1. Visual Rhetoric
Reading & Writing

2. Visual Rhetoric Reading & Writing Definitions Visual Literacy:
importance of visual communication.
Analysis:
To break things down into their parts.

3. Visual Rhetoric Reading & Writing Definitions Visual Rhetoric:
The ability of images to persuade and influence the emotions, views, and behaviors of viewers.
The persuasive use of images to construct or create an argument.

4. Visual Rhetoric Reading & Writing Images have “designs” on us
They urge us to:
Ads help construct our:

5. Visual Rhetoric Reading & Writing Parity Products
Products that are roughly equal in quality to their competitors and can’t be promoted through any rational or scientific proof of superiority.
Example: Deodorants, cereals, soft drinks, toothpaste, jeans, etc.

6. Visual Rhetoric Reading & Writing Use of Celebrities and Models
Companies use celebrities and models to sell their products.
Be like your favorite star. For example: Paris Hilton perfume.

7. CAMERA TECHNIQUES CAMERA TECHNIQUES: SUBJECTS
The subject is the main focus of the ad.
CAMERA ORIENTATION
Consider where the camera is placed in relation to the subject, and how it relates and contributes to the ad’s overall message.

8. Eye Gaze
When considering your advertisement for the first time, think about where the model(s) are looking.
Direct Gaze – When a subject looks directly at the camera, their power and confidence is emphasized.
Indirect Gaze – Sometimes subjects deflect emphasis to other people or objects in the scene.

9. Analyzing the Advertisement
What is Target Audience?
the group of people who the advertisement appeals to.
What are Props?
items included in a scene to make the scene realistic.

10. Setting & Disposable Income
Analyzing Setting & Furnishings
location where the photograph is taken.
Is the setting indoor or outdoor? How does this relate to the product being advertised?
How does the setting relate to the values of the types of people who read the medium?
The model’s clothing
types of clothing and jewelry models wear can reveal readers’ disposable income ].
What jewelry or type of clothes do the models wear?
What does this tell you about how much disposable income the readers of the magazine have?

12. Red Cross Advertisement
Text (right page):
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina hit, I joined others from my chapter and headed for the Gulf Coast. We delivered food and water, provided shelter and even counseling.
At its core the Red Cross is a network of local chapters supported by their communities, prepared to respond to local, national, and even international needs. Sometimes that means helping one victim of a house fire, other times that means helping hundreds of thousands of disaster victims.
I HOPE you will volunteer your time and donate money to your local Red Cross chapter-- so we can be there for another chapter.

13. Red Cross Advertisement
Viewer’s Response
Our eyes are first drawn to the center of the ad because it is placed directly in the center of the page, and because it includes color (in contrast to the all gray background). Next, we notice the American Red Cross logo, which is easily recognizable.
Next, we look at the photo images on the page, and to the title of the ad which reads: “This chapter took me to the Gulf Coast”
Finally, if we are interested, we will read through the text of the advertisement.

14. Red Cross Advertisement
Questions
What is the thesis of this advertisement? What is it trying to convey?
Why do you feel the American Red Cross chose these particular images for the advertisement?
How is the word “chapter” integrated throughout the advertisement?
Does the advertisement urge readers towards action? How?

16. Mercury Milan Advertisement
Top Text: INSPIRED BY HER STYLISH NEW MERCURY MILAN, Tina did what anyone else in her shoes would do-- buy new ones.
Bottom Text: Introducing the all new 2006 Mercury Milan. Milan’s eye-catching style and two-tone leather seats gave Tina ample reason to add to her shoe collection; not that Tina ever needed any reasons. The big question now is whether her closet will hold as much as Milan’s trunk.

17. Mercury Milan Advertisement
Questions
What is the thesis of this advertisement? What is it trying to convey?
Why do you feel Mercury chose these particular images for the advertisement? What does the model’s appearance tell you about the ad and who the ad targets?
How does the text appeal to the types of people who read Glamour magazine?
By looking at the images, what kind of lifestyle does the woman featured in the ad lead? How can you tell?

19. Toyota Sequoia Advertisement
Top Text: What would you do without the Internet, video games, and text messaging?
Bottom Text: The 273-hp, 8-passenger Sequoia is built to take your family to faraway places you’ve only seen online. And with its exclusive Star Safety System, the Sequoia works hard to give you peace of mind, no matter how many bars you’re getting on your cell phone. Toyota.com

20. Toyota Sequoia Advertisement
Questions
What is the thesis of this advertisement? What is it trying to convey?
What type of people read Time magazine? What kind of jobs do they have, how much money do they make, what do they value?
Why do you feel Toyota chose these particular images for the advertisement? How does the image appeal to the desires of the Time reader?
How does the text appeal to the types of people who read Time magazine?

22. Skin Cancer Foundation Advertisement
Bottom Text: Melanoma kills more young women than any other cancer. Protect yourself. Sunproof America!

23. Skin Cancer Foundation Advertisement
Viewer’s Response
Our eyes are first drawn to the main image of the ad, which features the attractive woman in a bikini, soaking up the sun. She could represent any female beachgoer on a sunny weekend afternoon.
After we notice her, our eyes immediately move upward towards the six people standing over her (perhaps because of the contrast in color). We then notice that these people are funeral goers, mourning the loss of the woman pictured in the ad. They hold roses, and display somber expressions on their faces-- almost as if they are peering into her grave, and are ready to throw the flowers on top of her casket as it is lowered into the ground.

24. Two close-up, full-face views:
Although the two women are somewhat comparable in
appearance, what cues are we given to interpret them
differently?

25. Consider:
Framing
Setting
Props
Cultural Context