Assignment 6: Photo Analysis

Advertising Agency: Zoo Advertising, Shanghai, China
Creative Director: Alex Sean
Art Director: Stephen Zou
Copywriter: Sandy Sang
Photographer: Taurus
Published: June 2007

The study of semiotics by Morris:

1. Syntactic Approach

• the study of ways signs are combined with each other to form complex messages.
  
  
• eg. the relations between subject, verb and object or the relations between forms, objects, or colours in an artwork.
  
  
• Relation between the subjects (2 girls), verb (sniffing) and object (white dress)
  

2.Semantics Approach (Signifier & Signified)

• the study of meaning of signs (the relationships of signs to what they stand for)
  
• Signifier: White dress




• Signified: White dress represents heroin
  
• In this ad, the signifier is accompanied by the sniffing action to illustrate heroin. Without the sniffing action, the white dress alone might not be interpreted as heroin

3. Pragmatics Approach

• study of origins, common uses and communicative effects of signs




• study of operation of signs in language




• how the language is used in wider social contexts of communication




• The girls are presented as sniffing heroin. (Junkies) However, the message the ad conveys is that they are fashion junkies. To illustrate their insatiable craving for the brand.

Other signs:

1. Girl is partially exposed. Uncovered which depicts helpless and vulnerability. (Notice the dressing of the girl on the left.)

2. Credit card placed next to the dress - Drug addicts usually consume drugs without much thought of the consequences, a form of escapism. Similarly, credit card consumers splurge first before thinking of the credit card debts. Sisley tries to convey the message that we buy their clothes first - and all the consequences come after that. Credit card also symbolises high end fashion addicts of Sisley.

3. Fashion is spelled as ‘Fashioin’ - Made to sound like ‘Heroin

Background:

Dark, enclosed room with metal grills. A confined space which shows compression- constrained and addicted by the drugs, a form of addiction to the fashion brand(Sisley).

Colour tones:

Colour tones have great symbolism, it creates different moods and describes different emotional states. Each colour expresses the wavelength of light that in turn produces sensations on our mind .

In this ad, mainly dark tones used.

1. Black - Sorrow, hopelessness and depression felt with the consumption of drugs. It can also depict sophistication and style (fashion brand)

2. White- peace and unity
Shows craving for the fashion brand, helping the fashion addicts to achieve inner peace, beauty and unity.

3. Violet (majesty and richness)
Violet dress to represent rich taste of wearing the Sisley clothes brand.


In comparison to another fake(?) ad...

Colour tones:

Similar to the previous picture

1. Black- sorrow and darkness OR sophistication and style.

2. Red symbolizes love, passion, excitement. (For the brand). It can also symbolize aggressiveness and wildness, with the clever addition of alcohol with the red cloth. Sisley consumers can be wild, bold, sexy and aggressive too.

The recumbent positions:

Notice the body positions of the models-All have their heads lowered and are lying on the floor.

Signifies acceptance of subordination / submissive. Level of our head is also lowered.

Principles of Laura Mulvey's Gaze Theory -The gaze (woman on the right for both pictures). Are they demonstrating control, wanting the full attention of the audience?



Are the ads really fake?

There have been doubts and speculations on the Internet. It is still unclear who was behind the circulation of these offensive and misleading images and what reasons he or she had for doing it.
Sisley had also denied their involvement in the production of such ads.

However, some believed that it was a tactic used to attract the attention of consumers. A code from fashion critic "Why would anyone go through the time and effort to produce the fake ads? Is this a double bluff? Grab the attention, then deny involvement?"

A look at past Sisley ads

Past Sisley ads use similar approach- images of sexy women. All have a recumbent position, with their heads lowered. Most are lying down. All ads make use of the women's gaze to grab full attention of the audience.

Comments:

When Jillyn and I threw the question of whether the ads are fake to the class, most believe that the ads are somehow real.

Self assessment:

I would rate Jillyn and myself a 90/100. I think we did a good job in our analysis of the advertisements. It makes me think further about the purposes of advertisements and also the different approaches advertisers and their clients used to sell their products. Our slides were clear and pleasant looking too.

I particularly like the ads of Qiyi's and Eileen's. The ads are sweet and lovely, makes me want to cuddle my parents more. They also did a good job with their analysis of the images. I would give them a 90/100.

I also like Paul's and Meimei's presentation. I like how they explain the hidden meanings of the gambling cards. I never knew we could decipher the meanings of gambling cards in such a manner. I would give them a 95/100. Interesting presentation.