Ralph Lauren Sunglasses Ad

Some of my favorite ads are Ralph Lauren ads. This ad is a few years old & I have recently seen it circulating on tumblr and pinterest so I looked for the original. The ad appeared in a 2009 Elle magazine and the intended audience is young fashionable women who regularly read high-end fashion magazines. The purpose is to not only sell Ralph Lauren sunglasses or the Ralph Lauren brand but the ad is trying to sell a lifestyle that only Ralph Lauren can provide. The ad is up to much interpretation and begs many questions. Who is this woman? Where is she going? What is she watching? What is her life like? In my interpretation the woman is relatively young late 20s or early 30s. Her upbringing probably included an expensive education and perfect family. She probably travels quite often and maybe she works hard for a living or maybe she is a trophy/housewife. She has a very upscale, plushy life. This is the point of view that the advertisers were trying to create; they wanted their audience to make their own interpretations about the woman in the ad and her lifestyle. The company ultimately wants to sell the sunglasses but the audience will believe that the sunglasses are a gateway to the lifestyle they believe the woman has. “You can have the lifestyle you dream I have if you buy my product.”