Page 12 - Selling Fantasies
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5. Critical Reflect and Discussion
Gone are the days when protagonists were the center of attention. In movies, and particularly
in Disney, the villains are the most popular, fascinating, memorable, mysterious,
unpredictable, relatable, and appealing characters. Over the years, Disney has maintained an
unduly narrow definition of what it means to be "good." Especially with the princesses. They
may have complicated desires, but they are also modest, pleasant, and in a way reserved, and
are less prone to violate moral standards. The villains, on the other hand, have style, drive
and ambition. The first example demonstrates that the two companies (MAC and Disney)
were well aware of the new trend and they targeted customers by creating a collection and
an advertising that sends a message that relates to their fascination with the intriguing
villainous character. So, what was the strategy here? Simply put, they were attempting to
market and sell a character or persona rather than a product. That is, the makeup and brushes
themselves do not have any distinctive features, formulas, or functions. So, for those
companies, there is no such thing as a simple product; there are customers who are
captivated by the persona, whether it's her looks and charms or her mad genius characteristic.
After all, it's not unusual for fans to dress up and apply makeup in the same fashion as their
favorite character. However, in the second example, rather than selling a persona, they are
selling an entire experience. What was formerly thought to be a simple product (pajamas)
created to fulfill a simple purpose of being used as nightwear for comfort by people at home is
now a gateway for them to step into a fictional realm and live their own tales and fantasies. In
other words, they provide a simple tool that allows consumers to enjoy a rich experience. In
this case, the product acts as the frames (as indicated in the analysis part), and consumers are
expected to fill in the blanks, write their own stories, and get their once upon a time. To
summarize, people are becoming increasingly fascinated by these fictional characters and
worlds, and companies are taking full advantage of this opportunity to market their products
by designing advertisements with signs and symbolic meanings that correspond to their
interests. A question that needs to be addressed now is why is the use of fiction in marketing
getting increasingly prevalent. The obvious answer is that people's interest in it is growing, but
why is that? What makes fiction so exceptional? And why do companies sell these "fantasies"?
parts that follow will attempt to answer the questions.
1. Escapism from Reality Overdose as an Art form
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is,
because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And
what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” (Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland /
Through the Looking-Glass)
Humans have a burden that possibly no other organism bears. We are presented with a hefty
dose of reality and we have developed even more means to escape it. Other living beings, for
example, are unconcerned about paying their bills or about that horrible thing said to them last
Friday. They also can't avoid reality by turning into a legend in their own imaginations, as
people can. Humans have language, something that presents us with far too much of
environment exposure while also providing us with far too many means to overlook, disregard,
and deny reality. Exactly like individuals do when they withdraw and escape into their fantasies
at the end of the day.
11 | P a g e
Gone are the days when protagonists were the center of attention. In movies, and particularly
in Disney, the villains are the most popular, fascinating, memorable, mysterious,
unpredictable, relatable, and appealing characters. Over the years, Disney has maintained an
unduly narrow definition of what it means to be "good." Especially with the princesses. They
may have complicated desires, but they are also modest, pleasant, and in a way reserved, and
are less prone to violate moral standards. The villains, on the other hand, have style, drive
and ambition. The first example demonstrates that the two companies (MAC and Disney)
were well aware of the new trend and they targeted customers by creating a collection and
an advertising that sends a message that relates to their fascination with the intriguing
villainous character. So, what was the strategy here? Simply put, they were attempting to
market and sell a character or persona rather than a product. That is, the makeup and brushes
themselves do not have any distinctive features, formulas, or functions. So, for those
companies, there is no such thing as a simple product; there are customers who are
captivated by the persona, whether it's her looks and charms or her mad genius characteristic.
After all, it's not unusual for fans to dress up and apply makeup in the same fashion as their
favorite character. However, in the second example, rather than selling a persona, they are
selling an entire experience. What was formerly thought to be a simple product (pajamas)
created to fulfill a simple purpose of being used as nightwear for comfort by people at home is
now a gateway for them to step into a fictional realm and live their own tales and fantasies. In
other words, they provide a simple tool that allows consumers to enjoy a rich experience. In
this case, the product acts as the frames (as indicated in the analysis part), and consumers are
expected to fill in the blanks, write their own stories, and get their once upon a time. To
summarize, people are becoming increasingly fascinated by these fictional characters and
worlds, and companies are taking full advantage of this opportunity to market their products
by designing advertisements with signs and symbolic meanings that correspond to their
interests. A question that needs to be addressed now is why is the use of fiction in marketing
getting increasingly prevalent. The obvious answer is that people's interest in it is growing, but
why is that? What makes fiction so exceptional? And why do companies sell these "fantasies"?
parts that follow will attempt to answer the questions.
1. Escapism from Reality Overdose as an Art form
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is,
because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And
what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” (Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland /
Through the Looking-Glass)
Humans have a burden that possibly no other organism bears. We are presented with a hefty
dose of reality and we have developed even more means to escape it. Other living beings, for
example, are unconcerned about paying their bills or about that horrible thing said to them last
Friday. They also can't avoid reality by turning into a legend in their own imaginations, as
people can. Humans have language, something that presents us with far too much of
environment exposure while also providing us with far too many means to overlook, disregard,
and deny reality. Exactly like individuals do when they withdraw and escape into their fantasies
at the end of the day.
11 | P a g e
