Running Head: Behind the Scenes of Advertisements
Behind the Scenes of Advertisements
Reyna Nagam Souki
American University of Beirut
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Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
Abstract
This paper discusses three different advertisements located around the streets of Lebanon,
containing both females and males. It will focus on analyzing each add separately, critiquing
them and highlighting the hidden social messages behind them. It will focus on the colors of
the ads, the camera angle shots, and the person in the ad, their clothes, the camera’s focus,
and most importantly its emotional and social significance. With those factors and aspects
analyzed, a greater conclusion will be revealed of each ad and its representation.
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Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
All around the world advertisements have played a major role in shaping the society
and marking their presence in people’s daily lives. Every couple of meters on roads
especially highways different ads emerge and shine trying to grab drivers and pedestrian’s
attention. Whether by their attractive background colors, catchy words, or even the socially
constructed image of sexiness that portrays naked men and women. These ads aim at making
people look up, and attracting their vision and thus emitting a certain message. Despite the
fact that people think they have become immune to ads and their constant similar
conspiracies, advertising companies still manage to create new techniques and strategies in
order to attract people. Ads have certain factors and aspects that if focused on and analyzed
carefully, one would be surprised by the results and conclusions unsealed. Camera shot
angles, background colors, use of words, use of nudity (male or female), and portrayal of
gender, are all needed in order to be critical while visualizing an ad and discovering its
mysterious messages and significance.
The first ad that will be discussed is that of a jewelry business under the name of
“George Hakim Jewelry”. This ad portrays a huge diamond bracelet in the center of the
advertisement with respect to a female standing inside the bracelet. The image reveals the
bracelet to be wearing the women in a way, instead of the other way around. The female in
this ad seems to be the accessory and not the owner. The bracelet thus appears to be the
owner wearing the woman. Moreover, the women’s body is shown on a small scale in order
to fit inside the bracelet. In other words, the woman is portrayed as subordinate to the
diamond jewelry itself. The significance of this ad is to convey how jewelry is more
important than the female wearing it. It gives the woman her value, and not vice versa. The
female is extremely unnoticeable as compared to the diamond bracelet itself, the diamond
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Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
bracelet stands out and the woman remains unseen. This ad belittles the woman, and reveals
how materialistic and shining things matter more than the human these days. The camera
angle shot is center focused, yet the magnification of the bracelet remains the focus of the ad.
This creates a standard for the woman to make her feel like she is nothing if she cannot afford
real diamonds and jewelry. “Using visual and verbal signs, producers of advertising exploit
the abduction process to mislead consumers” (Langrehr, 2003). Hence, although the ad does
not frankly say in words the hidden message, it does mislead the consumers into
understanding it on their own. Moreover, the woman seems extremely happy, and free. Her
hands are thrown up in the air, expressing joy and liberty due to the diamond bracelet around
her. This also portrays the emotions that the jewelry will offer the woman, happiness, and
freedom. Moreover, the background is of a soothing color, light pink. Using visual and verbal
signs, producers of advertising exploit the abduction process to mislead consumers. It also
sets off a calm and soothing atmosphere, relaxing the viewer. Unfortunately, this ad speaks a
lot about our culture and how materialistic it has become. Diamonds and jewelry for women,
and expensive cars for men, this has become the living style of the society and culture.
The next ad that will be analyzed is an ad for Longines which is a company for
watches. Its watches are known to be expensive and dazzled with diamonds, thus targeting a
specific social and economic class. Moreover, Longines is known for its historical values
which are tradition, elegance and sport. In this ad, Longines groups those three values in a
single ad. There is a man standing, with a horse next to him, the camera angle is a straight
shot of both their faces and upper bodies. The man in the ad is dressed elegantly in a classic
tuxedo, with his right hand reaching out to the horse’s face. This reveals the watch on his
hand, yet the focus on the watch is minimal. The horse is known to be a traditional
prestigious animal of a high class sport and elegance. Furthermore, the man seems to be
looking up to the horse, to the horse’s success and victory as if aiming to resemble him in his
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Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
success and elegance. The caption of the ad is “Elegance is an attitude” which further
expresses the presence of the horse in this ad, representing elegance since it is the horse’s
attitude. Nonetheless, this ad also speaks to certain consumers, those who aim at attaining
elegance and prestige, thus those who can afford this expensive watch. This ad goes beyond
the watch and its relevance, it targets emotions and appearances at once, using the horse as
the subject. “In a competitive, product-saturated marketplace, a new product needs to have
something beyond the brand -- an added value, an idea, a "story" behind the brand” (PBS,
2009). This further proves how the horse is used to reveal a certain story, a story of hard work
and victory, all with class and elegance. In addition to that, the black and white colors give
the ad a serious approach, promising that its product will unquestionably offer consumers
elegance. Hence, this is the way consumer’s attention is grabbed.
The third ad that will be evaluated is a combination of both men and women in one
image. Whereas the other two before, were of a single sex in a single ad. This ad is for
Massimo Dutti, a well-known retail clothing store for both men and women. It includes two
men and a women. The two men are looking away, whereas the woman is looking straight
towards the camera with a serious and seductive look. The men on the other hand, also have
serious facial expressions, yet it does not emit the strength and sexiness that the women
reveals. Her shirt is unbuttoned all the way down, and her position reveals confidence since
she has one leg up and an elbow on her knee. The center of attention of this ad is the women
indeed, even though the three subjects have equal importance in the image. This image varies
in definition, and does not emit a single message. Although the clothes are the center of
attention of this brand, it is not the main focus of the ad, since the clothes are not clearly
shown. Yet, this brand might be trying to reveal something about itself, that their clothes are
classy and less provocative than others, the women who wear them are serious and
professional.
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Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
Ads can be analyzed according to many different aspects, and conditions. They vary
in their hidden messages, the consumers they target, the subjects they use in creating their
images, the position of their subjects, their clothes, facial expressions and much more.
Almost all ads have a certain message they want to implement in the society, or reinforce to
the public. They create and reinforce stereotypes, by setting certain standards in the way they
represent their ideas.
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Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
Appendix
Ad 1:
Ad 2:
Ad 3:
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Behind The Scenes of Advertisements
References
Langrehr, D. (2003, May 1). From a Semiotic Perspective: Inference Formation and the
Critical Comprehension of Television Advertising.
The New Meaning of a "Brand" (2004, November 9).