Wind In My Head: Mirror Mirror on the wall
Wind In My Head
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Mirror Mirror on the wall
I finally made it down to Mango. The sale began when I was in Perth and when I got back, I wasn't keen on going from large open spaces to toe stomping, ruthless shoving crowds. Plus I had missed the last one as well. So, I didn't go down and the truth is, I intended to give this sale a skip because money was being demanded elsewhere, for a cause I suspected was more fulfilling, if successful, than beautiful clothes (yes, I'll get my head checked for rocks soon!).But then to celebrate the end of my exam marking and also because I was feeling extremely morose and sorry for myself, I decided it was time to go on the pilgrimmage that never failed to make me feel happy. And it felt good because I caught the tail end of the sale where everything was 70% off and the queues for the fitting rooms did not resemble the Hello Kitty MacDonald mania ones.
I haven't been into a Mango fitting room for a long time. But I've known from experience that one should never trust what you see in a Mango mirror because the mirrors there are warped. They make you look skinnier than you really are so that you'll be conned into thinking the clothes make you look incredible and you have no choice but to buy it. Creative marketing. Effective but sneaky.
But the Mango I walked into yesterday at Isetan Scotts took this mirror illusion to a higher level. Not only did it make you look skinnier, it made you look taller. Not in the Fun Fair- stretch you up to look like Olive Oyl- sort of way but in the deceive your eyes-trick your mind- lull you into believing that you look like a supermodel- kind of way.
I'm not sure the photo does justice but I really looked tall with endless legs and for a split second, that visual illusion was an extremely convincing and desirable one until my brain kicked in with second year cognitive psychology and mocked me with a very loud "Oh! Come. On!!" did I reluctantly shake myself out of the very nice daydream.
But it sure is clever on their part. Unsuspecting, impressionable young women who want to believe the best of themselves will just lap it up and give Mango more money than they need to buy more of these mirrors.
And they say a mirror doesn't lie.
Technorati Tags: Mango sale, Creative marketing
Ondine tossed this thought in at 08:46