Referring to Sturken and Cartwright's discussion, "Addressing the Consumer," describe how the above advertising image "interpellates" or calls a viewer to occupy the subject position constructed by the ad. (Please click on image to view larger size)
If within a consumer society, the purpose of the advertisement is no longer to sell products, but rather "lifestyle and identification with brand names and corporate logos" (S&C: 198), what ideas, qualities and/or beliefs are associated with this clothing brand? In what ways can the ad be read as contradictory in terms of its appeal to the potential consumer?
12 comments:
The advertising images provided employed the concept of interpellation through their use of text. By leaving blank space at the end of statements like "Create your own..." or "Make your own..." the ad is inviting the viewer to fill in their own answer, following the given example. The font between the styles of text also seems to imply individuality by switching from a standard print to what appears like handwriting "in an attempt to humanize" or personalize. Another mode of address that can be considered is the use of expression offered by the subjects photographed. They both seem to challenge "you" in both a direct and indirect fashion, but then in both cases becomes direct when the text is read.
The reading references a cultural theorist name Thomas Frank know for saying that advertising during the 1960s was used to give proper voice to the new generation of that time and to attach the connotation of "coolness" to products. I believe these ads do just that.
Gap actually has a few lines of clothing that are targeted toward certain age groups, but over all i would say that GAP offers a sort of casual style, but more so like most other commodities they seek to offer individualism. This notion of uniqueness of expression that ads try to provide and in this case GAP, will almost always be false. The very idea that a mass produced product can make any one person different from another is entirely paradoxical.
Pseudoindividuality is the false idea of individuality and this is the concept that these ads are giving to us.
The GAP advertising images interpellate the viewer by showing the man and woman wearing stylish clothes represented through their pose looking straight at the camera, as if he/she is aware of the viewer. If you look at the girl with a hand on her hip, dark eye make-up, tilting her head a bit downward, looking straight at the camera, and wearing all black. That image and pose alone, communicates to the viewer and targeted consumer that if you want to look as good as her, shop at GAP and make it possible. The text added with the image makes the message complete, as it says, “Create your own ______” – with ‘sound’ filled in the blank. This would indicate that every potential consumer has the opportunity to create their own unique style at GAP and still looking up to date with current trends, giving the viewer the message that this outfit advertised could also be theirs, fulfilling the idea of interpellating.
In connecting a relationship between the GAP advertisements displayed and consumer society, there is an association with identifying the representation of trends and acceptance of uniquenss. The ideas that are received through the ads are to wear GAP clothes is to ‘in’ with style, social standing, and etc; that to buy clothes from a popular store will get you accepted in your sense of style. It lures to think that you can actually look better, feel better and higher your social standing by wearing these clothes. But in contrast, as implied by Sturken and Cartwright, these ads can also be advertising pseudoindividuality - ‘a false idea of individuality’. It would represent pseudoindividuality because even if the ad advertises to potential consumers that they all have a chance to look unique at GAP, they also could potentially look the same if purchasing the same jacket, shirt, pants as one another. How would that be individuality?
The ads displayed on the blog call the audience to put themselves into the position of the models because of the tagline associated with it. Both taglines are phrased along the lines of the consumer being in control. From an advertising standpoint, the company looks very smart because they are appealing to what all consumers want; choice. They’re offering something that no matter what, you’ll be able to take the clothes we sell and create whatever kind of lifestyle you desire. However, these ads do pose problems to the consumer.
Although they promise individuality and freedom of expression, they aren’t going to be able to provide consumers with enough variety to let them be fully unique. The other problems with the ads are both with the models and the actual clothing they’re wearing. Both of them are white, both are wearing similar clothing, both appear to be from the same age group. Given that all ads have a target audience this would work, but the slogans tagged to the ads, makes it seem as if the clothes are reserved for a certain group. There is hardly any differentiation between what the man and woman are wearing. So it doesn’t seem all that individualistic, or at least tolerant of the consumer being a unique person, which is exactly what they’re trying to push.
The most evident way of interpellation in these ads it through the text within them. The phrases are aimed to connect with the viewer. The use of word like "your" and "own" give the ad a personalized feel for the viewer. The ad is telling the viewer it knows what they want and is pushing them to be individualistic by the context of the text within the ad. It is also interesting that in these ads the phrases are ended with a filled in blank which seems to say that you can do anything. That "can do" attitude reinforces the message to the viewer that this ad is appealing to them alone and not lumping them into the masses.
