Surrealist influences in advertising

While the surrealist movement is not as strong today, it has influenced a lot of media we use, such as films, advertisements, music, philosophy and sculptures and has Here is an example of an advertisement. 

This picture takes a lot of influences from surrealism with the way the bottle merges in with the mountain. Many surrealism paintings are still very popular even today, one of the most famous being Salvador Dali's piece 'the persistence of memory'. One painting with the most meaning would be Rene magritte's piece of work 'this is not a pipe' which was a painting of a pipe, but he said that it was not a pipe because it was picture of a pipe and not a real pipe. These meaningful pictures helped shape surrealism and people still look at these pictures and the thoughts behind them to influence their works today and it has shifted into a much wider market and is seen almost everywhere.

Mythology

Ideologies are created through the daily inadvertent decisions we make, those quick choices we make that say more about us and the society we live in than the time it took to make the decision.
  
Advertising captures the essence of the culture we live in by feeding off our beliefs, values, weaknesses, insecurities, and desires hoping we’ll succumb to whatever they’re selling. In this case the advertisement is for Jose Cuervo tequila and what they’re selling is a bottle of booze accompanied by a good time. The ad shows two young adults in a provacative position, they’re likely on vacation, they’ve been drinking Jose Cuervo, and they’re having a good time. The caption to the ad reads: “Pursue your daydreams”; which causes one to assume that with a bottle of Jose Cuervo even your wildest dreams are obtainable. Although, this ad holds some truth that Jose Cuervo can enhance a good time there is a grim reality behind this “happy-go-lucky” ideology.

In order to see through the smoke you have to look beyond the surface and analyze what the ad is discreetly symbolizing. This ad is one of many kinds of products targeting us. Which is why it’s crucial to the consumer to be on guard and conscious of what information we absorb and the meaning of the products we buy into. “Advertising has been criticized for playing on human emotions, exploiting anxieties and achievement drives, and exalting materialistic virtues” (MacBride 154); in summary the advertisement industry takes advantage of the consumer in any way possible. Although, the evils of the advertisement industry should be considered common sense most of society feeds into the hidden ideologies inherent in advertisements.

The harsh truth behind this advertisement is that a bottle of Jose is more than likely not going to be the gateway to your dreams. Too many shots might land you a hottie but do you really want the alcohol to be the reason why? Heavy alcohol is not to be taken lightly, this ad is selling courage in a bottle; courage to make irresponsible decisions. People too often times forget that these decisions hold consequences that will still be there in the morning. In order to see through the smoke you have to look beyond the surface and analyze what the ad is discreetly symbolizing. This ad is one of many kinds of products targeting us. Which is why it’s crucial to the consumer to be on guard and conscious of what information we absorb and the meaning of the products we buy into. “Advertising has been criticized for playing on human emotions, exploiting anxieties and achievement drives, and exalting materialistic virtues” (MacBride 154); in summary the advertisement industry takes advantage of the consumer in any way possible. Although, the evils of the advertisement industry should be considered common sense most of society feeds into the hidden ideologies inherent in advertisements.

