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The Illuminating Eye Gel
Youth and beauty are coveted physical attributes in modern American society; yet one
aspect of society trumps all--- wealth. Money and status have been intertwined and inseparable
for most of history. Money is tied to power, which is tied to prestige, which affords luxury. The
of beauty as a visual representation of wealth to create a superior class. Featured in Vanity Fair’s
February 2015 edition, the La Mer advertisement for “The Illuminating Eye Gel” ties all of these
ideas in together. La Mer’s ad targets affluent consumers to their product by demonstrating the
importance of youthful beauty and wealth within a higher class.
The prestige of the La Mer products can be attributed to the scrutiny under which La Mer
products are created and the importance of this process to the company as a whole. The “Miracle
Broth”, created by Dr. Max Huber, requires intensive care and cultivation. The main ingredient,
sea kelp, must first be harvested and then placed into controlled areas to allow for fermentation
(a period of typically 3 to 4 months) to occur. Part of the fame of the La Mer products is due to
the complex formula, which is based on kelp fermentation- something highlighted in this text.
Set as the backdrop of the product itself is the image of water and kelp. This key inclusion of the
kelp within the setting of the ad allows for those that know the story behind the products to have
an ‘in’ and creates a separation of the readers. Kelp is the main ingredient in the “Miracle Broth”
and by including it, the advertisers are signaling- “beckoning to specific audiences with
distinct…graphic design” (Ankerson)- to the informed and affluent audiences of the magazine.
By niche marketing to an informed audience, the ad is also marketing to a wealthier audience.
This strategy of breaking up the audience allows for the ‘insiders’ to not only continue buying
the product but to share the product with other members of their circles. Keeping the product

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within these circles elevates the reputation of La Mer and promotes the idea that La Mer is
created for a higher class.
Another wink to the importance of kelp within the product is the name of the skincare
company, “La Mer”. In French, La Mer means “the ocean”. The entire company and brand pays
homage to the home of the sea kelp that gives these products their reputations. The advertisement
also showcases the product in a sea-scape furthering the connection with the product’s name.
The gorgeous setting creates a connotative meaning to wealth, and the advertisers are able to
catch the eye of the consumers that they want. This product in particular is meant to help lighten
the area around the eyes, almost like a lift, to give the skin a more youthful and healthier
appearance. The advertisement successfully ties the concept of achieving beauty through a high
price and illustrates that a lack of beauty shows a lack of status. Appealing to an ‘insider’
audience, the ad connects to a higher income group with status and conveys the message that a
youthful appearance to maintain that beauty and wealth status.
By flirting with the concept of a deep connection between beauty and wealth, the
advertisers are also able to then reach through to consumer with the hidden-fear strategy. The
hidden-fear strategy “plays on consumers’ sense of insecurity” and allows the advertisers to
further manipulate the importance of this product in the lives of the consumers (Campbell). One
of these hidden fears is the concept of not maintaining status. If an individual does not purchase
the product, they then will begin to age and look worn out. This is in contrast to the symbiotic
image of wealth and beauty; those who do not purchase the product will not represent the image
of their class and be demoted in status. The ad visually demonstrates the image the brand wants
to attain—the product, floating in the water and surrounded by kelp, is differentiated from the
rest of the background by being surrounded by a soft, glowing light. It envelops the product

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almost like a halo- a signifier that this product is a savior. Images in various religious texts utilize
light around pure figures to illustrate divinity. The advertisers allude to this idea through the use
of the glow around the product to create the concept that the product is a savior to those who use
it- by preventing the loss of both beauty and status. This type of insecurity permeates many
aspects of a ‘wealth culture’ in that many products are designed to not only be luxurious but
present a physical representation of luxury. This ad successfully signifies the importance of the
product in maintaining and elevating high social status through a hidden-fear tactic that
showcases the societal values of beauty and wealth as inseparable.
La Mer products are considered to be the top of rejuvenating skincare products; created
from rich ingredients, La Mer is meant to be utilized by high members of society. The
fermentation process along with the cultivation of other ingredients to form a skin-saving recipe,
makes the process of creating any and all La Mer products extremely grueling and costly.
Therefore, the prices of La Mer products are very high. The “Moisturizing Soft Cream” is $295
for 2 ounces, “The Regenerating Serum” is $310 for an ounce, and the product being advertised
here “The Illuminating Eye Gel” is $145 for half an ounces (La Mer). These products cannot be
purchased regularly unless the consumer has a large disposable income. This point is
demonstrated by the ad itself not only through the symbolic signs seen in the product-image
portion of the ad layout, allowing the product to become “embedded in a symbolic context”
(Ankerson), but also in the textual portion of the ad as well. Listed below the logo at the bottom
of the advertisement are “Bergdorf Goodman-Neiman Marcus-Saks Fifth Avenue” all upper
class department stores. By emphasizing these stores as the areas where the product is available
the company is making a point. La Mer is making a statement about the consumers that purchase
these products. Instead of using department stores such as Macy’s, J.C. Penny’s, Sears, etc., La

