Dior's 'J'Adore Dior' television advert is not only painting a lifestyle image for the public, but also a very distinct female image. The way in which this differs from other perfume adverts is that this one makes light of the supposed lifestyle that comes with the perfume. Some other examples exhibit a ridiculously luxurious lifestyle that comes in conjunction with the purchase of their perfume but such quotes as 'A limousine is a car' and 'gold is cold' implies that this perfume brings life to things that are otherwise obsolete, an slightly differing approach to the perfume ad 'norm'.
However, using a sex symbol such as Charlize Theron as the model, a woman considered beautiful in the modern world, has allowed for the male consideration to come into play despite this ad being aimed at women. They have made her out to be a very available and sexualised woman, and the exaggerated movements when tearing off her jewellery no doubt remind men of women in a more sexual environment. It puts forward the notion that "entertainment as we know it is crucially predicted on a masculine investigation of women, and a circulation of women's images for men", and this aggressively sexual sequence is one that a man responds to, consequently followed by a woman, understanding the male response.
In terms of 'The Look', Coward implies that looking is not neutral, nor is it innocent. This example is only half in support of that notion as the gazer is challenged by Theron's expression and supposed determination, only breaking her glance to remove something that she is wearing at the time. In this sense, the gaze could be considered neutral, however, in this instance, Theron's returning gaze seems to be the one with the objective, whether it implies a sexual objective or otherwise is left up to the viewer. For women, she appears confident and sexy but to a male eye her expression could be in conjunction with their view of her. According to Coward "women often feel embarrassed, irritated or downright angered by men's persistent gaze", which this particular advertisement is not in agreement with. This example is much more supportive of the claim that "fantasy women stare off the walls with a look of urgent availability".
Something left in the open in this example is how the woman came to own the items she is disregarding. The fact is that anyone who is aware of Theron is aware that she most probably acquired these items through her own doing, but in this fantasy, it could make reference to how men "hold the key to our psychic well-being, our social success, and indeed to whether or not we will be loved", and ultimately, this sequence is a fantasy. It evokes a consistent implication of 'sex-at-a-distance', which "is the only complete secure relation which men can have with women. Perhaps other forms of contact are too unsettling".
While the objective of this campaign may not be in conjunction with Coward's view, the manner in which the advert has been constructed could arguably be directed at a male audience, with females feeding off their reaction (or expected reaction) to it. Women responding to this are responding to the desire to be the ideal woman and "because the female body is the main object of attention, it is on women's bodies, on women's looks, that prevailing sexual definitions are placed". No matter how much Theron may objectify The Gaze, this commercial supports the notion that "the 'aesthetic sex' is the subordinate sex because beauty like truth is one of those empty terms, filled by values of a particular society at a given historical moment".
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