ADVERTISING ESSAY - Take two - Restructured

Stephanie Lawson - CTS Essay

'Advertising doesn't sell things; all advertising does is change the way people think or feel' (Jeremy Bullmore). Evaluate this statement with reference to critical theories (past and present)

Here Bullmore explains its not the adverts themselves selling a product, but the impact they have on a person, for instance, Images used to trigger personal experience or to reference, in such a way to evoke emotion for us to either feel, or to feel for others. Words are inevitable in conveying a message or an opinion.  

Advertising, as a medium has become more than just to promote a product, a more personal factor within this selling method is the sole reason we buy a product; selling a lifestyle as an instance, is a common subtle message used.

With her book, 'Decoding advertisements', Judith Williamson explored and analyses what can be 'seen' in advertisements. Believing it's an "inevitable part of everyone’s lives…" stating that you don't even have to be 'directly involved in the media, it's all around us". That image within our urban surroundings are 'inescapable'. She states that advertisements have their own independent reality, becoming separate from the material medium, which carries it. She agrees that its main function is to sell things, but that it has another, to create structures of meaning. In order to sell us something advertisers make the properties of a product 'mean' and connote something to us.

She suggests that advertisements provide structure, transforming the language of objects to that of people.

"Advertising sets up connections between certain types of consumers and certain products."

Using signifiers and what is signified to create the connection. "Taking the sign for what it signifies, the thing for the feeling." (Williamson, J, 'Decoding advertisements', 1978). She also believes people and objects are interchangeable. Advertising is selling more than just the goods, but by providing a structure, in which they are interchangeable, are selling people, themselves.

"People are identified by what they consume rather than what they produce."

We are no longer an image of our skills but by our materials and commodities. She states we are made to believe we can rise or fall within society by what we can afford, and can't, obscuring actual class basis. Class difference has lost meaning. Apparently we can now purchase our place in society. As we feel a need to belong, the mass media provide this 'Place to belong' to an extent.

In this commodity culture, people buy products to enhance appearance, thus to give then a false illusion of a better and wealthier lifestyle; to many, this is a must, some people 'Can't afford not to be glamorous' (John Berger, 1972).  Of course, by spending the money in the first place, it does in fact, make us poorer, thus destroying the reason for purchasing the product initially; Berger argues that publicity persuades us in this consumerist society, that, by spending money we change ourselves or our lives, by buying something more. This 'More' will make us richer. Even though, it will in fact, make us poorer.

We are not able to escape the mass amount of adverts our society is exposed to in our day to day life their inescapable. Within the series 'Ways of seeing' (John Berger,1972)  expresses and evaluates his opinion of advertising and the world it has created:

"It's a language of words and images which calls out to us, wherever we go, what ever we read, where ever we are." 

Believing advertising throughout its variations and selection of mediums are becoming inescapable.

Such an example of Judith Williamsons theory  of advertising setting up connections between consumers and products this is commonly seen within men’s aftershave television adverts; 'Lynx', due to its adverts, connotes popularity, sexual appeal, youth and a level of attractiveness.

A recent advert of a new product for 'Lynx' is called the 'bullet', with the slogan 'pocket pulling power'. In simple terms, its a travel size, lynx spray, but due to its size, it now has a new use, the idea of taking it to a night club and dousing yourself in this 'pocket pulling power' is seen within the advert; a man sprays himself and is suddenly found attractive and desireable by beautiful women. An example of advertising selling a lifestyle, referencing age group, night life, sexuality, gender, directing it solely at its targeted audience of young males, who are 'out on the pull' possibly wanting some sexual activity. It’s symbolic assumptions is the selling tool for this product, and we as an audience are full of assumptions, that if we don't have this particular product, we won't have what it connotes. 

Within a consumerist society, we are impaled by constructed false needs. This, not just with 'Lynx', but with so many products, women's fashion and makeup, I feel to be a huge instance of this. "People are identified by what they consume rather than what they produce.", Williamson, J, Decoding Advertisements believes in this theory. Commodity culture perpetuates false needs for meaningless things; if we see a promoting, new make up, which has a celebrity endorsement of someone we as a society either look up to, find attractive or envy, by using this 'new and improved' brand, we immediately feel a need to purchase the product, even if we already have it, in a possibly cheaper, or less renowned brand. It creates the false message that it will give you wealth, what the celebrity itself connotes and sexuality within an idealized lifestyle. It sells us the promise of an improved version of your life through commodities, celebrity endorsement and connotations. 

