People in photographs can generally be divided into two categories: those who look at the camera and those who do not. Advertisers use the gaze of the people they picture to convey particular attitudes---pleasure at use of a product or displeasure at the absence of a product, for example. Kress and van Leeuwen characterize the gaze of a person as either a "demand" of or an "offer" to the viewer.
"Demand" pictures are those in which its participants are looking directly at the camera (and therefore, the reader). Kress and van Leeuwen assert that vectors, following the gaze of the photographed participant, connect participant with viewer. "Contact is established, even if it is only on an imaginary level." (p. 122) Using a "demand" picture acknowledges the viewer, "addressing them with a visual 'you.'" In addressing the reader directly, the participant's gaze demands an imaginary relation with the viewer.
In advertisements, the visual "demand" is usually one of participation or acknowlegement, where the picture seems to say, "I demand you to enjoy this product and its benefits." The woman in 25 Michelob says, "I demand you send me a beer---but only a Michelob."
On the other hand, pictures in which participants have a indirect gaze address the reader indirectly. "Here the viewer is not object, but subject of the look, and the represented participant is the object of the viewer's dispassionate scrutiny" (p. 124). The photographed participants are "offered" to the readers "as though they were specimens in a display case," and the relationship between participant and reader is one of unfamiliarity rather than the intimacy of a "demand" photograph. In contrast to the visual "you" presented in "demand" pictures, "offer" pictures lack the corresponding visual "I." Instead, just as the participant becomes the object of the picture, "I" is objectified into a visual "he" or "she."
In "offer" advertisements, the picture visually speaks to the reader through the author of the picture rather than the picture's participants. The author of 28.2 Rave says, "I offer you proof that Rave hair gel really does work."
Showing posts with label advertisers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advertisers. Show all posts
Monday, April 28, 2008
Advertisers use people
Advertisers use people in their advertisements to create a relationship between the image and its viewer. Using properties such as a direction of a person's gaze or the size of frame, advertisements can even suggest the type of relationship between viewer and image.
- social vs. individual products;
- full bodies vs. body parts;
- gaze: demand and offer.
- social vs. individual products;
- full bodies vs. body parts;
- gaze: demand and offer.
Color choices advertisers
The color choices advertisers make are more than aesthetic decisions; colors have been known to affect (and reflect) a person's mood or emotions, current style trends and cultural beliefs and symbols. According to paint company Glidden, colors represent personalities. Here's what they have to say about the following colors:
Pink, emotional in character, connotes a sensitive heart. Universally representing caring and sharing, pink indicates a strong personality. Pink is preferred by the affectionate and concerned individual. Gently, you offer love, attention and nurturing to those in distress and needing guidance.
Red, the single most dynamic and passionate color, symbolizes love, rage and courage. Demanding attention, red has great emotional impact. Those who select red are aggressive, impulsive and strive for success. The desire to experience the fullness of living leads to constant activity.
Orange is the color of autumn, spice, form and design. In bright tones, orange is jovial, cheerful and playful. Deepened, it becomes exotic and exciting. If orange is your choice, you have abundant energy with an eye for structure and organization. Your social nature finds you surrounded by family and friends.
Brown, sensuous in nature, represents an importance of hearth and home. It symbolizes physical comfort, ease and contentment. Should you seek brown, you are conscientious, steady and dependable. Your inner security, honesty and high virtue show that you take life seriously.
Yellow is truly joyous and virtuous in its purest form. Yellow exudes warmth, inspiration and vitality, and is the happiest of all colors. Yellow signifies communication, enlightenment, sunlight and spirituality. If your favorite color is yellow, this indicates that you look forward to the future, and that you are intellectual, highly imaginative and idealistic. You tend to have a cheerful spirit and have an expectation of greater happiness.
Green is the color of life, and represents freshness, security, and tranquility. Green creates an atmosphere that is calm and restful, and characterizes the intense power of nature. If you selected green, you seek stability, balance and persistence. You are a moral and affectionate individual.
