Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Definitions
Visual Literacy:
Your awareness of the importance of
visual communication and your ability
to make meaning out of images and
graphics.
Analysis:
To break things down into their parts, to
examine the parts carefully, to look at
relationships among the parts, and to use
this knowledge to better analyze the
whole.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Definitions
Rhetoric:
The art / study of writing or speaking as
a means of persuasion.
Rhetorical Effect:
When an images moves us emotionally
or intellectually.
Visual Rhetoric:
The ability of images to persuade and
influence the emotions, views, and
behaviors of viewers.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Images have “designs” on us
They urge us to:
Buy things
Go places
Alter our behavior
Usually they play on our desires,
fears, wants, values, and needs as
consumers.
Ads help construct our:
Cultural values
Self-image
Sense of what is normal or ideal
Ideas about gender, race, and class
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Parity Products
Products that are roughly equal in
quality to their competitors and can’t be
promoted through any rational or
scientific proof of superiority.
Example: Deodorants, cereals, soft
drinks, toothpaste, jeans, etc.
Companies need to use clever strategies
to sell parity products.
Companies need to break the cycles of
consumer loyalty.
Companies need to get consumers to
identify some aspect of their personality
with the product.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Use of Celebrities and Models
Companies use celebrities and models to
sell their products.
Be like your favorite star. For example:
Paris Hilton perfume.
Companies who market products by
using celebrities recognize our desire to
be famous, or to emulate a famous
person’s style/lifestyle.
Using ultra-attractive models plays on
the consumer’s insecurities.
If I purchase this product, I will be
beautiful and successful. If I use this
type of face wash, I will have a
wonderful and fulfilling life.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
INTRODUCTION
In order to be able to analyze advertisements
intelligently, you must first understand that they aren't
simply thrown together at the last minute. Corporations
spend millions and millions of dollars on marketing their
products and services. They spend millions of dollars
trying to persuade viewers (of commercials) and readers (of
magazines) to purchase their products. Although somewhat
sneaky, it's rather interesting to analyze advertisements
for how they are constructed, and how they play with the
hopes, fears, and dreams of viewers.
While you may think you know everything about
advertisements because you see them everyday, you probably
don't take time to actually ponder each component of the
advertisement, its target audience, the magazine's target
audience, or the ad's overall strategy. In order to begin
analyzing images, you first need the tools (and vocabulary)
to do so. In this lesson, we will begin with analyzing
camera technique. Camera technique can greatly influence
how an advertisement is interpreted by the viewer. Let's
get started.
CAMERA TECHNIQUES: SUBJECTS
In advertisements, camera techniques are as carefully
thought out as the words on the page, and models selected.
When analyzing camera technique, you need to know what the
subject of the photograph is. The subject is the main focus
of the advertisement or photograph. A subject can be the
product itself, an object (such as a car), or a model in
the scene. If the advertisement includes a group shot (with
several people) there may be several subjects in the
photograph. Once you have identified the subject of the
advertisement, consider the subject’s relationship to the
camera.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
CAMERA ORIENTATION
Consider where the camera is placed in relation to the
subject, and how it relates and contributes to the ad’s
overall message.
Close Up – The camera is located very close to the
subject. In this type of shot, the subject is
emphasized and the setting is either deemphasized or
is nonexistent.
Middle Shot – In a middle shot, the subject is placed
directly in front of the camera and the camera is not
placed above or below the subject. This implies
equality among subjects.
Long Shot – The camera is far away from the subject.
In this type of shot, the setting rather than the
subject is emphasized.
Low Shot – The camera is positioned below the subject,
making the subject appear larger than life. This type
of shot emphasizes the power and importance of the
subject.
High Shot – The camera is positioned above the
subject, making the subject appear smaller than usual.
This type of shot deemphasizes the importance of the
subject.
Front View – Is the subject facing the camera
directly, or is the subject turned away from the
camera? Front views, like close ups and middle shots,
tend to emphasize the subject’s confidence, power and
prominence in the photograph.
