An Analysis of the myths of Luxury Goods - A comparative study of the Chinese Editions of the European and Japanese Women’s Magazines.

• Main Authors: Nai-Hsuan Kuo, 郭乃瑄
• Other Authors: Yi-Kuo Wu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/76145327902139852003

碩士 === 淡江大學 === 大眾傳播學系碩士班 === 95 === International luxury industry has flourished in Taiwan recently. Many articles have pointed out the consumption of luxury goods facilitated by mass media is not confined to the higher SES groups. However, more exquisite analyses about the trend have yet to be done. Therefore, this research aims to examine the advertising presentation of luxury brands in the Chinese editions of the European and Japanese women’s magazines. This research focuses on two main questions. First, what kinds of advertising messages in the magazines are used to communicate with their potential consumers? Second, what are the myths or discourses constructed within women’s magazines which encourage the consumption of luxury goods? The research method of examination, which is based on theoretical assumptions of commodity fetishism, Baudrillard and Bourdieu’s statements about consumption, discloses the ideologies hidden in the discourses and advertisements within the women’s magazines by using discourse analysis and semiology. The findings are as follows: First, luxury industries usually use 15 (except”others”) kinds of message patterns to communicate with their consumers. Second, the advertising messages in the Chinese editions of the European women’s magazines are more complicated and ideological than those in the Chinese editions of the Japanese women’s magazines. Third, there are various constructed myths in the Chinese editions of European women’s magazines. For instance, “noble” in Louis Vuitton , “sexy” in Gucci and “young and independent” in Chanel. Last but not the least, international luxury industries obviously try to conceal the “commodity” nature of luxury goods in their media or advertising presentations. Therefore, we need to recognize the real intention of luxury industries while casually reading through those images in the women magazines for pleasure.