Advetising

Using the theories of Roland Barthes, discuss one image from the mass media that is, in your opinion a representation of a certain cultural ideology or ‘myth’.
Rowland Barthes was a philosopher and social critic who was born in Cherbourgh, Manche in 1915. His many original and often slightly untraditional theories on semiotics have been a subject of controversy as well as the catalyst for much further research through the twentieth century. In particular his theories and analysis on the reasons behind myth and ritual have been a major cause for further exploration into the area, as well as the basis of our understanding in the subject. His theories focus more on the symbolism behind a certain image or text rather than the actual reality of it. They can be used to explain how meanings are composed and decoded in our society and therefore have the capacity to broaden our own understanding of what is being represented to us and how it is being done.
The world today is filled with constant streams of visual advertisements trying to attract the public’s attention and persuade them to purchase particular commodities. Therefore in order to analyse an image without being influenced by the advertiser it is necessary to realise that a picture is not just a picture, but a device constructed only for one purpose and that is to sell. There is not a single aspect of an image used for advertising that is there by chance, there is always a purpose behind every feature. The models used in advertising are always appropriate to the particular commodity. They are chosen carefully so that the desired audience can identify with them enough to feel on familiar terms with them whilst still being unrealistically attractive enough to inspire the audience to wish to aspire to be more like them. For this reason the audience will unconsciously be led to the belief that the commodity advertised will actually make them a more attractive and therefore improve their quality of life. This results in them considering purchasing the particular product as a positive thing.
Ideology is the “science of ideas” and can be defined as a collective idea or perspective on a certain subject, from politics to religion and morals. Common ideologies in society therefore are rarely ever challenged as a large proportion of the population do not require any kind of proof to believe in their validity. One can say that most dominant ideologies derive from gradual persuasion from the mass media which usually tie into the particular political opinion of the time. There are other different kinds of ideologies, some which are reasonably commonly held view points, others which are less popular and may in some instances be considered radical and unrealistic to the general population.
The image at the beginning of this essay is an advertisement by a well known clothes brand called ‘Dolce and Gabbana’. Dolce and Gabbana is an expensive and very well-known designer brand and this in itself results in the general public to view it as a favourable and attractive option. This picture has been carefully constructed to appeal to a very specific audience. Barthes state that ‘a photograph is pure contingency and can be nothing else (there is always something that is represented)’ (2000). It is noticeable in this picture that all the models used are young adults and are all exceptionally beautiful. This is deliberately done to appeal to an audience of that particular age as it is much easier to relate to people of a similar age group to onesself. The stereotypical person targeted by the designers of this image is a young adult who is prepared to spend large amounts of money for something a cut above the average. It is likely that the potential audience will be young enough to be free from responsibilities of children and will therefore have more money and time to spend on their own appearance. The image itself is selling the false hope that by buying this particular brand of product you will achieve a look which oozes beauty, style, elegance and sex appeal.
In our society the mass media dictates how we should aim to look, then designers attempt to sell us the design of clothes they have influenced us to want. An issue that arises from this is the question of whether style can actually be bought or sold. Most people are under the belief that style is something personal that is created by the individual to reflect on their personality and character. However the whole principal of purchasing commodities to mimic a certain style that is considered fashionable totally contradicts this belief. This is a very obvious example of a dominant ideology not needing to be proved or even be realistic to be believed fully by the very people who are proving it incorrect. The desired audience of this advertisement is expected to be unconsciously persuaded that by wearing the brand they will be “expressing themselves visually” as well as becoming instantly more attractive to society on the whole.
It can be argued that the things we call our own are really insignificant in the scheme of things. The majority of people in western cultures spend most of their lives aiming to be able to afford certain possessions in the belief that they will somehow benefit them. This can be anything from clothes to expensive cars. However most people will admit that in reality possessions may make life a little easier but will not necessarily bring happiness, so it would appear very strange that gaining more and more commodities is one of the main priorities of people in this society. The underlying reason for this would seem to be that the ideology of our society assumes that our physical possessions are the main factor by which we are judged.
According to Barthes (2000) ‘society, it seems, mistrusts pure meaning: It wants meaning, but at the same time it wants this meaning to be surrounded by a noise which will make it less acute’. This in itself is implying that in a sense we would prefer to be under an illusion than face the reality that we are being fooled. It would appear that in a way society tries to protect us from the true meaning of the images it subjects us to. Possibly if we knew the true purpose behind the advertising we would not be so well persuaded. The cleverness in the advertising is to make the audience feel like it is their own choice because of there own personal ideas of style that has persuaded them to be attracted to the brand, not simply a strong encouragement from the advertiser. Using Barthes theories however it is possible that we are actually aware of our weakness to be influenced so the ideology that we create our own style is just an ego defence mechanism to cover up our own limitation.
Another factor to consider when analysing the image is that all the men are facing the woman who is in the middle of the picture. Her submissive position and the fact that she is clearly outnumbered is deceiving as she actually has a very dominant role. She is commanding authority over all the men in the picture as well as seducing the audience. Her image is holding the whole thing together, she is the central focus of the image so our attention is drawn straight to her. This strategy of using sexuality to sell a product is common within the advertisement market and it is a very successful scheme. Interestingly enough recently China has employed a policy of banning all marketing that uses sex to sell a product.
Barthes (2000) argues that photography can tell you something much more than a painted portrait. A photograph always has the agenda to inform, educate, advertise or even discourage whereas a portrait stands alone on its’ meaning. ‘Offensive to women’ is a caption that can be seen on the top of the advert. Both the brand name and the caption are written in bold san serif font. This could signify that the brand has a certain image to uphold. San serif fonts connotes the brand is modern and up to date whereas serif fonts are portrayed as old and outdated.
Using the image above, it is easy to recognise the patterns and symbols behind advertisement and the mass media. The advertisers have a goal and that is to sell their commodity in which ever way is most effective. As the audience, one might ignore all the signs that are there and pretend to be oblivious to the messages we are being given, but we still receive the intended message subliminally. In conclusion, Barthes theories explain the thought processes behind commercial marketing as well as the reason why it has the ability to sway our judgement.