‘Heat’39 is a perfume for women and was created by the Swiss company Givaudan. The commercial was released on the 3 rd of November, 2011, and features Beyoncé, a famous singer and actress. The music in the commercial is a cover version of the song ‘Fever’, written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell and is performed by Beyoncé.
Semiological analysis
The main colour of the commercial is red. Beyoncé is dressed in a revealing red dress, the walls have a reddish nuance, there are red roses, and the perfume bottle itself is also mostly red.
The colour red signifies lust, passion, heat, and love. 40 The use of red gives the commercial a seductive and almost dangerous vibe.
The name of the perfume appears as inspiration for the commercial’s theme. The room is hot and moist, and Beyoncé’s skin is shiny and glistening. Furthermore, steam and flames are also included; reinforcing an atmosphere of heat and passion. The ‘heated’ atmosphere is amplified by the protagonist's sensual acting; she seems confident about her own sexuality which creates a narrative of sexual liberation for women. The colour red can, as described, connote love as well as passion; the fact that she is alone in the commercial portrays a kind of sexual freedom that can be associated with sexual liberation for women. On the other hand, it can also be regarded as a mechanism that can allure the audience into purchasing the promoted perfume.
Beyoncé herself serves as a signifier of allurement, power and sexiness. She wears a red dress as well as a pair of pointy black stilettos. Black connotes strength, mystery and elegance, 41 and the connotations of stilettos can be power and femininity. Beyoncé herself is a selfacclaimed feminist:
“I’ve always considered myself a feminist, although I was always afraid of that word because people put so much on it. . . . When honestly, it’s very simple. It’s just a person that believes in equality for men and women.”42
She has headlined a ‘female empowerment concert’ in London “in support of Chime of Change, a campaign set up to help empower girls and women around the world.” 43 Thus, she can also be seen as a symbol of power and independence. Being a popular figure enables her to have an influence, at least to a certain degree, on (young) women, who admire her and therefore might strive to be like her.
In the beginning and the end of the commercial, it is implied that Beyoncé is‘Heat’; the first frame shows the perfume vaporising, which causes Beyoncé to emerge (0:02) and in the end, as previously described, she transforms into the perfume bottle. The name has an identifiable connection to the phrase “Catch the fever”, connoting that the perfume is ‘infectious’ and using it will allow you to catch the fever. Beyoncé as an icon signifies power, success and mystique. People often have a natural wish to become like celebrities and as the commercial illustrates Beyoncé and the perfume as one object, purchasing and using the perfume will allow the consumer to be infected by ‘the fever’, in this instance being Beyoncé herself. The song ‘Fever’ is played throughout the commercial. The title connotes heat, sweaty skin and contagiousness – thus the song is reinforcing the ‘hot’ atmosphere described previously. As the commercial ends, Beyoncé looks straight into the camera and says, “Catch the fever” – signalling again that ‘catching the fever’ is something one should strive for, as using the perfume will allow one to feel as attractive and sexy as Beyoncé.
Myth
On the one hand, the commercial appears to applaud and promote female sexuality and the sexual liberation of women; the female protagonist illustrates confidence and sexual
liberation. Beyoncé can be regarded as a power figure and an icon, and, accordingly, many women will have an interest in becoming like her. On the other hand, the commercial also reproduces an image of what sexiness is. As she is portrayed possessing stereotypical feminine characteristics (long hair, curves, stilettos, etc.), the audience will be inclined to perceive this image of femininity as the right way to be a woman, and thus, strive to become like her. Subsequently, the mythical level of the commercial can be interpreted in dual fashion, firstly by indicating what sexiness is and, secondly, by promoting this idea.
Narrative
The commercial depicts the protagonist as a strong and sensual woman: she caresses herself and dances against a mirror, which creates an image of her as a modern woman who is confident in her own body. On the one hand, the commercial can be conceived as a way of sexually liberating women, as she seems comfortable, expressing a sense of sensuality that does not seem to be directed towards a romantic partner. On the other hand, the character demonstrates a quite stereotypical image of female sensuality which can cause women to pursue this image. Though Beyoncé is generally considered a talented singer, this talent is not really the focus of the commercial. In a sense, it is used to amplify a sexual atmosphere as she is singing the song in a whispering and amorous voice. Thus, her sensuality is more in focus than her talent for singing. In conclusion, the message of the commercial is that one can become like Beyoncé and ‘catch the fever’ if the perfume is used.