Semiotic analysis of 'Diesel' print ads

I have chosen to attempt a semiotic analysis of the printed advertisements for the Diesel Jeans and Workwear Clothing Company. Generally, in the world of advertising as a whole, there is continuous pressure to create adverts that are increasingly more in the image of audience motives and desires. The actual product has come to matter less as audience participation increases, so there is a need to include audience experience.
I find this ad very funny in the tremendous chaos generated with the sight of a naked, unnaturally muscular male body! A group of middle-aged, upper-to-middle class women totally lose control, casting aside any sense of propriety and dignity, when their air-steward delivers their drinks in what appears to be, judging by the leg-room, the business class section of an aeroplane. Indeed, the angle of the aeroplane further emphasises that everything is in disarray, as lust becomes the main driving force; deranged facial expressions and contorted body-forms connote the uncontrollability of the women. While this destruction occurs, the Diesel people characteristically remain detached from the action, turning their backs on the scene. The very form and composition of the photograph ensures that the audience recognise the signified concept. While the middle-aged women, without exception, all reach in to the centre of the picture towards their object of lust, closing in on their prey like predatory animals, the Diesel people reach towards the light coming in from the window; their facial expressions emphasising their need to escape from such debase activity; the tears streaming down their faces are further indicative of their distress. Once more, Diesel are selling themselves as a non-conformist clothing company who offer escape for those willing to break from convention.
I feel that this advertisement raises political questions concerning sexual harassment in the workplace. This is achieved through reverse cliché, since it is usually affluent middle-aged men, travelling business class, who lech over female air hostesses. The text seems to be shaped by offering two individual lifestyles, and offering the audience a choice of which they would rather belong to. Again, a number of paired oppositions emerge, to include good and bad, young and old[er], men and women, women and women, and friends and rivals. The light and dark opposition, created by the subtle use of lighting, is suggestive of Heaven and Hell. While the older women become closed in, shadowed and rather demonic, the Diesel women reach towards the warmth of a golden light in an angelic fashion. The same effect is achieved by the tilt of the aeroplane, as the Diesel women become elevated and more spiritual. This notion can be connected with the questions raised in Fig.1, concerning the importance of inner development over outer appearance. The confined atmosphere of the aeroplane set is effective in condensing the meaning that is generated from a still picture that is shot so cleverly it is easy to imagine the noise and chaos of the scenario.
The codes here are narrowcast, since the satire works to the exclusion of both middle-aged women and younger men; the Diesel women are seen, however subtly, as superior. The sense of movement and action is shared with the media of film and television. The indignity of women of this age is reminiscent of the American super-soaps Dallas and Dynasty, while the comic aspect of their behaviour is satirised in the BBC comedy Absolutely Fabulous or the spoof disaster Airplane movies! Diesel use their models carefully, since they must be suitably created to guard against any exclusion within the audience targeted by the advertisements. In this case, they use a white model and a half-case black model. They hold hands and seem to support one another, so they open the possibility of a cross-cultural lesbian relationship. Their place within the preferred reading of the text is to connote that it is better to be subtly sexy rather then blatantly lustful. All these suggestions are neatly tied in with the Diesel philosophy that wearing their clothes will make you a better person; that they can rise you above the common crowd and vest you with a special kind of individuality.

'So Clean'

The context of any brand or advertising campaign over the years is always extremely important; if the company doesn't have an awareness of whats going on for their customers or the general public how do they expect to aim any of the products effectively? That would be bad business advice and ineffective to their brand.
For the Sunlight Soap brand they chose to target women in their campaigns as traditionally at the time it was the woman who stayed at home and did the washing etc. They marketed their brand as being very easy to use and would half the time of normal washing; 'It even improved her love life.' Preying on females emotions and allowing her to get the washing done quicker so she could enjoy life with her husband again.
However, as time went on they changed the direction and instead of showing the woman in an apron etc they portrayed the women as goddesses of the home and commanding and in control. As well as playing to housewives it was also an important component to be patriotic, 'draping themselves in the flag.' especially with the arrival of the war. With this new cultural development, they urged mothers and sweethearts to send tablets of soap to the frontline 'while such quality exists, victory is assured.' Implying that with the soap the soldiers would win, which was a nice peace of mind for the women left behind to feel like they were doing something to help.

As the brand expanded to different countries they had to find a way to appeal to different cultures, because it was a soap brand they led with the tagline; 'To scrub away its blackness'. and by using this brand it was helping the 'civilising mission'. Imperialism and benign and altruistic. To ingrain a cast iron sense of British racial and cultural superiority.

If you had grown up in a house with a bathroom and a servant you were more likely to have the opinion that 'there was something subtly repulsive about a working-class body.' and it was the most fundamental of class distinctions, an insurmountable barrier to class unity or equality.

