Chapter 8

Key Points: Everything in a text such as a commercial is important The more you know, the more you can see in a text This because texts store a tremendous amount of

information in themselves and are a great deal more complicated than we might imagine

The idea is also that print ads and TV spots can be seen as popular or commercial art

The notion is that, like other art such as paintings, music, sculptures, and poems, you can see, notice, even appreciate, new things in more complex commercials and ads

Such ads are often rich in symbolism and interesting material for those who have the keys- that is, the theories and conceptual framework- to unlock their meaning

Ads and cxs are richer in meaning than we might think And it takes a good deal of work to understand how they

communicate ideas and meaning and, to the extent that they are successful, shape our behavior

Pages 138-140 in our book lists 15 possible topics to consider in analyzing a print ad

The example given is a photograph of a man and woman with some textual material

For homework use the Bono and wife Louis Vuitton full color ad (handout and posted on our class website) to thoroughly analyze its content, messages, design, style and other factors

This questions will direct your attention to various matters that might be considered when interpreting a typical print advertisement found in a newspaper or magazine

The more critics know, the more they can find in commercials or any kind of artistic or literary text

Book’s author uses a six different theories to analyze this Fidji “Woman with the Snake” perfume ad

Detailed Analysis of this ad: Pages 141-150

Semiotic Analysis- What signs, symbols, and codes are found in the text?

Psychoanalytic Theory- How does the text make use of the basic elements of the human psyche to sell goods and services? Id, ego, superego?

Sociological Analysis-What does the text contain that is relevant to such matters as socioeconomic class, gender, race, status, and role?

Historical Analysis-If the ad or cx is part of a campaign, what is the campaign like? Where and how does this text fit into campaign?

Political Analysis-What role does the ad or cx have in the political process? What techniques used, what appeals are made?

Myth/Ritual Analysis-What mythical or ritualistic aspects of the texts are of interest? How does it relate to ancient myths?