ballerinas, white
3. Top of bed sheets room, white bed sheets, female
model, brunette, logo text
Index: the logo text
4. Top of model’s arms
Symbol: the logo
5. Top of logo text Name: the logo
Meaning evaluation: I would
Veins: classify this as an active ad
1.the background wall since it features shoes of the
2.the floor brand worn by the model. It is a
3.the bed sheets laid back ad which reflects the
4.the model brand image, however I find it
5.the model’s shoes and bra/ to be bad and weak as it could
undershirt could be an ad for any other
6.logo text item or brand.

12. STRATA
1. Top of white background
2. Top of image background
3. Top of model’s head
4. Top of logo text
5. Top of model’s shoulders
and clothes and tie
Icon: model, empty room, men’s
clothes, denim, tie, logo text
Index: the logo text
Symbol: the logo
Veins: Name: the logo
1.the white background
2.the background of the photo Meaning evaluation: It is good,
3.the model strong and active, it shows the
4.the model’s clothes model interacting with the boy-
5.the tie meets-girl look and is wearing
6.logo text the brand.

13. STRATA
1. Top of white page
2. Top of image background
3. Top of model’s leg and
perfume bottle
Icon: white page, wheat field,
perfume bottle, female model,
underwear, bra, plastic daisies,
graphic text
Index: the text at the bottom of
the ad, the website, the credits
Symbol: the logo, name of
4. Top of text perfume, large flowers on
perfume bottle
Name: the logo
Veins:
1.the white background Meaning evaluation: This ad
2.the background of the photo is active, because it shows
3.the model the model interacting with the
4.the model’s lingerie perfume bottle yet it is weak and
5.perfume bottle bad as it could also be an ad for
6.Text lingerie.

14. ELEMENT SWAP

19. BRAND PLACEMENT CHART