1. Ads, Fads and Consumer Culture
Analysing advertisements from a cultural perspective, based on the book by Arthur Berger

2. Some facts and figures
Hours per year spent by average citizen watching TV: 1679 (p. 63)
Price of air-time for a 30-second commercial during Superbowl: $2.5 million (p. 2)
Total amount spent on advertising in the US (2005): $280 billion (p. 113)
Total amount spent on advertising in the rest of the world: $241 billion (p. 114)
Americans who expressed interest in products to block adverts (2004): 69% (p. 6)

3. Why is so much money spent on advertising?
Does it work?
Who does advertising influence? How?
What are the factors and actors that influence the content of advertising?

4. Advertising as communication
Berger's model of “focal points in the study of communication” (p. 52)
Art
Audience
Medium
Artist
Society

5. Analysing advertisements
Berger uses different approaches to analyse advertisements, including:
Semiotic analysis
Psychoanalytic theory
Sociological analysis
Feminist analysis
Historical analysis
Myth/ritual analysis

6. Semiotic analysis
Semiotics is the study of signs – how things can be used to deliver some kind of message.
The important point to remember when considering how things functions as signs is that the meaning attached to them is arbitrary. The meaning of signs is a convention that is learnt within a group/society, it is not a natural and universal meaning.
What signs, symbols and codes can be found in the advertisement?

7. Psychoanalytic theory
Freud suggested that our ego continually balances the primitive subconscious desires for satiation of our id against our superego, which provides critical self-examination and anticipates the potential damage of actions proposed by our id.
Advertisers frequently try to encourage our id in order to get us to notice and desire their product
How does the advertisement make use of the human psyche to sell products?

8. Sociological analysis
Consider how elements of the text are relevant to such matters as socio-economic class, gender, race, sexuality, status and role.
How does the advertisement reflect social concerns, and the problems of people in their daily lives?

9. Feminist analysis
As a specialist application of sociological analysis, feminist analysis is particularly concerned with power structures in society, especially those that keep women in an inferior position.
How does the advert reflect the values of male-dominated society?

10. Historical analysis
Here the advert can be evaluated in terms of the changes that have taken place in advertising over the years, how the advert fits into a larger campaign and/or previous advertising campaigns.
How does the advertisement relate to historical events?

11. Myth/ritual analysis
Advertisements often contain allusion to contemporary popular culture. In addition, there is a vast wealth of shared cultural knowledge relating to mythical knowledge, such as biblical stories or classical mythology.
How does the advertisement relate to ancient myths?

12. An example: Fidji perfume advertisment
How might we use Berger's six different approaches to analyse and understand this advertisement?

13. Semiotic analysis empty space position of mouth in photo
posture of mouth/lips
Polynesian woman?
long, dark hair
orchid
Fiji: the tropics (escape)
language: French

14. Psychoanalytic theory
the snake: phallic symbol
the snake: anxiety
the word 'sex' contained in the advert (subliminal)
removal to the tropics, away from the civilising influence of home
N.B. This advert appeared in some countries without the snake. Why?

15. Sociological analysis
value and importance of romantic heterosexual love
target audience: young women seeking escape?
prestige product: expensive perfume, French language and associations with high culture
role of women: providers of sexual pleasure, temptress
ethnic assumptions: women from less developed nations seen as less repressed, more passionate (more primitive)

16. Feminist analysis snake: phallic symbol? = subjugation, dominance
women's role as objects of male pleasure
objectification of women in adverts: accessible to the male gaze, on show to gratify male desires
holding the “desirable” bottle of perfume, but perfume's purpose is to please men: women perpetuate male dominance?
return to paradise = return to male dominance? (Garden of Eden: “And [your husband] shall rule over you”)

17. Historical analysis Cleopatra killed by a snakebite
Advertising: historical context

18. Myth/ritual analysis Medusa Garden of Eden
Women as dangerous, snakelike, venomous
Temptation

19. Further oral activity: instructions
You (the whole class) have been chosen as the committee that will nominate and choose the best print advertisement of all time.
Criterion: The advert that communicates the most meaning
1. Individual preparation (HMWK)
You will each nominate one advert. You need to select that advert, and prepare a short presentation of the meaning contained within that advert.
2. The meeting (the FOA: next lesson)
Each member presents their advert, after which the whole group discusses the adverts and decides on the winner.

20. Further oral activity: Details
Remember to consult the marking criteria for information on how you will be assessed in this task.
1. Preparation
Your mark for the A and B criteria will largely be determined by the preparation you do. How well have you understood the advertisement? How well are you able to analyse its content and meaning? For criterion B you'll need to focus on the language of the advertisement. (And remember you'll need to fill in a reflective statement after the task, so consider what your aims are for the task as you prepare for it.)
2. The task
During the task, you will be running the meeting yourselves. Your ability to contribute to the ongoing discussion, and interact with the others is part of how you will be assessed on criterion D. How clearly you present your ideas, particularly the analysis of your advert, will be assessed on criterion C.

21. References
Berger, Arthur Asa (2007) Ads, Fads and Consumer Culture: advertising's impact on American character and society. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield