ELECTRIC GOGGLE ADVERTISEMENT
(From Transworld Snowboarder Magazine)
The cultural myth invoked in this ad is the name of the eyewear company itself (Electric) and its brand image. The relationship seen between the myth and the target audience for the product is a kind of rebel generation. This is conveyed, or hinted at, by using hand written text reading “Nice Life…” and pointing to a guy wearing the product (goggles) and laying on a couch, while smoking a cigarette and reading a newspaper. Located above him, is a poster of Jesus Christ with the text reading, “Jesus likes to Party!” Next to the poster is another guy wearing a paper bag on his head with a pair of different goggles designed by the same company. The characters in the ad function as signs because they are showing the viewer what they could be like, if they purchase and/or wear the product. This ad tells a story about a young, new generation having nice lives, partying, and being worry-free. If the audience purchased the product, then they too could join into this story. If you don’t buy the product, you will never look as cool as the guy on the couch, smoking a cigarette (which actually doesn’t really make sense to me…).
RITZ TOASTED CHIP ADVERTISEMENT
(Oprah Magazine)
This advertisement is very simplistic. The main color used is green and both the copy and the visual are centered on white space. The cultural myth invoked in the ad is that the Ritz Toasted Chip is the chip that needs no dip. The copy is written in a way that makes it look fun, new, and inventive. The relationship between the myth and the target audience for the product is that the product is pictured by itself. The myth is conveyed or hinted at by picturing it on white space, providing that it is the chip that needs no dip, nor anything else for that matter. However, even though this is a simplistic ad, there is still a story being told. Next to the product is a sentence clarifying that “the chip is sold in the cracker aisle”. This makes the product seem like it is more than a chip. It is a product unlike any other you would purchase. Because this is a product unlike any other, it creates an even greater desire for the audience to want to have it.
RIGHT GUARD ADVERTISEMENT
(Snowboarder Magazine)
In this advertisement, there are two items that fall under the first order of denotation. First is the Right Guard product, and the second is the snowboarder JJ Thomas. The second order of signification is connotation, which is how the subjects are pictured. The product is shown with a glowing green haze around the bottle and a white mist bursting out of the top (its funny that the bottle is set to the lock setting, but its still spraying). The snowboarder is shown with a white, curled, wave-like line echoing his movement. This movement is then re-instated at the bottom in text stating, “clean, style”. The character in the ad functions as a sign because he shows the viewer what clean and style looks like. The story being told is that if you wear the Right Guard product, than you can have the clean style of JJ Thomas snowboarding. This ad uses good flowing movement of lines to ensure it is easily seen. The spray from the bottle flows into the curled wave emphasizing the character’s movement and then returning back to the base of the page.
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