My advertisement is about the promotion of reading within our society while down playing the emphasis of television.  Being entertained through television has crippled people to not think for themselves and find other forms of entertainment.  And I believe reading to one the most important things that every individual should invest time in because it opens our minds and puts our imagination to a better use.  The way I designed this advertisement was to have a person reading a book and looking amazed and/or entertained by what they are reading. From the book I wanted a bluish glow glowing from the book to mimic that of a television glow. The purpose behind this is mock the television industry and how it sucks our minds in to.  In my advertisement I flipped it to represent that books have the ability to capture our minds but in a positive manner.  Unlike television, reading enhances our minds.  In the background I have television snow while having an old-fashioned television boarder.  The purpose of the television snow is to provide texture to advertisement.  My original plan of a black background was not working properly.  It felt plain and very flat.  Having this snow background helped to bring my main focus of the subject reading the book stand out.  Everything is in black and white except the subject reading the book.  The purpose behind this is to show how reading brings about “life” in a person and opens up their imagination, and while television is boring and requires no mental work and viewers only get out of television what producers want them to.  I have a slogan spread throughout my advertisement “Television Deprives The Mind, Reading Releases The Mind”.  This slogan is the basis for my entire advertisement.  I separated the slogan into 2 parts.  I had “Television Deprives The Mind” in the top left corner in black and white blending into the snow.  I wanted it to kind of blend in the background of the television snow.  The reason is the effects that television has upon a person is subtle and not too many people notice it, and I wanted to give that same message by placing the text in that manner.  Also by having it in a “boring” format it helps to emphasize the message that television has no “life” with in it.  However I placed on the book “Reading Releases The Mind” in bright colors and a unique font.  I used the colors yellow, pink, and blue.  The reason I used these color is because these colors usually means something alongside “freedom”, “spiritual-awakening” , and freeing one’s mind.  Inside the text is a fantasy design and I used that because it emphasizes on the power that books have to open a person’s imagination.  Lastly I have signals coming from the subject’s head.  I had problem trying to display in a creative way the meaning of how reading opens a person’s mind and draws new opportunities and ideas to a person’s life.  Then I thought about television signals, I that is what I have coming from the subject’s head.  And I love this aspect within in my advertisement because it helps convey the message.  I placed my advertisement at my job at a local television studio in Fairfax.  The reactions varied.  One person said how he thought the poster was “awkward” to place at a television station.  It seemed as though more elderly adults ranging from 45 years old and above would agree with the advertisement and its message.  People under that age range seemed to only view it and walk away.  Only a few I would say showed signs of pondering on it.  I would say this was an interesting assignment.  I believe I completed my task in effectively standing for a certain value or truth.  The hardest part for me was to creative criticism the opposite side.  In my case criticize television proved to have been the hardest part of the assignment.  I wanted to show it more visually rather than using text.  However, I do believe that my advertisement helps to promote the message that I wanted from the beginning.

 

Interventionist Response

I like the picture by the artist  Valerie Tevere(pg 62).  The picture has her conducting an interview with a subject while in the bathroom.  It takes place in a bathroom in Amsterdam.  I liked it because when it first caught my eye I found it funny.  After reading the project overview of how the artist sought to how public and private space is defined.  And the differences in behavior and different encounters that happen in both private and public spaces.  I thought this to be a real interesting concept/idea for the artist to look at.  Especially in Amsterdam.  The reason is because of the reputation that Amsterdam has of being really free in sexuality and even drugs.  So exploring what is considered private and public space is a great idea.  The interviewee in the picture looks to be uncomfortable and out of place.  Obviously, a bathroom is a private place.  You can see and even in someways feel the uncomfortable and awkwardness that is depicted in the picture.  I don’t know if the picture shown in the entire picture. However, I would loved to have seen more obvious features to show it’s in the bathroom, to expose a greater emphasis on an invasion on private space.  By showing the toilet seat more, having another person using the bathroom at the same time.  Maybe also show camera lights and everything surround the interviewee.  I see how this invasion of private space shows the concept of interventionism and how it gets between the status quo standards and suggests something new.  I know especially in America, people are very discreet in discussing such topics as bodily functions.  I know inside a men’s bathroom there is absolutely no talking.  I see how the picture is getting between a private time and space that a person is normally used to.  I do believe it did complete the task of an interventionist.  I just wished it could have been pushed a little bit to take more of a risk. 