Rear View – When a subject’s back is turned to the
camera, the setting (and other subjects) are
emphasized. Oftentimes, this technique, like eye gaze,
moves a viewer’s eyes to different areas of the
advertisement.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Eye Gaze
When considering your advertisement for the first time,
think about where the model(s) are looking. Advertisers
often utilize eye gaze in order to move the viewer’s eyes
to different areas of the advertisement. For example: the
main model in the advertisement may be placed in a
prominent front-and-center position, but when we look at
her, we notice she is looking at another model in the
advertisement. Our eyes naturally follow her gaze to the
subject that she is looking at.
Direct Gaze – When a subject looks directly at the
camera, their power and confidence is emphasized. This
establishes a direct and explicit connection between
the viewer (person reading the ad) and the subject.
Indirect Gaze – Sometimes subjects deflect emphasis to
other people or objects in the scene. If the subject
is looking at someone else in the scene, consider why.
This may be a strategy to move a viewer’s eyes from
one subject to another subject in the advertisement.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Introduction
VALS™ is a marketing and consulting tool that helps
businesses worldwide develop and execute more effective
strategies. The system identifies current and future
opportunities by segmenting the consumer marketplace on the
basis of the personality traits that drive consumer
behavior. VALS applies in all phases of the marketing
process, from new-product development and entry-stage
targeting to communications strategy and advertising.
The basic tenet of VALS is that people express their
personalities through their behaviors. VALS specifically
defines consumer segments on the basis of those personality
traits that affect behavior in the marketplace. Rather than
looking at what people do and segregating people with like
activities, VALS uses psychology to segment people
according to their distinct personality traits. The
personality traits are the motivation—the cause. Buying
behavior becomes the effect—the observable, external
behavior prompted by an internal driver.
The VALS System divides consumers into eight categories
according to their consumer behavior, these categories are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Innovators
Thinkers
Achievers
Experiencers
Believers
Strivers
Makers
Survivors
http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
1.
Innovators
Innovators are successful, sophisticated, take-charge
people with high self-esteem. Because they have such
abundant resources, they exhibit all three primary
motivations in varying degrees. They are change leaders and
are the most receptive to new ideas and technologies.
Innovators are very active consumers, and their purchases
reflect cultivated tastes for upscale, niche products and
services.
Image is important to Innovators, not as evidence of status
or power but as an expression of their taste, independence,
and personality. Innovators are among the established and
emerging leaders in business and government, yet they
continue to seek challenges. Their lives are characterized
by variety. Their possessions and recreation reflect a
cultivated taste for the finer things in life.
2.
Thinkers
Thinkers are motivated by ideals. They are mature,
satisfied, comfortable, and reflective people who value
order, knowledge, and responsibility. They tend to be well
educated and actively seek out information in the decisionmaking process. They are well-informed about world and
national events and are alert to opportunities to broaden
their knowledge.
Thinkers have a moderate respect for the status quo
institutions of authority and social decorum, but are open
to consider new ideas. Although their incomes allow them
many choices, Thinkers are conservative, practical
consumers; they look for durability, functionality, and
value in the products they buy.
http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
3.
Achievers
Motivated by the desire for achievement, Achievers have
goal-oriented lifestyles and a deep commitment to career
and family. Their social lives reflect this focus and are
structured around family, their place of worship, and work.
Achievers live conventional lives, are politically
conservative, and respect authority and the status quo.
They value consensus, predictability, and stability over
risk, intimacy, and self-discovery.
With many wants and needs, Achievers are active in the
consumer marketplace. Image is important to Achievers; they
favor established, prestige products and services that
demonstrate success to their peers. Because of their busy
lives, they are often interested in a variety of timesaving devices.
4.
Experiencers
Experiencers are motivated by self-expression. As young,
enthusiastic, and impulsive consumers, Experiencers quickly
become enthusiastic about new possibilities but are equally
quick to cool. They seek variety and excitement, savoring
the new, the offbeat, and the risky. Their energy finds an
outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation, and social
activities.
Experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively
high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment,
and socializing. Their purchases reflect the emphasis they
place on looking good and having "cool" stuff.
http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
5.
Believers
Like Thinkers, Believers are motivated by ideals. They are
conservative, conventional people with concrete beliefs
based on traditional, established codes: family, religion,
community, and the nation. Many Believers express moral
codes that are deeply rooted and literally interpreted.
