Advertising Analysis -- Diesel "Be stupid"

According to Ferdinand de Saussure, the founder of semiotics, "any signs do involved a 'signifier' (codes and symbols) which represent a 'signified' (the associated meaning). An open kitchen is the background of advertisement. The main signifiers of the ad are one well-groomed couple and the wild balck bear. The girl is reading newspaper quietly, the boy is giving a welcome hand sign to the bear and the wild black bear is probably looking for food in the opened refrigerator.

The text 'SMART SAYS NO. STUPID SAYS YES.' is placed on the lower left corner of the advertisement, it can apparently bring out the messange of the ad. The connotation of this ad would be sometimes problem goes fine when people treat it in another way. In normal life, people would usually feel dangerous and scared while a wild black bear crashed into their house for food. While people are trying to protect themselves or get the bear away, they will usually hurt by the bear as the result. Now, the boy in the ad gives an indicative hand sign to the bear and it implies the meaning of 'go ahead' or 'feel free to grad some food you like', it may even make the situation totally different as the lady is still standing safely near the bear. Positive thinking changes the fact (Donald, 2005).

Image source: http:// adsoftheworld.com/media/print/diesel_jeans_be_stupid_7

References:

Donald. M, 2005, Advertising discourse: selling between the lines, 'Media discourse', Maidenhead, England: New Work: Open University Press, pp. 35-55

Thwaites. T, Davis. L & Mules. W, 2002, Ideology, 'Introducing cultural and meida studies', Palgrave, New York, pp.158-175

Certain types of media and media genres are more likely to use emotional rhetoric to engage audiences

The issues which are most likely to be addressed ‘emotively’ are universal and contingent emotion. Such a distinction is vital from the view point of the persuader, with his or her need to evaluate the audience’s situation and prepare accordingly. Both kinds of emotion are located along kind of emotional continuum, but whereas universal emotion connotes emotions common to humanity in general. For example, while there was earthquake in China, all people feel sad and sorry about it. As it is a natural disaster, the victims have no choice on it. Contingent emotion connotes their socially constructed manifestation. For instance, the victims in Lehman Brothers had actually a choice to prevent this misfortune, so not all people will feel pity and sorry for them. However, both universal and contingent emotions are colored by what is most or least valued within particular cultures, and are specific to particular societies and historical periods (Cockcroft & Cockcroft 2005, p.57).

Yes, I agree that certain types of media and media genres are more likely to use emotional rhetoric to engage audiences, because it is actually the easiest way to draw the audience’s attention. Pathos is the link between emotive source, persuader and audience constitutes ‘engagement’; and though individual experiences of emotion will vary, most of us can access a wider range of emotion through the power of imagination. For example, the use of powerful imagery creates empathy’. The media will usually use some sensitive terms to arouse all kinds of emotion in order to bring out more resonance and sympathy from the readers and to enhance the persuasion of their arguments (Cockcroft & Cockcroft 2005, p.17).

Reference:

Cockcroft. R & Cockcroft. S, 2005, Persuading People: an introduction to rhetoric, Second Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, U.S.A.