Proposal Presentation

Power Point Presentation

Advertisement Photos Response

The advertisement that I liked the most is the first photograph with the “Wawa” sign on it.  I took this picture at the local Wawa gas station where I live in Gainesville.  This advertisement is about the gas pump where people go to fill up their tanks.  The advertisements is promoting the half gallon drinks that the gas station sells inside.  Alongside promoting a burrito for a person to eat and enjoy.  The advertisement is for anyone that comes by.  Both male and female. For any race.  However it is only geared towards people who are driving their cars.  I think the gas station was smart in placing the advertisement at the gas pump where people will see it while they are getting gas for their cars.  While customers are waiting for the gas to be pumped in their cars, they see the advertisement for food and drink.  During this period of waiting, it makes a customer reflect and think about what they see in the promotion picture.  At this particular gas station there are speakers playing audio advertisements that encouraging the customers to go in the gas station to buy some drinks and food.  And while hearing the audio and seeing the picture promoting the sale item, it reinforces and helps to convince the customer to get the item.  I also began to see that the items being sold fits are specific for a driver.  Having a small drink and/or burrito for a little snack for the drivers while they’re drivers.  The drivers on the road are not only people going to the street down the road, but some people could be traveling on vacation.  And the advertisement of a half gallon drink and a small burrito is a good snack to have for the road.  It’s a plan that serves to be easier for the customer to get food their than to drive extra miles to another place for food.  It helps to have everything in one place.  

Advertisement Pictures

Reading Response Chapter 2

I found it interesting how Gormick discusses about Erving Goffman and how he studies social behavior.  Goffman’s discoveries shows how we behave based off what we see from the media.  The reading mentions how a family acts on vacation.  That people act on a vacation based off what they have seen portrayed on media and different media images.  I found this interesting because different situations such as a family vacation is dictated by what people have seen from television or some other source of media.  In my mass communication class we discussed the cultivation theory that shows the effects of television and other media forms.  It concludes that it changes the perception they have of reality.  Gender roles are factored by social norms and rules.  However due to the rise of media that has also become a factor.  Advertisements depicted women as sex tools and inferior to men can affect how women see their role in society.  A man being shown as constant heroes and with masculine looks affects the same way for men.  Society does not impact the media, but media impacts society.  Throughout the article I learned that in advertisement showing a woman or a male is very important because it can have two different effects and meanings.  Even from the film watched in class, the narrator discussed the illusions that advertisements create.  Their goal is to make the audience think they are not complete or happy without what is advertised in their ad.  Having these men and women depicted in specific ways is supposed to create a comparison between them and the audience.  Making the audience become jealous for the “glamour” that is depicted.  For example, an advertisement promoting graduating from college can have different impacts.  Using a male can convey that graduating will give you superiority and have it feel serious.  Using a female can give a more emotional appeal to convey a message of encouragement to press through and achieve a college education.  In the reading from Gormick and from other sources I have heard is this constant creation of an illusion.  An illusion to drawn in the audience and I find this a hard concept.  The reason is because how does one properly balance making something look real but at the same time not crossing the line of it being a fantasy.  Having this in mind makes me think harder to wonder about how to properly portray a false reality without making it look too much like a fantasy.  And at the same time convincing the audience to believe it.  Guy Debord did have something that I found helpful and interesting.  “Division is presented as unity, and unity as division.”  At first glance I assumed it to be a contradiction, but I see it as a paradox.  I believe Guy Debord is discussing the balance that the opposite gives a situation.  Like the depiction of Yin and Yang.  I took from it as that in my advertisement, I should have a clear message.  At the same time have something that might look to contradict it but holds some form of truth.