In response to what ideas, qualities or beliefs that are associated with theses ads, there can be many interpretations. The producers are displaying an image that associates itself with a non-conforming lifestyle. Creating your own lifestyle that pertains only to you is what the ad is saying to the viewer. However, this can be seen as contradictory. Even though the ad is appealing this way to the viewer and the message is one of all for individualism, the producers are really saying, "by my product."
Jacob Rengstorf
The ads of these models “interpellates” with the viewer from both its text and image components. First the model is directly looking into the camera and the frame allows for a great view of the unique outfit. This potentially makes the viewer imagine himself/herself in that type of clothing via the frame and the model looking directly at the viewer. The text, “make up your own” and “create your own”, suggests many options of cloths and gives the viewer a sense of being able to connect with the ad by again persuading the viewer to imagine themselves in this outfit or clothing brand or something like this that fits their lifestyle.
With this particular clothing brand it seems as if these particular ads sell not really the specific outfits displayed, but more of a clothing line that has many options. The text seems to suggest a vast array of possibilities at GAP that fit many preferences and styles, seeming to attempt to reach multiple demographics. The idea of many clothing options gives the GAP consumer a sense that he or she can find at GAP a freedom of self expression and individualism. It is contradictory in the sense that it expresses such individuality however they try to convince you that their clothing brands are the answer to your individuality.
-Andrew Fleckenstein
The Images create this illusion of individuality as expressed by the tag line "Create your own______" This type of advertising asks for the consumer to fill in their own description of what they want to be. Through this the company is essentially making the consumer believe that he or she can buy individuality. This is an interesting contradiction because individuality would imply that they are unique, one of a kind but most companies do not make individualized clothes. They're selling a product and they'll sell more or less of something based on its popularity. So no store can really make their customers unique.
This type of advertising also gives the false impression that something unique is actually bought in the store. But individuality doesn't stop with clothes it comes down to even the attitude, personality of an individual. So through this type of marketing the advertisement is essentially changing the definition of the individual. Another way that the article creates this illusion of individuality is but having the tagline "create your own" written in a normal font while the description appears a if its hand written by its own unique individual. It is interesting to see that today the individual is the new conformist.
These ads interpellate viewers through the use of an open ended tagline. By leaving the end of the tagline as a fill in blank space it forces the consumer to ask himself or herself what he/she would put there. The consumer knows how the person in the ad would fill in the blank, but the consumer has to become the person in the ad in order to fill in the blank with their own word. This is how the viewer comes to recognize himself or herself in the subject position offered by the product (GAP clothing). By designing an ad like this, GAP is trying to make their products seem unique, as if they were designed with each specific consumer in mind. The ads make the consumer believe that he/she will be an “individual” if he/she buys the product. This is contradictory because it gives the consumer a false feeling of individuality, otherwise known as pseudoindividuality. It's contradictory because it tells the viewer that he or she will become unique by buying a piece of a mass produced clothing line.
Nick LaVake
These advertisements for the Gap interpellates the viewer is a few different ways. First of all, both the male and female model stares directly into the camera as if they were staring directly through the page to the consumer. By looking unswervingly forward the models demand that you see them, look into their eyes and in doing so, the viewer is engaged in whatever product they are selling. Also, by using the opened ended statements like “create your own_____” and “make your own_____”, the advertisements invite input, connecting the viewer even more to the ad. The ad also uses handwriting instead of typed text to fill in these blanks insinuating that the models have filled in these blanks. Perhaps this helps the viewer/consumer identify even more with the people in the ads in the sense that they too could fill in that blank. With these ads the viewer is called to take an envious subject position. Females desire to look like the female model and vice versa for the males. Incidentally, I do find it interesting that the words chosen to fill in the blank spaces on each ad, sound and philosophy, have nothing to do with clothing. It seems as though the ad is trying to make you forget all together that they are selling clothes, instead just giving the potential consumer a friendly reminder to be an individual and make/be/create their own whatever, and when you do, you might as well do it at the GAP because they like that sort of thing.
These ads do have a contradictory tone to them, While the ads praise individuality as something to be desired, the GAP is a huge corporation that only turns a profit if many many people buy the same items of clothing. While the ad champions individuality, the company clearly doesn’t want you to go out and “make your own clothes”, just your own philosophy, something they can’t sell.
