In my paper I will try to attempt the discourse of advertising, commenting some adverts from the point of view of the issues that we discussed during the course.
The first advert is the one which presents the new Beetle car, made by Volkswagen. The advert incorporates both visual and verbal conceptual metaphors used in advertising. The pictures present the two German cars that made an 15215f522p d make history and together may symbolize the "upgrading" of anyone's life at a certain moment, the fact that man should tend to evolution, but to keep that elements that had a good influence upon him. The two cars make us think at the future and at the past in the same time, at modern and classical. This is symbolized by the fact that the cars seem to look at each other. They are personified , being the old father and the son, talking to each other, the son asking his father ironically if he's going to tell him again about the 60', that period in which the old car 'the little frog' was a glamorous car, having a great success. The two in the pictures have the same color in order to emphasize the similarities between them and they are red, maybe in order to suggest the glamour, the strong impact that they have upon people. The dad seems to talk, as the old men, in general, about that period in which they were young, in which they had all the opportunities to be affirmed. What Volkswagen is trying to communicate by saying that "No matter how old you get, you still have a lot to learn from him" is that the new car has his success because it keeps many characteristics that the old one has and that in order to "upgrade yourself", you should take into consideration the examples of "the old". The famous design served as a model for the new one, but now Beetle is faster, is more comfortable, is safer, it has many qualities that the old one doesn't. But Beetle's success is due to the old one. Like a son has the same physical features as his dad, but, being younger, he's stronger, but he still has to learn from the old man. The wish "Happy Father's Day" focuses on the old model which leaded to the success of the new one.
Ideological referent system exploited by the discourse advertising is history. The advert projects the image of a mythical German symbol, in association with the new one.
The advert is based on the structural metaphor. It suggests that everyone should accept the old models and in the same time looking through future, that the new model represents the best choice. It also suggests that the gap between generations should be eliminated. The promotion of the new Beetle suggests the concern of Volkswagen for being in fashion, for offering the best to the costumers. (comments made on photo 1)
The second advert promotes the Foxy Slim cigarettes, which are smoked by "foxy women". The advert suggests at first that women don't have to smoke in order to feel beautiful, sexy and attractive because cigarettes mean only disadvantages because they don't need such tricks. They only smoke because of the other attributes that characterizes the cigarettes, in special those that are in connection with the flavor, with the sensations that the slim cigarettes offer.
In general, women smoke slim cigarettes because they associate their shape with the ideal shape to which every women tends. This is the main idea that slim cigarettes promote in general, but the Foxy Slim brand try to avoid this stereotype, suggesting that the only reason for smoking Foxy Slim cigarettes is that of offering good taste and special sensations.
The image shows a beautiful woman that smoke her cigarette with serenity, suggesting that she feels very good doing that. In fact, she has just finished it and her good feelings are due to the cigarette. She has the aspect of a foxy woman, in a total unison with this term and with what she smokes. The model that represents the brand is a very beautiful one, suggesting that even if she smokes the Foxy Slim cigarettes, her beauty doesn't alter, being well known that the cigarettes are noxious. The model is a woman because smoking slim cigarettes constitute a female activity. They are even considered to be exclusive feminine and the impact that the "foxy woman" has upon the costumers, upon women, more exactly, is that their subconscious suggests them to smoke Foxy Slims in order to identify themselves with that beautiful model that they see in the image. This is a trick, even if the most important attribute that characterizes the Foxy Slims brand is that of quality. The cigarettes are presented as slim, sexy and elegant.
The advert makes use of the orientational visual metaphor, suggesting the elegance that Foxy Slims confers to the model, she isn't more beautiful or feel like being more beautiful because she smokes, but her beauty remains the same even if she has smoked. The image doesn't focus on the cigarettes pack, it is shown is a very small size in comparison with the model's image. The main text is written with bigger characters in order to emphasize the fact that the "foxy women" don't have to smoke in order to make them more sexy , they won't make them look better, but they maybe make them feel like looking better. This is the main idea, followed by the idea that they don't need help in that department, "that" being emphasized with capital letters. The message ends with the idea that the creators of the cigarettes know the reason because women smoke. Because they created the cigarettes that satisfy all needs.