Another example of this is a recent, controversial advert for Beyonce’s ‘First fragrance ‘ ‘Heat’. Initially a television advert, but banned during the day because of it’s explicit nature, has become a viral advertisement. It consists of Beyonce expressing herself in a sexualized way, dressed in a very small, red velvet dress in a dark, steamy room; possibly simulating a sex scene. She simply walks through showing a lot of cleavage, and is apparently the source of heat, her very foot steps creating smoke and her hands creating fire. She seems to stroke, and stimulate herself. This heat, making her sultry.

The colour red dominates the advert. Here Williamsons theory is apparent, the signifier is red, which signifies sexuality, heat, a level of irresistibility. Setting up a connection between certain types of consumers and certain products. Women want what this product signifies, as men find her particularly ‘sexual’. Women want what she connotes, and feel without this perfume, an inability to do so. As Williamson explains, to sell us a product, it has to have a meaning to us. In this case it’s the sexual desire that Beyonce holds, wearing this perfume. It portrays a message to women that, like Berger specified, you feel you can’t afford not to have this perfume, not to be sensual and like Beyonce; a sexualized object of desire. This advert sells us a lifestyle, one including a frequent, erotic sex life. It doesn’t directly sell the product at hand, but through meaning. Williamson tells us of a link between product and person, saying they are interchangeable, which I believe to be proven in this advert.  

            There has been a massive impact of advertising through the use of new media, techniques and solutions, there is such a variation now, and it’s hard to depict categories for each. Voluntary viewing within websites like ‘Youtube’ gives a whole new outlook on advertising, video's can be uploaded and watched for free. Now people can now choose to watch an advert, rather than being forced to view them when walking through a street or watching television. It can be emotionally stimulating, an example of this is a recent video called ' Embrace Life", can be viewed on 'Youtube'. It promotes the use of seat belts, through its emotionally evoking video, used alongside with a quite powerful and moving sound track. The impact it has is strong due to it's medium. It's not conveying the message that wearing a seatbelt is a 'rule', it's soft in it's approach, using a child like acting of a car crash, and a family, human made seat belt to show the impact such an event could have. The use of high culture (acting as an art form), video, screen, being able to relate to the actors, and choice viewing really is the creation of something new and interesting, never seen before, together. It could be argued that it is a modernist medium of advertising, conveying the message that they are trying to do what hasn't done before. In some sense, a merging of many variations and methods of advertising in order to create something new from the old; a bricolage form of advertising.

The reaction of Viral advertising is immense. The way in which millions see a video, which begins with just one person sharing it with another, for this to be passed onto several, to dozens to hundreds and so on. Target audience is no longer an issue in which television advertisements have a problem with. It you don't watch a particular channel, the chances of you seeing an advert on there, are slim. But in this generation many own a computer and billions use the Internet daily, and for those who don't, word of mouth will likely get around to them. Viral advertising is becoming a very powerful tool, even more so with the range in which one can advertise itself. Peer to peer sharing is a method in which the video maker had the intent of advertising the product at hand.

Viral advertising could be argued, because of its viewing location and circumstances, can be so emotionally directed and engaging, that it's possibly one of the strongest form of advertising in this post modern era. But like all forms of advertising, with out its particular messages to evoke emotion, its triggering of personal experience, or to reference or connote, it wouldn't change the way we feel, we wouldn't live in a consumerist society. If all of this wasn't in affect, advertising wouldn't be what it is today, and it's methods, just wouldn't work. 

All elements of advertising are created and designed in a way a person will react and designed in a way a person will react and respond to it; whether that be shocking or eye opening. Colours, typography and image on their own, connote one thing but together can suggest a whole new meaning and message. They create something we all want or envy to be. A somewhat 'bragging approach' evoking jealousy and unrealistic wants and desires, and we, believe it achievable through commodities. 
            With new approaches to advertising becoming more personal and direct with their audiences, and with message becoming more controversial and responsive, advertising as a medium is growing it it's effect on society and the people within it.

Word count: 1687

Bibliography

Williamson, J, 1984, ‘Decoding Advertisements’, paperback

Berger, J, 1972, ‘Ways of seeing’, Final episode

Arvidsson, A, 2008,  ‘The logic of brand’

Arvidsson, A, 2005, ‘Brands: Meaning and value in media culture’

Adam Arvidsson, 2007, ‘The logic of brand’ [Online] available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/110246/The-Logic-of-the-Brand-by-Adam-Arvidsson
Britney Spear's pepsi commercial, 2006, [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYywiQ3-6To
Ways of seeing, 2008, John Berger, [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmgGT3th_oI
Loreal Advert by Beyonce, 2007, [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwLGsg0yPjw