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The bigger picture that since the model is beautiful and sexy and she is portraying that; the company wants the viewer to feel of lesser status than of the model. Why would the company want the viewers to feel bad about themselves? This is why, if the viewer is having a low self-esteem day due to this ad, they might think, "If I want to be as cool and sexy as that model I obviously should buy the bathing suit she is wearing, and they are offering a sale so I see no reason not to." It might sound silly but it is completely true. The model is using her body and her location to sell the bathing suit, which may I add comes in over 600 styles. This deadly sin displayed is envy, and it is used to grab the viewer's attention and get them to buy the product.
By just passing this advertisement on the street one may say the intended audience could be anyone or maybe just girls, but if you dive into it, it is more broad than one would think. First off, the consumer has to realize that the brand is very popular and that is why most seek to buy it. The bathing suits being featured can be rather expensive, so it can seem the company is going for the upper middle class of the population. The advertisement also says the bathing suits are on sale. This is portraying that the consumer doesn't have to be the upper middle class, but if they buy them now the consumer can also be lower middle class and they can look like they are entitled to more money than they actually are. This deadly sin is avarice, the company wants the consumer to be greedy and buy all of their products, because that will lead to more power. Taking a first glance at any ad, you may not think it has any deadly sins, but look more closely and you may surprised of what you find.
First off I really like how you linked what the deadly sins were. Even though I already knew what they were it would be really helpful to those who didn't. I agree that the company is using her body to sell the clothing. It is becoming a more popular technique among many clothing companies. This technique is not only misleading, but has caused an even bigger issue of portraying to girls what they should look like. I agree with your audience, even though it can be typed as an 'elite' brand, having it be on sale targets the middle class as well. Great job! I really enjoyed reading your point of view!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marian, I really like how you brought together those three different sins (lust, envy, and avarice). I think it helps to show that everyone who comes into contact with this advertisement portrays a sin whether they know it or not. Like you said, the model is showing lust, the consumer with both envy and avarice, and also the company/producer with avarice. I also like the way that you interpreted who the audience may be, based on the brand and the bold word "sale". Good job, Marisa!
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