Homeric Hipsters
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34679/thersites.vol6.71Keywords:
Advertising, Antiquity, Homer, Cosmetics, Beard, Iconography, Reception StudiesAbstract
This paper investigates the use of Ancient Greek imagery in the marketing of male grooming products. Based on a case study of the cosmetics brand HOMMER, the paper analyses how elements such as scent and product ingredients combined with a visual profile and storytelling, provide consumers with elements for an experientially based identity creation. Based on psychological and archaeological theory, the athour argues that the intersection between product, advertising and consumer constitutes a play with identity and the potential for multisensory "time travel." By identifying the elements of a product poster, the visual narrative of a single product, a beard wipe, is shown to contain all the elements of the dominant Modern Greek national narrative and more, tying Greek notions of ancient and modern history to anglo-saxon sailor symbolism and the Neo-hipster phenomenon.
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2018-05-28
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Copyright (c) 2018 Tao T. Makeeff
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