ADAM ARVIDSSON

Not a directly linked theorist, I know. But i felt what he had to say very interesting, and found a link between his theories and advertising in relation to branding and its powerful effect on commodities. Reading an e-book named 'The logic of brand', i depicted a few relating quote to my essay.

'Branded consumer good are ubiquitous and have achieved a perhaps unprecended importance in the lives of some consumers groups."

"Companies give increasing importance to their brands as marketing tools"

"Brands thus represent the additional value of the informational content of commodities."

"this can be relations between the brand and it's distribution between the brand and it's customers and between the consumers themselves in terms of brand communities and the importance of brands for personal identity."

Research Williamson, J, Decoding advertisements

300 Word evaluation - an overview of her opinion towards advertising

With her book, 'Decoding advertisements', she explores and analyses what can be 'seen' in advertisements. Believing it's an "inevitable part of everyones lives..." stating that you don't even have to be 'directly involved in the media, it's all around us". That images within our urban surroundings are 'inescapable'.

Williamson states that advertisements have their own independent reality, becoming separate from the material medium which carries it. She agree's that the main function is to sell thing, 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 a 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 believes people and objects become interchangeable, advertising is selling more than just good, but by providing a structure, in which people and goods 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.

Overall Williamson sums up advertising as giving good a social meaning.

Reference - Williamson, J, 'Decoding Advertisements', 1978

Look what I found...

The world can't get enough of old spice and it's beautiful approach to advertising the product.

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The 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)

• 'Advertising is the greatest form of art form of the 20th century' Marshall Mc Luhar

• Viral ads, I believe is a modernist medium, 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 post modern reaction is the idea of absolute knowledge, that everything has in fact been done before; 'Copy of a copy of a copy', as the film fight club quotes, a simulcrum.

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• Post modern - Idea of absolute knowledge, everything been done before - 'Copy of a copy' - fight club - OR simulacra 
• Advertisers say ad's benefit the world, by creating false needs; it puts wealth into society and promotes choice - illusion of freedom? How free are we? We constantly feel inadequate; have to buy to look and feel better.
• Objects display status
• Advertsiing doesn't sell products, it shifts to 'idealised life' (uncle sams range) being sold. Selling the promise of an improved version of your life through commodities.
• Commoditity culture creates/perpetuates false needs for meaningless things.
• Symbolic associations sell. Full of assumptions. Don't have a particular product, don't have what it connotes. eg smelling nice, aftershave, young, popular.
• The need to manipulate people to buy things they don't needs - CONSUMERIST SOCIETY
• John Bergus 'Can't afford not to be glamorous
• Critical positions of advertising - Harmful social force, manipulative device - propaganda and advertising in relation.
• impossible to escape advertising e.g times square.
• Marxis view: We live in a consumer / commodity culture - made to be bought/sold/traded our whole culture based around buying and selling of things.
• 'Instead of being identified by what they produce, people identify themselves through what they consume' - Judith William (author of decoding advertisements) (consumerism related quote)
• Stewart Ewan 'The commodity self'
• SEMIOTICS - Signifier : Rose, Signified: romance. Used in advertisements, when put into its context. Aftershave = signifier, when put in context with a persuasive ad, the signified becomes popularity or likewise

Evaluate - 

Why I believe this statement to be true...

These theories believe my own to be true…

But if this wasn't in affect, advertising wouldn't be what it is today, wouldn't work as well etc…