They follow established routines, organized in large part
around home, family, community, and social or religious
organizations to which they belong.
As consumers, Believers are predictable; they choose
familiar products and established brands. They favor
American products and are generally loyal customers.
6.
Strivers
Strivers are trendy and fun loving. Because they are
motivated by achievement, Strivers are concerned about the
opinions and approval of others. Money defines success for
Strivers, who don't have enough of it to meet their
desires. They favor stylish products that emulate the
purchases of people with greater material wealth. Many see
themselves as having a job rather than a career, and a lack
of skills and focus often prevents them from moving ahead.
Strivers are active consumers because shopping is both a
social activity and an opportunity to demonstrate to peers
their ability to buy. As consumers, they are as impulsive
as their financial circumstance will allow.
http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
7.
Makers
Like Experiencers, Makers are motivated by self-expression.
They express themselves and experience the world by working
on it-building a house, raising children, fixing a car, or
canning vegetables-and have enough skill and energy to
carry out their projects successfully. Makers are practical
people who have constructive skills and value selfsufficiency. They live within a traditional context of
family, practical work, and physical recreation and have
little interest in what lies outside that context.
Makers are suspicious of new ideas and large institutions
such as big business. They are respectful of government
authority and organized labor, but resentful of government
intrusion on individual rights. They are unimpressed by
material possessions other than those with a practical or
functional purpose. Because they prefer value to luxury,
they buy basic products.
8.
Survivors
Survivors live narrowly focused lives. With few resources
with which to cope, they often believe that the world is
changing too quickly. They are comfortable with the
familiar and are primarily concerned with safety and
security. Because they must focus on meeting needs rather
than fulfilling desires, Survivors do not show a strong
primary motivation.
Survivors are cautious consumers. They represent a very
modest market for most products and services. They are
loyal to favorite brands, especially if they can purchase
them at a discount.
http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Analyzing Target Audience, Props, Setting, Clothing
Vocabulary: props, target audience, disposable income.
What is Target Audience?
A target audience is the group of people who the
advertisement appeals to. For example, the readers of
Glamour magazine have specific values, needs, and
interests. Within the pages of Glamour, there are
advertisements that appeal to sub-groups of readers. To
clarify further, an advertisement may appeal to the type of
woman who values health and fitness. This means that In
addition to being a member of the group of women who read
Glamour, this lady is in the subgroup of women who value
health and fitness, and who strive to incorporate fitness
into their busy lives.
What are Props?
In theatre, props are items included in a scene to make the
play realistic. For example, if the scene occurs in a
person’s home, the stage will be set with all of the items
included in a particular room. Similarly, advertisers
utilize props to make their advertisements more realistic
and appealing to consumers. When looking at an
advertisement for the first time, consider the setting and
furnishings and what they tell you about the target
audience. For example, if an advertisement for a health
supplement includes the photograph of a woman walking a
dog, the dog is the prop in the scene—therefore we can make
the assumption that readers of this magazine value health
and the health of their pets.
Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing
Analyzing Setting & Furnishings
The setting is the location where the photograph is
taken. Setting and furnishings can also tell viewers a
great deal about the lifestyles, values, and incomes
of the readers of a particular magazine. For example,
consider your own home, apartment, or bedroom. If
someone who didn’t know you looked through your home,
they could learn a great deal about who you are, and
what you value. Domestic magazines such as Better
Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, and Parenting are
more likely to include photographs and ads for
domestic products that feature families and living
spaces.
Here are some questions you might consider:
1. Is the setting indoor or outdoor? How does this
relate to the product being advertised?
2. How does the setting relate to the values of the
types of people who read the magazine?
The model’s clothing
A model’s clothing can tell a viewer a great deal
about who the target audience of the advertisement,
and by extension, the target audience of the magazine.
The types of clothing and jewelry models wear can tell
readers a great deal about how much disposable income
the type of reader has.
Here are some questions you might consider:
1. What jewelry, do the models wear? What does this
tell you about how much disposable income the
readers of the magazine have?
2. What type of clothing does each model wear? Is the
clothing formal, informal, casual? Is the clothing
washed and unwrinkled? Is the clothing torn or
soiled? What does this tell you about the: A) amount
of disposable income the readers of the magazine
have? B) type of lifestyle the readers of the
magazine lead?