Although the advert try to avoid the stereotype, it transforms itself into a stereotype because of the beautiful woman that smoke slim cigarettes in order to look elegant, too feel more secure. ( comments made on photo 2)
The third advert promotes the AUDI car and it is an innovative one because it has undertaken a parodying modality that deconstructs the stereotypes. It avoids the traditional model of presenting the respective car as being unique, away from any competition. Almost all adverts presents the product as being "the best". AUDI display a great fair-play when congratulates the rival , the BMW concern for Winning World Car of the Year 2006. AUDI doesn't have this advantage, but it emphasizes their success, communicating that the congratulations come from the Winner of Six Consecutive Le Mans 24 Hour Races 2000-2006. They didn't win the World Car of the Year, but they won six consecutive prizes. This shows a constant in being the best in their domain. They suggest that BMW won only the 2006 World Car of the Year, but AUDI won 6 years consecutive. AUDI evaluates at his best parameters his abilities to persuade the costumers that look for powerful and fast motors, the winning of the 24 Hour Races being a good proof that they can offer what does satisfy the costumer's needs.
It is important to stress the good results that the concern had with their products and AUDI knows that. They don't want to risk seeming with less credibility, characterizing the AUDI car as the best in the world and their intention is not to exaggerate with the qualities, but to emphasize those that made the car famous and desired.
The advert is based on the structural metaphor. The visual images aren't so innovative, they are rather classical, as the car they promote. AUDI doesn't create eccentric models, and the images are in a total connection with the style that the concern promotes. They are based on quality and on satisfying the costumers' needs.
AUDI tries to respect the life principle, the principle of being fair-play, of respecting the rival and accepting that it is as good as you. And that competition doesn't implicate winners and losers, that everyone can win and be good in a certain domain.
The advert breaks the rules, it eliminates the stereotypes and it doesn't make the product unique with the best qualities, in comparison with the worse products, or with the products that they want to put in a bad light. They present the AUDI car as good as the BMW one, emphasizing the qualities of the first one. (comments made on photo 3)
The advert number 4 promotes the "bebe" clothes and it represents a parody in advertising. It parodies the companies' concern for their employees. "Bebe" promotes the original look of their clothes and uses the "Just look the other way" slogan. It means that the costumer will have an original look, that he will be different. As the left text shows, the "bebe look", with its signature hint of sensuality, appeals to the hip, sophisticated, body-conscious woman who takes pride in her appearance. The company uses a trick in this advert in order to persuade the potential buyers, suggesting that self-confident and original women should buy "bebe" clothes, but they also suggest that every woman can be like this only by wearing this type of clothes, by creating their own original style. The woman reveals beautiful woman that doesn't seem to care about something, she is self-confident and knows her advantages. She looks like a powerful woman.
The same left text reveals the fact that the company doesn't care about the workers' rights, "bebe" believes that it's better to look good than to be good. And the picture perfectly suggests that. The woman stamps on the worker's head, looking "the other way". The high boot's heel piece on the worker's head suggests a more painful action and the total lack of care from the woman's side. She humiliates the person that made the object through which she is being more original, more beautiful and more self-confident. The worker's face shows her disgust toward this humiliation The picture suggests originality in promoting the product, and down is written that this is a parody and that the "bebe" corporation might never sell any clothes if they told the truth in their adverts.
The name of the company is put in the center of the picture in order to stress it,
The main idea that "bebe" tries to suggest is that they try do to anything in order to obtain a good quality of their products, no what the consequences are. It is obvious that this is a marketing strategy and they can't tell the truth because this would violate some rules.
The picture shows that the costumer is the master of the company, that he makes the rules and that nothing else matters. It also suggests that in order to obtain the success, one should pass over the others, without thinking at their best. The advert doesn't try to represent a model, like the others do, it only tries to emphasizes the company's concern for quality.
(comments made on photo 4)
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