Advertisement trap

In today’s society of pop culture and fashion, women are easily targeted and exposed especially in the magazines that are sold. The documentary “Killing Us Softly 4”, places emphases on the misconception of the advertisements that people see on a daily basis. In this advertisement by belk, the main item being sold is her floral maxi dress and the items she is holding as well.
The subtitle “Welcome to pretty in prints” clearly dictates that the model’s floral maxi dress is the main focus of the advertisement and that the viewer’s eyes should be drawn to her outfit. The first thing that caught my attention about this piece of advertisement was that it was trying to sell women’s clothing, yet there was a man posing with the model. The man is interacting with her and in two of the photographs, he has his arms wrapped around her waist. In the main photo where they are walking side-by-side, his arm is around the model and the model is looking down when her head should be held up high. I feel that the man has no relevance to the advertisement and including him beside the model shows a symbol of male dominance in today’s society.
At the bottom of the page, there is a line that says “Max florals, max colors and maxis by Jessica Simpson.” The model is swinging a handbag with her as she’s walking with the man, but the purse is purposely being covered by another photo in the collage. Nowhere on the advertisement does it say anything about the bag, but since it was being blocked, the editor then placed a more full, clearer image of the bag on the side of the advertisement. This was hidden specifically so the viewer can be eager to see it and then placed at the bottom so the viewer can have the urge to purchase it. This is a perfect example of how advertisers direct a main focus for their item being sold and then throwing in an extra item with intentions of it grabbing the viewer’s attention. In conclusion, this advertisement is a reflection of the documentary that