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Mer is identifying places where high-income consumers shop- where premium products, have an
expensive reputation, are sold. The text is informative on where to purchase the product, but also
illustrate the type of people who are purchasing La Mer. La Mer uses various strategies such as a
combination of product-image & product-information formatting to illustrate the areas that
consumers shop to further the point that this is a well-to-do product.
Another aspect of the strategy, in displaying the connection between the societal values
of youthful physical beauty and a wealthier status, is the use of ‘snob appeal’. The ‘snob appeal’
approach “attempts to persuade consumers that using a product will maintain or elevate their
social status” (Campbell). La Mer is a high quality product that comes with a pricey sales tag;
however, it also is a well-reviewed and supported product, especially by those within the higher
circles. By using the snob appeal within the price itself, La Mer is marketing a product that has
high quality ingredients and requires intensive labor. The hefty price tag is supported by the
cumulative efforts to make the product, and a larger price tag allures a wealthier audience.
However, the ‘snob appeal’ is also used as a connotative meaning within the ad. The images of
the kelp and sea not only connect to how La Mer is created but also create a certain message. The
high-res hues of blues and greens are a sharp contrast to the pale white of the bottle. The image
of the bottle standing out from the surrounding area visually conveys the idea of being an
individual within society. By isolating the bottle from the background, the audience can sense
that by using this product they are unique and superior to those around them. This separation
between images illustrates the importance of the separation of status, where the background (or
the lower status individuals) may be blurred in sharp contrast to the defined and bright product
(the higher class individuals). Several different strategies and factors allude to the ‘snob appeal’
to help distinguish the importance of social status and its connection to beauty products.

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The ad targets higher higher class consumers through the placement in a more affluent
magazine. Vanity Fair magazine circulates all around with many different eyes looking at its
pages; however, the magazine itself has already demonstrated that there is distinction between its
general viewing audience and its affluent viewing audience. The demographics tell the story:
90% of readers have at least a college education, 65% are employed, and have an average
income of $164,735 (Vanity Fair et al). These stats lean towards a class of consumers that are
intelligent and willing to spend more to have items of luxury- such as the La Mer products. There
is also a majority female audience, nearly 71%, with an age range from 25-54 (Vanity Fair
Media Kit), an audience that La Mer tends to advertise to. Because many women over 25-years-
old begin to think about and often start anti-aging skincare regiments, the target audience of La
Mer reached by Vanity Fair. This strategic placement of the ad in Vanity Fair creates the perfect
conditions for La Mer to connect with their target audience. Not only is the target age being
reached, but a majority of the readers belong to households with a higher income and higher
education. By comparison, placement of this ad in magazines such as Seventeen would not be a
profitable strategy to reach the target audience in volume.
The intimately woven connections between a high social status and an image of youthful
beauty are demonstrated values within “The Illuminating Eye Gel” advertisement from La Mer.
Advertisers knowledge of placement, various formatting strategies, understanding of the
importance of semiotic signs, and correct placement of the advertisement create a well-crafted
snare to lure consumers in.

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References
Ankerson, M. (Presenter). (2015, January). Communication 101 The Mass media. Lecture
presented at The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.
Campbell, R., Martin, C. R., & Fabos, B. (2015). Media & Culture Mass Communication in a
Digital Age (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.
La Mer. (n.d.). La Mer. Retrieved January 29, 2015, from La Mer website:
http://www.cremedelamer.com//
Vanity Fair, & Condé Nast. (2015). Vanity Fair- Media Kit Print [Fact sheet]. Retrieved January
29, 2015, from Condé Nast website: http://www.condenast.com/brands/vanity-fair/media-
kit/print