After reading Tungate I had a better idea of how the advertising industry started in the EU & United States and how it gained importance.

Machin (2007) discussed more in-depth the visual aspects of gaze and perspective in visual representations such as advertising. In his own words

In this chapter we focus on depiction of people in visual communication – in photographs, adverts, cartoons, etc. Here we are concerned with the semiotic resources available for positioning the viewer as regards the participants in the image, how we are encouraged to relate to them and how we are encouraged to assess them. (2007, p.109)

His approach is similar to that of semiotics, in how he discusses visual aspects. He discusses how the viewer is positioned in regard to the image. He divides this into three-subcategories: gaze, angle of interaction and distance. Gaze discusses whether there is eye-contact (“interaction”) between viewer and image characters. Angle of interaction refers to how you look up or look down at someone in the image. And distance refers to how the closeness of the human in the image could pose a threat or represent familiarity. He then distinguishes between offer and demand, meaning whether an image offers information/a product or service; or whether it demands a response or interaction.

After this he discusses representation and action/agency. Under representation he distinguishes categories again, this time: individuals and groups, categorization and non representation. Individuals and groups discusses the different affect it has on a viewer to see a group vs. an individual depicted. Categorization differentiates between generic and specific depiction, so whether someone is portrayed as an individual or as part of a larger group, e.g. ‘women’ or ‘muslims’ or any other group. He then mentions agency regarding the active poses that carry meaning held by the characters in images.

In the last text, Marling (1996) discusses the Betty Crocker enterprise and analyses it

His method was to consider historical context (1950’s, gender roles, post-war). He looked at what the trends and norms were of that time (e.g. convenience food, lack of mother role caused by war). He compared it to similar branding techniques of the time (visual ads, TV dinners, Photo-cookbooks). He looked at how it was represented (what medium, e.g. radio or visual). He looked at symbolic (semiotic) reason behind things (e.g colours of adverts or cakes). He then discussed what they symbolized (semiotic-approach) and would link this back again to cultural-history.

Choose a 1950s-60s advert and apply Machin’s method to the chosen TV ad

For my advert analyses I have chosen this advert of Coca-Cola:
(min 0:00-1:00)

https://youtu.be/ckjIbT1bUos

With regard to the medium or form of the avert:

It is a repetitive advert both in visual and audio forms. What strikes me about this advert is the annoying yet “informative” jingle/song running in the background. Not only is it repetitive in words of lyrics to the song but the visual of the filling coke glass is also repeated.

When it comes to how the camera angle is directed and how the content is framed, there is the use of close-ups of feet/hands and faces. The faces exemplify happy expressions (supposedly indexed to drinking cola). The close-up of hands are similar to that of the Betty-Crocker format discussed earlier.

The use of repetition and experimental close-ups (as I shall call them) resemble early techniques of Television footage and advertising at that time. Hence I would say the format/style of the advert exemplifies its time and the technologies available.

With regard to the content of the advert:

The content of the ad hints at a refreshing, cold, cheerful drink (represented by ice cubes, a smiling bar tender, energetic fast-paced jingle.) The people in the advert tend to be young couples (the target audience demographic for the product advertised). The fact that all or most people shown in the advert are young couple, implies the emphasis on courtship at that time. The young couples displayed are attending either bowling alleys or soda fountains (all typical 1950’s venues). The drumming hands and feet are an allusion to the rock & roll music culture of those days. All-in-all I would say the advert is typical for its time in how it uses technology to display the product but also in how it appeals to a young demographic and the interests thereof at that time. Watching the advert now I may find the jingle annoying as that is not commonplace nowadays, but otherwise I can fully appreciate the advert and importance thereof in the time and context it took place. I can also appreciate the cultural values of 1950’s America it incorporates, hence if I had lived at that time I too would have probably felt encouraged to drink a Cola the next time I attend a soda-fountain 😉

 

Bibliography:

Marchand, R. (1985). Advertising the American Dream. Making Way for Modernity, 1920 –1940. Berkeley etc.: University of California Press.

Tungate, M. (2007). Adland: a global history of advertising. London and Philadelphia: Kogan Page Publishers.

Marling, K.A. (1996). As Seen on TV. The Visual Culture of Every-day Life in the 1950s. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, pp. 202–241.

Machin, D. (2007). Introduction to multimodal analysis. London: Hodder Arnold. (chapter 6: “Representation of social actors in the image”)