Visual Analysis
A Semiotic Analysis of Four Designer Clothing Advertisements
"The technique of advertising is to correlate feelings, moods or attributes to tangible objets, linking possible unattainable things with those that are attainable, and thus reassuring us that the former are within reach". (Williamson 1978:31). Hence the advertisement not only sells the reader the product, but also a future image of ourselves as more desirable, happier etc…. Through the process of being advertised a product becomes a representation of everything the reader desires to become. "What the advertisement clearly does is thus to signify, to represent to us, the object of desire" (Williamson 1978:60). It could thus be argued that the most important concept in advertising is the notion of ‘me’. In order to be successful advertisements need to portray an image of ‘me’ and tell us how to make it even more appealing, attractive, sexy etc. In this way the product is given personality; communicating not only information but also image. Due to the fact that it is through the use of the products advertised that the model signified in the advertisement appears as he/she does, it is the implication, or connotation, of the advertisement that the audience can become as attractive and appealing as the model by using the same products.
In the majority of advertisements the models signified always look directly at the audience, making eye contact. One of the main reasons for this is that it evokes the idea, and notion, of looking at oneself in the mirror. In this way the advertisers are again implying how easy it would be for the reader to become the model. Eye contact is particularly useful as a signifier. The eyes have long been a significant communicator of messages and feelings. For example the length of time for which eye contact is held, the position of the gaze etc. these all communicate different sentiments. An illustration of this could be ‘staring’, where the gaze is wide and direct, and eye contact
"The technique of advertising is to correlate feelings, moods or attributes to tangible objets, linking possible unattainable things with those that are attainable, and thus reassuring us that the former are within reach". (Williamson 1978:31). Hence the advertisement not only sells the reader the product, but also a future image of ourselves as more desirable, happier etc…. Through the process of being advertised a product becomes a representation of everything the reader desires to become. "What the advertisement clearly does is thus to signify, to represent to us, the object of desire" (Williamson 1978:60). It could thus be argued that the most important concept in advertising is the notion of ‘me’. In order to be successful advertisements need to portray an image of ‘me’ and tell us how to make it even more appealing, attractive, sexy etc. In this way the product is given personality; communicating not only information but also image. Due to the fact that it is through the use of the products advertised that the model signified in the advertisement appears as he/she does, it is the implication, or connotation, of the advertisement that the audience can become as attractive and appealing as the model by using the same products.
In the majority of advertisements the models signified always look directly at the audience, making eye contact. One of the main reasons for this is that it evokes the idea, and notion, of looking at oneself in the mirror. In this way the advertisers are again implying how easy it would be for the reader to become the model. Eye contact is particularly useful as a signifier. The eyes have long been a significant communicator of messages and feelings. For example the length of time for which eye contact is held, the position of the gaze etc. these all communicate different sentiments. An illustration of this could be ‘staring’, where the gaze is wide and direct, and eye contact