Red Cross Advertisement
Text (right page):
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit, I joined others from my
chapter and headed for the Gulf Coast. We delivered food and water,
provided shelter and even counseling.
At its core the Red Cross is a network of local chapters supported by
their communities, prepared to respond to local, national, and even
international needs. Sometimes that means helping one victim of a
house fire, other times that means helping hundreds of thousands of
disaster victims.
I HOPE you will volunteer your time and donate money to your local
Red Cross chapter-- so we can be there for another chapter.
Red Cross Advertisement
Viewer’s Response
Our eyes are first drawn to the center of the ad because it is placed
directly in the center of the page, and because it includes color (in
contrast to the all gray background). Next, we notice the American
Red Cross logo, which is easily recognizable.
Next, we look at the photo images on the page, and to the title of the
ad which reads: “This chapter took me to the Gulf Coast”
Finally, if we are interested, we will read through the text of the
advertisement.
Red Cross Advertisement
Questions
1.
What is the thesis of this advertisement? What is it trying to
convey?
2.
Why do you feel the American Red Cross chose these particular
images for the advertisement?
3.
How is the word “chapter” integrated throughout the
advertisement?
4.
Does the advertisement urge readers towards action? How?
Mercury Milan Advertisement
Top Text: INSPIRED BY HER STYLISH NEW MERCURY MILAN,
Tina did what anyone else in her shoes would do-- buy new ones.
Bottom Text: Introducing the all new 2006 Mercury Milan. Milan’s
eye-catching style and two-tone leather seats gave Tina ample reason
to add to her shoe collection; not that Tina ever needed any reasons.
The big question now is whether her closet will hold as much as
Milan’s trunk.
Mercury Milan Advertisement
Questions
1.
What is the thesis of this advertisement? What is it trying to
convey?
2.
Why do you feel Mercury chose these particular images for the
advertisement? What does the model’s race tell you about the ad
and who the ad targets?
3.
How does the text appeal to the types of people who read
Glamour magazine?
4.
By looking at the images, what kind of lifestyle does the woman
featured in the ad lead? How can you tell?
Toyota Sequoia Advertisement
Top Text: What would you do without the Internet, video games, and
text messaging?
Bottom Text: The 273-hp, 8-passenger Sequoia is built to take your
family to faraway places you’ve only seen online. And with its
exclusive Star Safety System, the Sequoia works hard to give you
peace of mind, no matter how many bars you’re getting on your cell
phone. Toyota.com
Toyota Sequoia Advertisement
Questions
1.
What is the thesis of this advertisement? What is it trying to
convey?
2.
What type of people read Time magazine? What kind of jobs do
they have, how much money do they make, what do they value?
3.
Why do you feel Toyota chose these particular images for the
advertisement? How does the image appeal to the desires of the
Time reader?
4.
How does the text appeal to the types of people who read Time
magazine?
Skin Cancer Foundation Advertisement
Bottom Text: Melanoma kills more young women than any other
cancer. Protect yourself. Sunproof America!
Skin Cancer Foundation Advertisement
Viewer’s Response
Our eyes are first drawn to the main image of the ad, which features
the attractive caucasian woman in a bikini, soaking up the sun. She
could represent any female beachgoer on a sunny weekend afternoon.
After we notice her, our eyes immediately move upward towards the
six people standing over her (perhaps because of the contrast in color).
We then notice that these people are funeral goers, mourning the loss
of the woman pictured in the ad. They hold roses, and display somber
expressions on their faces-- almost as if they are peering into her
grave, and are ready to throw the flowers on top of her casket as it is
lowered into the ground.
Skin Cancer Foundation Advertisement
Questions:
1.
Many advertisements use shock tactics to change our behaviors.
What makes this advertisement so shocking?
2.
What type of magazine would you expect to find this
advertisement in?
3. Women are more likely than men to utilize sunscreen. In groups,
try to create a print advertisement that will persuade men to
utilize sunscreen. Your idea doesn’t need to incorporate shocking
images. Brainstorm ideas for a sunscreen advertisement for men- create a rough sketch design for your advertisement, and
present it to the class.