They say a person’s eyes reveal their soul, so what can an eyewear campaign say about the collective consciousness? Fashion advertising is perhaps most revealing of our deepest cravings, with its polished beauty, sculpted forms, and desirable luxuries. It can be deceptively easy to overlook eyewear in this realm because it often feels more like a necessary burden than fashion; however this makes it all the more challenging to creatively represent the product and the brand’s image. Take a look at a few memorable campaigns that capture elements of pop-culture, innovative design, and clever marketing techniques.
OSCAR DE LA RENTA 1977
A comic representation of how vocabulary can morph over just a few decades, this Oscar de la Renta classic would have likely not made it past the drawing board today. “Oscar de la Renta has a special Italian sensitivity to form,” it reads. This is also an example of advertising before the era of Photoshop. Interesting to note is the returned popularity of over-sized optical frames, which Oscar de la Renta designed in vintage plastic frames for the 2012 spring/summer season.
L.A. EYEWORKS 1985
One of the most famous eyewear advertisements in the history of spectacle marketing, this number from L.A. Eyeworks features none other than the notorious Andy Warhol. The only reason this is an effective ad however, is because most people would have known immediately recgnized the fluffy-haired chump in the photo. Apart from emanating a taut Warhol air, this famous advertisement does no justice to the actual product. Almost a decade after the crisp details of Oscar de la Renta’s campaign, there are really no excuses.
Tom Ford 2008
The infamous 2008 campaign by Tom Ford made more than a few headlines at its prime for its explicit sexuality, which makes all the more worthy of noting in our canon of revealing eyewear advertisements. The released advertisements included far raunchier motifs than the one we have featured, and asks the question “Was Tom Ford just being blatant with his message of sexual attraction, while others just beat around the bush?” Equally telling is the keyhole bridge on the shades, a trend that had powerful momentum in 2012.
KSUBI 2012
If there is any eyewear company likely to tell you how to party, it is Australian favourite Ksubi. The Latin translates as “Through hardships to the stars”, giving a cheeky nod to their tinfoil get-up. Naturally, who would worry about their clothing when they are wearing these frames? We aren’t entirely sure about the painted arm and safari hat, but even tin-hats have their place in fashion.
RAY-BAN 2009
Our last selection is a perfect blend of vintage and contemporary brand image. Ray-Ban takes a simple and powerful statement, and bombards us with retro glamour, glitter, and psychedelic comic-book colour. Another advertisement that shows nothing useful from the actual product, this Ray-Ban specimen takes its creative brand image far past practicality and into a realm more suitable for music posters, not eyewear consumers.