Cool and constant, teal indicates stability and resistance to change. If teal is your favorite color, you are a sensitive individual, and have excellent taste. Optimistic and trusting, you have a high degree of faith and hope, easily trusting others.
The color of tranquility, blue is cool, soothing and orderly. The color of royalty, blue brings comfort and serenity to our lives. If you choose blue, you have a basic need for a calm, harmonious, and tension-free existence. Capable, conservative and sensitive to others, you make a loyal and trustworthy friend.
Violet, the color of luxury, indicates sensuality, passion, and depth of feeling. This lavish color creates an unusual atmosphere and provides and unexpected essence. If you like violet, you tend to be unique, highly sensitive and observant. Creative and artistically talented, you tend to have a complex personality.
The cold influence of grey keeps it foreign, remote and distant. Grey is preferred by those individuals who put their noses to the grindstone. If grey is your favorite color, you tend to be a careful, articulate individual who is focused and dedicated to your commitments.
White suggests goodness, purity and innocence. Its elusive nature provides serenity and the essence of perfection. The individual who chooses white as a favorite color seeks excellence and enlightenment in all philosophies. Simplicity, purity and recognition are a constant endeavor.
Pink, emotional in character, connotes a sensitive heart. Universally representing caring and sharing, pink indicates a strong personality. Pink is preferred by the affectionate and concerned individual. Gently, you offer love, attention and nurturing to those in distress and needing guidance.
Red, the single most dynamic and passionate color, symbolizes love, rage and courage. Demanding attention, red has great emotional impact. Those who select red are aggressive, impulsive and strive for success. The desire to experience the fullness of living leads to constant activity.
Orange is the color of autumn, spice, form and design. In bright tones, orange is jovial, cheerful and playful. Deepened, it becomes exotic and exciting. If orange is your choice, you have abundant energy with an eye for structure and organization. Your social nature finds you surrounded by family and friends.
Brown, sensuous in nature, represents an importance of hearth and home. It symbolizes physical comfort, ease and contentment. Should you seek brown, you are conscientious, steady and dependable. Your inner security, honesty and high virtue show that you take life seriously.
Yellow is truly joyous and virtuous in its purest form. Yellow exudes warmth, inspiration and vitality, and is the happiest of all colors. Yellow signifies communication, enlightenment, sunlight and spirituality. If your favorite color is yellow, this indicates that you look forward to the future, and that you are intellectual, highly imaginative and idealistic. You tend to have a cheerful spirit and have an expectation of greater happiness.
Green is the color of life, and represents freshness, security, and tranquility. Green creates an atmosphere that is calm and restful, and characterizes the intense power of nature. If you selected green, you seek stability, balance and persistence. You are a moral and affectionate individual.
Cool and constant, teal indicates stability and resistance to change. If teal is your favorite color, you are a sensitive individual, and have excellent taste. Optimistic and trusting, you have a high degree of faith and hope, easily trusting others.
The color of tranquility, blue is cool, soothing and orderly. The color of royalty, blue brings comfort and serenity to our lives. If you choose blue, you have a basic need for a calm, harmonious, and tension-free existence. Capable, conservative and sensitive to others, you make a loyal and trustworthy friend.
Violet, the color of luxury, indicates sensuality, passion, and depth of feeling. This lavish color creates an unusual atmosphere and provides and unexpected essence. If you like violet, you tend to be unique, highly sensitive and observant. Creative and artistically talented, you tend to have a complex personality.
The cold influence of grey keeps it foreign, remote and distant. Grey is preferred by those individuals who put their noses to the grindstone. If grey is your favorite color, you tend to be a careful, articulate individual who is focused and dedicated to your commitments.
White suggests goodness, purity and innocence. Its elusive nature provides serenity and the essence of perfection. The individual who chooses white as a favorite color seeks excellence and enlightenment in all philosophies. Simplicity, purity and recognition are a constant endeavor.
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