Agent Provocateur’s The Chase: Wonder Woman Syndrome or Stupid Marketing?

Agent Provocateur

Happy Monday Swimwear and Lingerie enthusiasts!

I’d like to dive right into our topic today if you don’t mind?

You see, I spent a good chunk of the weekend thinking over our Anything Goes Friday post about Agent Provocateur’s lingerie video, The Chase.

I have to say that unlike their past videos, such as the one with Kylie Minogue or The Muse, this one didn’t really ring true for me.

Na- unh

Yes, she looks spectacular in that set and it’s rather cute how she just keeps pursuing the dude as her clothing is ripped away.

... are more susceptible to sunburn. That's my PSA done for the day 🙂

But, I really think they missed a sweet opportunity to go all Parkour on it and show just how crazy-in-shape she really is!

But, the only speaking part at the end, “You’re going down!” really came off as phony.

Much like this neato picture. Which is a shame, because the concept is kinda cool for both.

It felt tacked on and stupid. I could see her jumping up, slamming the purse and doing a football-esque kind of victory dance

Now, that would seem like a realistic reaction to running him down!

…or even calling up the police on the cell phone that has handily been stored in her bra for just such an occasion.

Not really what I meant, but whatever.

{what? I can’t be the only person to do this all the time? Evidently, there has been some speculation that this is not a good thing to do…you can read about it here and here. I think I’ll wait for more peer reviewed data myself.}

But straddling him and saying that? Nah.

Not even close. Not to mention, this is a criminal she has just run down and is presumeably holding until the police show up…

yet she is in her lingerie… I had that very real feeling of not “Yah, alright, you go on there Wonder Woman”…but… “Damn, you’ve just put yourself in a really dangerous position wherein totally backward thinking folks would try to make a case that you were asking for a sexual assault regardless of your intentions or super-cool catchphrases.”

Wonder Woman says, "Unless you have an invisible jet and a lariat of truth, you need to make better choices"

{I should note that I hate anything that would give THOSE people ANY excuse or encouragement to make those idiotic and ass-backwards claims that ANYONE deserves to be assaulted. Because NO ONE deserves to be assaulted. EVER.}

Sooo, yah. That’s where I landed on the whole thing. What about you? What do you think? Drop me a line in the comments and let me know.

Cheer,

Maggie

I think we ought to let the Hell’s Grannies take care of it!

Review of Agent Provocateur’s The Muse

Agent Provocateur Spring Summer 2012: So pretty!

Happy Monday Swimwear and Lingerie fans!

If you recall, I left you with a little bit of a thinking task on Friday’s post; Agent Provocateur’s Lingerie Video, The Muse. I then posted a few reviews from some of my favourite bloggers and writers and asked how you felt about it.

Agent Provocateur Spring Summer 2012: Bridal Collection

Now, I can totally understand if you didn’t read up on the extra-curricular stuff, {and that’s just fine! after all, this was over the weekend, and what kind of a hard-hearted harbinger of hagis would make you do work on the weekend? Nope this was all strictly volunteer-ish, now, however, if you’re currently using this blog as a way to procrastinate from doing your ‘actual’ work, then by all means follow the link above and read up on the reviews.} then, that’s okay too.

You’re opinion on the videos is just fine and more than enough to get a good conversation rolling.

Agent Provocateur, Spring/Summer 2012: Baby and Janey

The video recap- a beautiful female model is sitting for a painting with a male artist. She is wearing a blousy, long sleeved, see-through tunic-style shirt and over the knee woolen, knit socks.

She sits in a chair and holds her pose, occasionally looking at the artist or moving her feet around in a somewhat twitchy, fidgety way.

The artist walks over and adjust her pose, silently, every so often. He keeps adjusting her pose over and over while varying the arrangement of her clothes into a state of undress.

This all occurs silently, without eye contact.

Eventually, the artist embraces the model and begins to kiss her neck, she returns the embraces and gives the camera a direct gaze and smile.

The other reviewers take very different views of this situation.

One thinks that the artist is imposing himself on the model and using his position of power and authority (employer/employee) to take advantage of her.

The other reviewer thinks that this is a delicate dance of seduction in which both parties are completely complicit.

There is yet one more reviewer that takes it all a step further by stating that this is the enactment of a “rape fantasy” in which the victim submits to the power of the stronger party.

Rape Fantasy

What do I think about it all?

I think that the video is shot very well, the soft tones and fuzzy lighting contribute to the feeling of a risque movie from the ’70s just as Agent Provocateur was hoping. I also think that the bra is simply stunning and that the model is phenomenal.

One reviewer laments the lack of visible lingerie shown during the video and thinks that the video is just gratuitous soft-core porn. When it comes to advertising, we all know that simply showing the products isn’t always the best avenue.

Agent Provocateur has decided instead to sell it’s customers a feeling. A sense of the theme of this season’s collection through this scenario.

We are given the idea that the collection has to do with renaissance life, artistry and creativity, gentleness and graceful lines. Femininity and seduction are two obvious themes, but also craftsmanship and an eye for details. Passion should go without saying.

They don’t have to show us the entire collection to tell us about it.

I don’t think this is a rape fantasy, although there are strong elements {possibly problematic depending on your perspective} of dominance/submission, consent/complicity and seduction/misinterpretation.

Frankly, I think that we are given enough information to believe that the woman is not being forced into anything and that her method of silent submission can be erotically appealing for some.

It is of equal note that just as many people who may be titillated by the video will be offended. Just the way the world works.

So, yes, I like it, I don’t think it’s bad and by playing so very close to the edge of propriety, they definitely sparked off enough buzz to make their marketing efforts pay off. Mission accomplished.

Cheers,

Maggie

Agent Provocateur’s Lingerie Video: The Muse

Agent Provocateur 2012

Happy Friday Swimwear and Lingerie fans!

It’s been a crazy week and rather than overload you with any serious information or anything, I thought we could all have a nice relaxing time watching Agent Provocateur‘s Lingerie video titled, The Muse.

Now, for extra credit you can watch it through a few more times {like you wouldn’t do that anyway!} and then follow that up with the reviews from The Huffington Post or Adrant.

One thinks it’s awful and the woman is being toyed with against her will, the other says ‘Meh, she smiles at the end she must be into it.’ Can you guess which side I fall on?

Some more light reading on the subject from Lingerietalk.

I’d really love to hear what you think about these two views, so please leave me a comment. I’ll let you know what I think on my Monday post.

Cheers,

Maggie

Agent Provocateur 2012