Essay research

After the feedback session I was given a few idea's on what to watch, and read up on in order to write the essay.

J.Berger 'Ways of seeing' was a series of a television program. I watched the final episode which focused on advertising on youtube, to gain an understanding of John's thoery and idea.

Here I quote some of what he had to say about the topic.

'We are surrounded by images of an alternative way of life...For a moment they stimulate our imagination either by way of memory or anticipation.'

'Its a language of words and image which calls out to us wherever we go whatever we read, wherever we are...we take them away in our minds and seem them in our dreams'

I partiually like this quote. It really depicts the idea that advertising gives us the want to have an idealised life, for perfection, for our dreams to become reality. That what is seen within an advertisement is what everybody wants, but can only ever be, just a dream. As he states later on in the program, he basically says that publicity pursuades us in this consumerist society, that if we change ourselves or our lives, by buying something more. This more will will make us richer in some sense. Even though we will become poorer, as we have had to spend our money. So, we have bought something to become 'richer', and set to live 'the dream' as such, but have only made ourselves poorer by buying into this.

Within advertisements, he talks about how, by showing us people who have apparently been transformed, become enviable. This in itself becomes a new glamour. Glamour is for people who find they, can not aford not to be glamorous. Now the model has taken the place of the goddess.

Glamour never used to exist, as your place in society depended on birth. Personal envy did not exist. Without social envy, glamour can not exist.
Glamour is new, society has changed.


Watching, and making notes from this program has really given me a deeper and more knowledgeable understanding of the effects of advertsing on society, and with some of John Bergers quote, I feel I can back up my own and his opinions in order to evaluate my chosen essay question.

Graphic design - A medium for the masses

John Beighton

Area's
-The origins of graphic design
- Graphic design in relation to fine art
- Graphic design in relation to Advertising
- Graphic design as a tool of capitalism
- Graphic design and post modernism
- Graphic design and social conscience

Origins of graphic design show people documenting and visually communicating from the very begining, when we couldnt even talk.

Cave painting, Lascaux, France, 15,000 - 10,000 bc.

Fine and classical art also used to visually illustrate an idea or message.

Hervert spencer : Merchandised art
Richard Holis : 'Graphic design is the business of making or choosing marks...'

Alphanse Mcuha 1819, Poster for ciggerete paper - Graphic design or fine art?
Doesn't really matter if people don't understand its message.

An introduction to Post modernism

An introduction to postmodernism

Robert Venturi

'I like elements which are hybrid rather than 'pure', compromising rather than 'clean', distorted rather than straight forward,  ambiguous rather than 'articulated', perverse as well as 'impersonal'…'

Post modernism related:

Lyotard

Roy Litchenstein

Andy Warhol

We live in a post modern era, everything has been done before 'a copy, of a copy, of a copy'

Modernism: Arised from world war one, improving people's lives with technology - a blind obedience to rules. 

Form follows function.

IMAGE

'Le corbusier, Villa, Savoye, Posissy, 1928" - removed individuality - limiting

Modernism:

• Experimentation
• Innotative
• Individualism
• Progress
• Purity
• Originality
• Seriousness

Binary opposites = Post modernism

FIND DEFINITIONS

Post modernism conditions is characterised by

• Exhaustion
• Pluralism
• Pessimism - everything gone wrong, technology a bed thing
• Disillusionment with an idea of absolute knowledge

Modernism

Expression of modern life / technology / new materials / communication

Post modernism

Reaction / response to of modern life / technology / new materials / communication

Jean Tinguely 'Homage to New York', 1960

anti aesthetic / modernist - nialistic post modern gesture

Designed to destroy self - metaphor - modern work destroying self

Origins of post modernism

1917 - German writer Rudolph Pannwitz, spoke of 'nihilistic, amoral, post modern men'

60s Beginning 

70s Establish as a term

80s Recognisable style

80s and 90s Dominant theoretical discourse

Today tired and simmering

Terms

• Equivalent to capitalism
• After Modernism
• Historical era following the modern
• Contra modernism

The demolition of the Pruitt - Igue development, st Louis - Modernist architecture

community built around equal space, quality and equality

Ended up being criminalised, ghetto like, crime and prostitution.

a failure to modernism

'Modernism dies, according to Charles Jenicks'

Igue development reality of 'Le Corbusier 'plan violin'

apparent Utpoia, and technology determinism

Post modernism has an attitude of questioning conventions - especially those set out by modernism

aesthetic - multiplicity of styles and approaches

space for new voice

New technology imporves - rejected by post mod

Modernism forcing vision upon you

POST MODERNISM

Reaction to these rules

Only rule is, there are no rules - society confused and lost with options - could be a positive, more choice.

Celebrate what might otherwise termed 'kitsch' - definition - excessively garish or sentimental art; usually considered in bad taste.

Mies Van deer roe and Philip Johnson seagram building, New york, 1957

An example of modernist architecture

Park hill flats, sheffield, 1960

'I am monument' idea

Post war housing, became a slum - and has failed like Pruitt

But can't be knocked down as its a listed building.