In the 20th century in the victorian era the country became more clean as a nation, with the Victorian sanitary  achievements, making soap more affordable. It became possible and fashionable to be clean and have a bath/shower daily. With this more products were appearing, such as antiperspirants, mouthwashes and deodorants. As an advertising campaign to make people buy these new foreign products they made it their business to persuade each consumer of his or her hygiene problems, and the need to fix them urgently. Fortunately for everyone the solutions were readily at hand.
With this came about the strategy of supply and demand. There was a big message that was told to the people, if they wanted to achieve anything or get anything, such as a job or a partner etc, they had to maintain a good level of personal hygiene. This was obviously true with hindsight and as a general standard of upkeep but at the time was a very good persuasive/strong advertising campaign. This also demonstrated the psychology method of 'Power of suggestion' and of association working on the subconscious mind.

Marks in Time Exhibition

M&S used innovation as their for front of their campaigns and ideas for the future. throughout the decades of their branding you can see how they are expanding and creating new products in order to fit their customers needs, whilst having a very good cultural awareness and seeing what is appropriate and needed at the time.
For example, during the war years there was the civilian clothing scheme which enabled people to save up their clothing ratios and buy clothes that would last. They had limited pockets, pleats and buttons etc. known as Utility Clothing.
This also ties into the last point of 'Embracing a new age', which came in the 1990-2010, when the brand started creating new products and "Autograph" was introduced. Where they worked with designers to make capsule clothing lines. They also stayed true to their original roots and principles by looking back into their archives and re-using patterns and prints.

In the 'fit for future' plan, M&S has tried to express and keep to the original values and principles as best as possible in order to maintain their authentic feel. This for example includes the strive to modernise the brand by transforming change into the business and going forth to build on the foundations they have already laid. Also another new adaptation of the values is a growing focus on quality and style, looking to increase levels on newness and availability down the chain, while trying to stay within the boundaries of the customers needs.
Keeping with the value of expansion and growth, it is their intention to open 150 new stores, specifically Simply Food stores, and also 250 stores overseas. With a heavy investment in innovation, quality and newness.
Keeping up with modern times is also an important new value to maintain and make sure the website and internet access point for information is second to none. Making it a flexible an modern web infrastructure with the outcome to be ideally equally as profitable as the store channel.

In the M&S ad for Autumn 2007 the setting is in an old fashioned train which links back to the old times and their values. Also old fashioned music is being played that again ties into the old fashioned theme and demonstrates the clothing which is based on old prints and patterns, taken from the archive. This scene is associated with class and a nostalgia for the 20's/30s's, it evokes this nostalgic vision of the past with the classy atmosphere and prosperity and the ambience of the 'roaring 20's'.
By using a group of women who are all ages and quite attractive, it appeal to women of a wide range and so expands the target audience. They are shown having a good time and with the sense of kinship whilst being classy and aspirational. It is assumed they are on an outing and having a leisurely time, as if by buying this range, you can be these beautiful, classy and prosperous women!

The new food advert is trying to reach out to new audiences and become more appealing to the 'here and now' generation. By calling it 'Adventures in imagination' it is already implying the food is different and anything can be achieved by combining the food and your imagination. Also it is using a modern upbeat song which is light and makes you feel happy. There is the sense of a great ease at cooking this food, as the demonstrations show by using just a few moves. The colours are very vibrant and explosive, creating illusions and patterns that are exciting. Everything is at its most luscious and mouthwatering, making the food very enticing.  It is clear that the brand is trying to appear and come across in a very easy feel way about their food whilst being very rich in texture, colour and flavour. An assortment of different foods- appealing to a wide audience, those who like savoury and those who have more of a sweet tooth.  The food looks very fresh and appetising. Then ending with the slogan 'Over 100 new ideas every month' which suggests  an endless possibility and making you want to repeatedly return for the new and exciting foods and combinations.