Sweets Ads: J. Crew vs Juicy Couture

This week, I came across two different companies using candy to showcase their clothing and accessories products. Although both companies incorporated candy and cupcakes, the similarities between the two shoots end there.

J.Crew tapped couture candy maker Papa Bubble to make custom candy pieces for their latest crewcuts catalog, like this little boy's candy glasses. The candies were also used to created imaginative rakes, clouds, and balloons.

Juicy Couture's candy-filled shoot obviously has a more mature feel, but the bold color palette seems much more expected for a kids' campaign. Juicy also chose a much more cluttered, almost chaotic, composition for their shoot.

 

Juicy opted for real balloons in a variety of colors and sizes instead of the collection of candy balloons that J. Crew used as backdrops for their shoe line.

Both shoots utilize gumdrops, cakes, and other hard candies for their models to interact with (you can see more from the J. Crew shoot here), but they are drastically different to keep in line with each company's overall branding and image.

J. Crew's ad is whimsical and fun, but still very easy to navigate visually. Its main focus is the product. Juicy's ad is also whimsical, in a Willy Wonka sort of way. Even though the clothes almost get lost amongst the balloons, cakes, and llamas, the ad manages to portray a fantastical Juicy Couture world.

Which is your favorite, the straightforward J. Crew ad or the more complex Juicy Couture ad?