Urban splash - proposed re-generation of Park Hill

AT & T building - Post modernist

Philip Johnson

NYV 1982

Irregularity and unordered, greek like, old and new

Takes seriousness off modernism, more humour

James Stirling, Neue Straatsyulene - Post modernism

Old and new

Refferences other buildings

Attack on seriousness of building

THEORY

Lyotard:

'The post modern condition' 1979

Incredulity towards metanarratives - smaller narratives within a larger one. 

Result - crisis in confidence

We know now to follow over own mini narratives - eg - subcultures

Emergence of difference

Post Modernism Aesthetics

Bricolage - Mix and combine materials

Re-using images - Parody and irony

Roy Lichenstein 'This must be the place'

Pop artist - post modernist - Jokey, modern, futuristic architecture, sarcastic

High art / Low art

Begins to crumble

Las Vagas - Post modern City?

So many elements of other places in the world

'Copy of a copy of a copy' - Fight Club

Simulacra - imulacrum (plural: -cra), from the Latin simulacrum which means "likeness, similarity", is first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, used to describe a representation of another thing, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god;

Post modern Dystopia

Post modernism reacting

Loss of self order

Failure of progress

e.g Blade runner - post modern film - modern and old buildings in scenes

Andy warhol

'Everyone is famous for 15 minutes'

No longer 'genius artists'

In interviews never mentioned art

never claimed to be a leader

-Oxidation painting - metalic paint and urine

Utter attack on what is meant to be artistic

David shirley - Post modern art ' art lovers'

Piero Manzone 'Artists shit' 1961

SOME DEFINITIONS

SIMULCRA - Simulacrum (plural: -cra), from the Latin simulacrum which means "likeness, similarity", is first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, used to describe a representation of another thing, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god; by the late 19th century, it had ...

POST MODERNISM - Postmodernism is a tendency in contemporary culture characterized by the rejection of objective truth and global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. It emphasizes the role of language, power relations, and motivations; in particular it attacks the use of sharp classifications such as male versus female, straight versus gay, white versus black, and imperial versus colonial. Postmodernism has influenced many cultural fields, including literary criticism, sociology, linguistics, architecture, visual arts, and music.

MODERNISM - 

• genre of art and literature that makes a self-conscious break with previous genres
• modernity: the quality of being current or of the present; "a shopping mall would instill a spirit of modernity into this village"
• practices typical of contemporary life or thought

BRICOLAGE - Bricolage (pronounced /ˌbriːkɵˈlɑːʒ/ or /ˌbrɪkɵˈlɑːʒ/) is a term used in several disciplines, among them the visual arts and literature, to refer to the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things that happen to be available, or a work created by such a process.

METANARRATIVES - In critical theory, and particularly postmodernism, a metanarrative (from meta-narrative, sometimes also known as a master- or grand narrative) is an abstract idea that is thought to be a comprehensive explanation of historical experience or knowledge.

'Advertising is the greatest form of artform of the 20th century'

Marshall Mcluhar

Inconclusion

Vague disputed term

Po-mo attitude of questioning conventions

Shift in though and theory investigations crisis in confidence

Space for new voices

The essay

So, here it is, essay thinking time.

We've been given 5 essay topics of think about using. I've been drawn to one focusing on advertising:

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

I feel this most appropriate to myself as I have a real interest in this topic, and a lecture we had focusing on this idea I found most interesting and useful regarding resources in relation to this essay topic. Also, a recent seminar looked at this topic, my vast array of note taking will help me a lot!

We have to make a critical evaluation of the statement at hand.

Seminar

Janine Sykes , advertising and new media lecture.

Aims:
To engage in current academic debates.
To compare this impact to that of the late 19century

Media thats works not through persuasion or impressions engagement and involvement

Sutherland 2001

Old media = back to late 19century
Compact and impact of new media and progress of colour printing

Radio

William Hesketh Lever
1851-1925 Lever bros
Rob wright - the begining in history of advertising
WCRS. 118, 118 and the futures bright the futures orange.

Bill Bernbeck 1911-1982
1st to combine copywriters and art directors

sunlight vision exhibition

Sunlight, lux to lynx
Soap, lever brothers
founders James Daray and William Hesketh Lever

Today Uni Lever, 900 brands, Persil, Sunsilk and comfort

'Ubiquitous brand, part of the average consumers, metal furniture'
(Lewis p57)

William Lever
George Cruikshank (etching)
all the world going to see great exhibition of 1851

Beginning of pre packaging
1860s cereal, figured how to print

Founded
-John and william Kellogg
-Henry j heinz
-Asa candler 1890s bottle coco cola

Soap sold in long
like shop - lush

The first
Lever

I was the first to advertise extensively a tablet of soap - directed at the higher class

Ads and colour printing

Newspapers
-advertising boom
-press owes much to advertising
-press indispensable for advertising

Posters
ethnological progress reproduction and colour printing

posters 1890s
technology enabled contemporary painting to be reproduced

Contempory art and advertising

The soap, means extensive use  uses contempory paintings in their advertising in a case in point
(Lewis, 2008, p65)

Image used in sunlight and soap advertisement with a caption 'so clean'
'the new frovck 1889' william powell forth
Uses children, clean, rosy

'The wedding morning' - John Henry Frederick bacon
generational admirers
clock and cup changed to be sunlight soap
brand loyalty

'Colourful, innovative advertising was crucial to levers success'
Port sunlight museum, 2009

Medical, chocolate and soap manufacturers announced foremost advertisers

Levers achieves
'to convince people - didn't just want soap - needed it.'

Promotion boom - washing event competition
2x steamers, washer women, soap, large crowds and banquet

Royal endorsement from 1892
soap makers to the queen

1903
began wrapper scheme offering own soap and presents in return

Capture the children
'One method beloved of advertisers...was to capture the children'
Using images of upper class children - directed audience

Lever spent 2million in first 2 decades making soap - purchased Philadelphia soap

Art direction
Cross suggested plantol should depict tropical climates and express the care that is exercised in refining oils.
Advocate of forced labour
Palm oil main ingredient

Lever amassed and among innovates of advertising expertise

advocated truth in advertising is an asset falsehood in advertising is a liabitis

Salvation
'Many of his early advertising enphaside that sunlight soap would save women from drudgery'
Answer: washing day toil
solution: sunlight
Copy: a girl of 12 or 13 can do a large wash without being tired
ease a repeated theme
sunlight soap and how to use it spoke directly to working class housewives
-same strategies used today (eg mother and daughter)
-Improves life, leaving quality time for romance

British imperial museum

-civilise

-No commodity aided more in this soap

- Mc Clintock argues 'served to justify the imposition of alien cultural values'

creating customers

sanitary achievement, drains sewage and soap

Pursuade each customer of his/her hygiene problems 

the lynx effect - high feeling

Psychology

The psychology of advertising 1908 , US, Walter Dillscott

Edway Berneys, nephew off...

Discrepanny theory - between self and ideal image of self

Lever bros Lux 'soft youthful lovely femine hands' and celebrity endorsements

America soap operas (radio)

Link between art and advertising

P+G aimed at children, sculpture event - carve out of soap

Crities of admass culture

Boom in consumption

Advocates of admass

economic liberals

Celebrate unfettered agony of the consumers individual

good trade relations between countries reduced conflict

Leverhume speech NY 1923

Back to the future

New media model

more targeted

More personalised

Shift - sturgeon 2008

Viral ads

Distinction between old and new

Voluntary viewing - PC

Forced viewing - TV or print

Definition - unpaid peer to peer communication of content

New coms model

Old - transmission

New - cybernetic

-Engage with audience via computer, cell phones

- a new exciting ways about advertising

Trevor Beatie - Ideas

-Internet

-Enables lots of small ideas to circulate

-The combination of a 'trillion, little ideas is in itself is the biggest idea there is, i think we are at the most interesting point of communications history ever'

Digital media

Convergence of media opens up opportunities for creativity.

Viewer generated content

Case study 'coke menthos'

Viewer generated advertisement

Audienced actively managing media culture

Creating dialog

Paul burns 'talking with audience'

You tube - 'old spice'

- interacts with audience

-Responds to tweets

Oasis 'dig out your soul'

-Virals promoted new album

Youtube ad of the year award

-Embrace life'

Always wear a seat belt

The third screen
Mobile phones will soon become the greatest tool for persuasion
-Fogg

The heiros factor

Presenting desired message at opportune moment
-location
-routine
-goals

My own summary of the impact of new media on advertising


Personally I believe there has been a massive impact of advertising through the use of new media, techniques and solutions, there is such a variation now, its hard to depict categories for each. Voluntary viewing with in websites like youtube gives a whole new outlook on advertising; It can be emotionally stimulating , an example shown in the above video. An empathy method which perhaps can not be done with such an impact through just print. My favourite method, in all honesty is viral ads. The way in which millions will see a video, which begins with just one person sharing it with another, for this to be passed on to several, to dozens to hundreds and so on. Target audience is no longer an issue in which television advertisements have a problem with. If you don't watch a particular channel, the chances of you seeing an advert on there will be slim. But generation own a computer and billions use the internet daily, and for those who don't, word of the mouth will likely get around to them. My own personal example of this is my grandparents. Neither of them use the internet nor own a computer, but when they visit I may show them a video within a website like youtube. It's as simple as that.


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 to intent of advertising the product in use. "coca cola and menthol" is just one example, see below.







In a lecture we were told of the effect this viral had on sales figures which were astonishing.

5 examples of Modernism in graphic design

Bauhaus Logo

Modernist in it's simplicity. There's no ornamental value what so ever. 

Made up of just blocks, no type. No illustrative elements.

Neue Grafik

New graphic design

Graphisme actuel

-Grid

-Grotesk font - inc Helvetica

-Flush left, ragged right text

- no hand drawn illustrations

Marrinetti - 'Parole in liberta' meaning words in freedom

words creating image

Anti ornament

new techniques, products and methods in type

random word placement

not limited to a grid, structure, or have a meaning

Anti-ornamental. 

Literal in it's purpose and intent

Only hand drawn element consists of signature.

Weimar Bauhaus Museum poster

Sans Serif font

Anti ornamental

'Bauhaus' a main modernist contributor to the modernist movement