JAMS 214 1st Edition Lecture 12 Deconstructing advertisements Media literacy The ability to evaluate critically analyze and create media texts across a variety of platforms Stresses an active experience instead of a passive experience Advertising especially attacks visuals in a passive state Looking at a advertisement has a regular text and message o But what were trying to do is get to the subtext o If were passive the message gets stuck in our brain if we are active we can choose if we want to have that message Make observations Think of adjectives to describe the ad o Evaluate the look of the ad camera angle Lighting and color Depiction of the text Target audience o Ex Taylor swift diet coke ad Camera angle just taylor full body shot and were supposed to be in an intimate version of her and being right face to face with her Light natural light nto too many shadows Color red is the most important color in the ad the coke red the guitar is red straw and lips all share the same color The brand association is with the music taylor makes and diet coke Lack of color and emphasis of red The straw is red and has a heart on it taylor s music talks about the heart a lot and tieing it into the message At the same time the practical sense since she is writing music she needs the straw In a sexist stance it shows a feminine identity with the addition of the straw Men don t use straws in ads These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute The text Coke symbol shown 3 times Then the text the perfect duet They are implying that because she drinks diet coke she is going to be a better song writer Then also the campaign theme which is stay extraordinary Essentially its sending the message that if you drink coke you can be a multi million dollar music writer Taylor swift just released an album named red The background also looks like a coke can itself Determine the purpose What is the purpose of every ad To sell the product Ask yourself these questions to see how this product is trying to be sold What feelings or emotions are being associated with the product Casual lust out of the spotlight feelings towards taylor swift not just towards coke Taylor swift is more of the girl next door not overly sexualized Who is the target audience Female teens and young adults diet soda drinkers Determine the assumptions made Ask yourself what assumptions does this ad make about gender race class etc Not looking at camera crossed legs ponytail head tilt ritualization of subordination And even though Taylor swift is a famous and rich woman she is just a woman and has to go through and see the influential purposes Then ask how do these assumption create the message produced from this ad Consider the possible consequences Long term consequences Unrealistic expectations Does the ad undermine social change Is the ad socially responsible