Lisa Casper
The ads each show a picture of a person presumingly wearing GAP clothing. They then put on top of these images text that says "Make up Your Own...Philosophy..." and "Create Your Own...Sound..." There are many ways that this adresses the viewer. First off is the use of "your" in the text. This makes it so the ad is speaking directly to you. Then, by making the last word of the text hand written in it recalls Mad Libs. Mad Libs are set up as stories or statements which can be personalized by whoever wants to participate. They put the reader front and center just as the ads hope to do. As for the picture element, in both pictures the models are against blank backgrounds as stare ahead, almost right at the viewer. By making sure the focus is on the person looking at you the viewer is engaged in a much more personal one on one nature then if they had been out of a studio or if there had been more than one person.
The ads seem marketed right at the middle class. The people are good looking 20-something white people. They are well groomed and dressed. I think it is especially interesting how the male model is said to be making "his own philosophy" and they have him dressed in things that seem to convey a sort of stylish intellectualism. Specifically I'm talking about the scarf and the sports jacket. Even his styled to be messy hair and 4 o'clock shadow seem to place him in this hip "intellectual" world.
The contradiction in this ad is that while the Mad Lib inspired set up is meant to imply individualism the fact is that the blank has already been filled out. You're not really given a choice in the wording just like you're not really given a choice in the clothing. if you want GAP clothes you can be as individual as you want as long as you pick from their limited selection.
-John Olsen
These ads interpellate by speaking to our commodity selves. They tell us that these products are an important way to express ourselves, and that buying these products will boost our individuality. This is done through the text in the ads. The ads imply that the writing in the blank at the end of the sentence is that of the models. The ads make us feel that we can insert a small piece of ourselves into that blank space, just like the model. This effectively places us in the ad's subject position. The ads also interpellate by implying that the product (in this case, clothing) is very important to the world, and will be essential to our lifestyle. While the product is actually of little importance in the long run, this device works “because ads create and speak in a world of fantasy” (S&C 208). This feeling of fantasy also helps pull us into the subject position, into the fantastic world contained in the ad.
According to these ads, the image and lifestyle that GAP sells is that of casual glamour and creativity. By saying “Create your own….” and “Make up your own….”, the ad tries to tell us that everyone has their own individual sense of creativity, and buying GAP clothes will help bring that out. The contradiction is in the fact that everyone else will be buying those same clothes. So in reality, the individuality offered by these ads is canceled out.
The advertising images calls the viewer to occupy the subject position in several ways. The first would be the text in the image, it leaves an open ended statement that the viewer is free to fill in, in whatever way that suits them. This way they can embody he add as themselves. Another tactic these adds employ is the context they are put in. They are presumably put in fashion magazines targeted at a younger demographic, especially since they are Gap ads. Both adds have young people in them which are easily more identifiable with for the target consumer audience. Both adds feature models looking straight at the camera which draws the audience in as well as asks the audience a question without really asking anything, by use of the open ended tag-line. These adds appeal to the audience by drawing them in and subsequently makes them consider the product being sold.
The ideas, qualities, and beliefs associated with the Gap brand seem to by typically of independence or individuals bucking the trend. Both of these adds show people, by themselves. This says that they think for themselves and don't follow the crowd. The tag-lines in both adds augment to this by leaving a free, open interpretation, to personalize the add, it says everyone is unique, and people become individuals by buying the Gap brand. This is where the contradiction comes into play. Not all these people are true individuals by buying Gap brand. They are no longer unique by trying to express themselves with Gap products as many other people are also trying to achieve the same goal.
By using "Hand writing" in their add GAP is trying to sell the idea of individuality. However, being that GAP is a large corporation which mass produces it's product all over the world the idea of wearing there garments to find uniqueness is completely hypocritical I.E. Pseudoindividuality. Also by using young, beautiful people who could probably looking smoking hot in anything GAP is trying to sell the idea that "if I by this, I too will be beautiful" which of course is absolutely unrealistic and unfortunate as young people will end up spending more money on clothes they don't need instead of investing or saving up for all the bills they'll have to pay in the future. However I have learned in many circles it is better to be a well dressed, broke ass dead beat. Than it is to be a financially stable average joe with *Gasp* average clothes.
This indicates to me that those who feed off consumers (GAP, A&F) and who've learned to market identity, have found the foot hold that every retailer dreams of. (We don't know who we're going to be. We'll pay anything not to have to do the hard living required to find out.) These corporations will have a solid business foundation until the day everyone realizes what true individuality and uniqueness are.
Kelly Pelot
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