Case study I:
fear advertisements
In Liu and Westmorland's
study of people in fear advertisements, they found that there tended to be
more averted gazes in "before" advertisements and direct gazes in
"after advertisements.
| |
Before
|
Before
and After
|
After
|
| |
|
Before |
After |
|
| Averted
Gaze |
6/9 |
12/13 |
7/9 |
5/12 |
| Direct
Gaze |
3/9 |
1/13 |
2/9 |
7/12 |
| Smile
Count |
1/9 |
1/13 |
9/9 |
10/12 |
Liu and Westmoreland
associate averted gazes to insecurity and low self-esteem; the high number
of averted gazes in "before" advertisements reinforces the negativity
of the situation.
Gunther Kress
and Theo van Leeuwen's identification of "demand"
and "offer" photographs can be also applied in the consideration
of gazes in fear advertisements, where "demand" photos are those
in which people have a direct gaze and "offer" photos are those
involving averted gaze. The significance of the terms "demand" and
"offer" are not directly applicable here; advertisers probably are
not trying to directly "offer" you a problem in "before"
advertisements. Instead, they give you a situation, or a peek into someone
else's life, as if to say, "We are offering you a glimpse into this person's
life. You don't have to be this person if you use our product." On the
other hand, in "after" advertisements the person portrayed "demands"
from the viewer an association with the solution, saying, "I want you
to recognize the happiness I've found. You can share my happiness if you use
this product."
60.09 PowerBar |
Case
Study II: energy
bar advertisements
In a sense,
the people depicted in energy bar advertisements are akin to the people
of the "after" advertisements above. In constrast to the fear
advertisements above, however, the photographs of energy bar advertisements
mostly fall into the "offer" category with the participants
looking away from the camera. The people in energy bar ads are presented
as testimonials to the products' benefits; the advertiser says, "I
offer you proof that this energy bar provides the energy and endurance
you need. What can this product do for you?" The relationship between
the reader and the depicted person is reinforced by text in ads like
60.09 PowerBar. The advertisement lets the reader know "What Peter
Reid knows" without saying, "this is what you should know,"
offering the information without imposing it onto the reader. The general
intimacy of these advertisements, shown by the close range of the camera,
reminds the reader that the athletes depicted no different than anyone
else; if they can achieve these physical feats, maybe you can too--if
you use a certain product.
|
|
Case
Study III: alcohol
advertisements
The people
shown in alcohol advertisements were noted for their establishment of
the context of the images presented. Alcohol advertisements tended to
depict wealthy living and sex appeal by characterizing the alcohol consumers
as such. The use of "demand" and "offer" is much
more potent in this context, where advertisers ask consumers to observe,
desire and participate in social and psychological benefits of alcohol
rather than the physical and nutritious benefits of energy bars. People
in alcohol advertisements were mostly split between "demand"
and "offer," both saying "Join us in enjoying this product"
and "Look at how these people are enjoying this product."
Overall, the use of people in advertisements was not overwhelmingly
popular, as the product alone often provides a powerful enough message.
|
| References |
|
|
Kress,
Gunther and Theo van Leeuwen (1996). Reading Images: The Grammar
of Visual Design. London: Routledge. 121-130
Liu, David and Lisa Westmoreland (2002). "Language of Advertising"
class project: Be Afraid... Be Very Afraid: Fear/Problem Magazine Advertisements.
Gonzalez, Sierra, Sarah Oh and Wesley Williamson. (2002) "Language
of Advertising" class project: Smooth Advertising: The Language
of Alcohol Advertisements
Powerbar, PowerBar Ad Gallery, (http://www.powerbar.com/about/adgallery/)
|
<home>
