Elemér Hankiss (1928-2015) philosopher, sociologist The human adventure examined the relationship between myths and perfumes in his book titled. He interpreted perfume advertisements within a kind of mythological system, identifying ancient symbols and archetypes.
The person wrapped in the cloud of perfume is actually repeating ancient, magical rituals. The magicians also drew a magic circle around themselves to protect themselves from harm and evil. Perfumes are magical substances: they essentially carry the beauty and values of the created world within them: youth, strength, sunlight, innocence, and sensuality. All of this, once released from the bottle, surrounds with a protective shell anyone who resorts to this magic.
But how does the fragrant liquid in advertisements become a mythical magic cloud?
Elemér Hankiss identified eight basic types of perfume advertisements that carry recurring, defining symbols and archetypes:
Creation and completeness
Perfumes create a new world for their users. Just as a woman in a black dress pushes away the walls of darkness with outstretched arms in the creative of Yves Saint Laurent's perfume named „Y,” it repeats an important moment of creation myths.
The form of perfumes is also an important part of mythology: the bottle shapes often symbolize the sun, while the colors and transparency of the closing stoppers imitate the celestial spheres.
Icarus symbols
The breaking away from the shackles of human life and the striving towards the sky is also an important element of this universe. Symbols of breaking away from the earth, flying, and soaring freely often appear in perfume advertisements.
Transcendence
The transformation, the „supernatural” that transcends sensual experience is also a well-identifiable element. It appears in the person who transcends and transforms beyond their own limits – in the sacred moment of transformation. This is reinforced by the use of brilliant gold color and the transparency of the vial. The names are also telling (Horison, Perfection, Sublime, Infinity, Sacré).
Spirituality and sensuality
The duality of the spiritual and the sensual is also a key element of the mythology created by perfumes. The elevation realized through the combined presence of these two creates a sharp contrast with the real world, where this duality rarely manifests itself.
Sensuality
There are perfume advertisements that promise sensuality without spirituality. Not mere physicality, but overwhelming desires, passion, and/or sensitive tenderness: the unrestrained joy of the senses. It is not uncommon for completely abstract or surprisingly vulgar sexual symbols to find a place in this world.
Time and mortality
In perfume advertisements, various life symbols can often be identified. The world of perfumes celebrates life. In this universe, there is no place for death or decay. The perfume is the „scent of life.” In the Lanvin Clair de Jour perfume advertisement, the small bottle appears as Sol Invictus, the symbol of the invincible, reborn Sun, over the endless blue ocean.
Escape from everyday life
The world of perfumes is the realm of mysteries. „Spices of the East, a lush little tale” about goddesses, heroes, rulers, magicians, and magical beings. The exoticism of this exciting world filled with adventures and secrets provides refuge from the ruthless reality of everyday life.
The ascension of personality
There is a type of perfume advertisement that promises healing in a world filled with anxiety and doubts. Within the protective sphere of the perfume, the user undergoes a metamorphosis: they become beautiful, passionate, free, revealing their true essence.
Is the mythology of perfumes just a trick of advertisers?
Is myth-making, the application of archetypes merely a refined strategy aimed at influencing our subconscious? Hankiss is much more lenient than that: he believes that even such an artificial world as that of perfumes can be viewed within a much broader system, in the context of civilization. Our stories and myths that weave through all of human civilization help navigate the created world and provide hope and refuge against the often harsh reality. Understanding the ancient archetypes and powerful motifs hidden in our myths is, according to Hankiss, an important opportunity and task for advertisers as well. Since these have been preserved by humanity's collective subconscious and have universal significance, they can serve as a foundation not only for myths and artistic creations but essentially for advertising as well.
„The world of perfumes and its mythology is also part, however insignificant and frivolous, of the whole of human civilization. And we know that civilization is also an ?artificial world, a formation, a protective shell, woven from dreams, and myths, thoughts and knowledge, values and beliefs, experiences and ideas by humanity, with which it surrounds itself to defend against the dangers, fears, and anxieties of a foreign world – even with such trivial tools as perfume.”
In memory of Hankiss Elemér
Are you interested in the topic?
I recommend to you:
- Hankiss Elemér: The Human Adventure, Helikon Publishing, 2002.
- Perfumes and symbols
- The forms of scents. Excerpt from Ruttai Andrea's award-winning thesis.
