Sample Ad Analysis

Using the steps for conducting a semiotic analysis outlined in the Semiotics Handout as the foundation for your argument, write a short, 200-300 word analysis of a women's fashion advertisement from a current magazine.

Preparation for this assignment requires the following:

1.) Locating an appropriate advertisement
2.) Going through the steps for conducting a semiotic analysis as outlined in the above-mentioned handout

After completing the steps, your posting should include the following:

1.) A thesis statement
2.) A short but detailed description of the ad
3.) An analysis of the ad that includes some of the details/discoveries that you made while completing the steps

The following is a sample response to the above assignment:

By depicting beautiful and successful women as white, thin, and submissive, high-fashion advertisements promote racist, sexist, and classist ideologies. An ad for Calvin Klein featured in a recent issue of W magazine is an apt example. In this ad, a young, attractive, and apparently wealthy thin white woman with dark blonde hair is sitting hunched over on the edge of a bed in an upscale home, peering down at the ground. Virtually expressionless, she appears to be either drunk or drugged, and her body posture suggests that she is vulnerable. This posture, as well as the dark colors of the ad, create a mood that is both depressive and mournful, almost as if the woman in the ad is, was, or is about to be the subject of some kind of abuse.

This ad bears resemblance to a number of other ads from the same magazine. Such companies as DKNY, Neiman Marcus, Piazza Sempione, Earl Jean, TSE, and Echo have full-page ads that feature thin, white upper-class women in both submissive and provocative poses. Given the overwhelming similarity of these ads, it's clear that high-fashion advertisers are in the business of promoting more than just products, namely images of beauty and success. The problem, of course, is that these images depict women as submissive (if not abused) objects, not to mention that they define beauty and success as "white and thin."

This definition of beauty and success has unfortunate social consequences. High-fashion ads such as those mentioned above, by associating beauty and success with such traits as "white," "thin," and "submissive," promote not only unhealthy and unrealistic images of beauty but class divisions based on racial priority. The message, in short, is that only Caucasian women are successful, and for these women, success is predicated on an ability to appear as a submissive, sexual object.

Following the Steps
The above response was composed after completing the steps outlined in the semiotics handout. Here is the information I generated while following these steps:

Establish the sign to be decoded
I will be analyzing an advertisement for Calvin Klein found in a recent issue of W magazine.

Set aside your opinion
Done.

Define/categorize the sign
Judging by the image, and from what I already know of fashion advertisements, this ad for Calvin Klein falls into the category of "haute couture," or "high fashion."

Determine what the sign means (analysis of images, language, etc.)
In this ad, a young (20-24), attractive, and thin white woman with dark blonde hair is sitting hunched over on the edge of what appears to be a bed, peering down at the ground. She is dressed in a relatively short black evening dress, and she is wearing black heels. Given the fact that her right foot is arched and pushed slightly forward, I am assuming that she is looking at her shoes. Her face is virtually expressionless, and it seems as if she is either drunk or drugged. In either case, her lack of expression and body posture suggest that she is in some way vulnerable. Where is she? What is she doing? Although the use of muted brown makes the background of the ad difficult to discern, she appears to be in the bedroom of an upscale home (hard wood floors, cherry doors, etc.). Perhaps it's the end of the night, and she's just beginning to settle in. Perhaps she was at a party and wandered off. Regardless, it's clear that she is part of the upper crust of society.

Looking back at the ad as a whole, its dark colors as well as the expression and posture of the model create a mood that is at once depressive and mournful, almost as if the figure in the ad is (or was) the subject of some kind of abuse.

Finally, although not visible from the scanned copy, the ad contains a minimal amount of text, located on a white background below the ad. Just below the bottom right edge of the photograph, it reads, in poetic form, "Barcelona / Bilbao / Dallas / Dubai / New York / Paris / Seoul / Singapore." And slightly further down but in larger lettering, it reads, "Calvin Klein." The implications here are manifold. First, these cities are noted as fashion centers. Second, and more importantly, the language of the ad implies that Calvin Klein's importance and influence is by all accounts global. And when you consider what this advertisement suggests, Calvin Klein's influence is questionable at best.

Establish a set of signs (books, ads, films, etc.) related to the sign you are decoding
In the first case, this ad was part of a series of ads from Calvin Klein featuring the same woman. In the other ads, she is also dressed in black clothing. At the same time, however, the other ads have her featured in considerably more provocative poses. In one ad, for example, she is lying on a bed with her eyes closed; she is dressed in nothing more than black heels and black pantyhose, and her hands are covering her breasts. It can be assumed, of course, that this is the same bed she was sitting on the edge of in the previous ad. Now, however, she is nearly naked.

These ads also bear some kind of resemblance to a number of other ads from the same magazine. Such companies as DKNY, Neiman Marcus, Piazza Sempione, Earl Jean, TSE, and Echo have full-page ads that feature thin, white upper-class women in both submissive and provocative poses. Given the overwhelming similarity of these ads, it's clear that "high fashion" advertisers are in the business of selling specific images of beauty and success. The problem, of course, is that these images depict women as submissive (if not abused) objects, not to mention that they define beauty and success on racist and sexist terms.

This specific image of beauty and success is not, however, confined to these advertisements. Similar images of women can be found in non-fashion ads, television shows, movies, and music videos.

Point out the differences and similarities between the sign and related signs
I have already discussed some of the similarities among high-fashion advertisers, but it's interesting to note that advertisements for everything from alcohol to cars promote like-minded images of women. In these ads, the women might not always be depicted as successful, but the majority of them feature thin, white, and seemingly submissive women.

Sketch the overall context (historical, cultural, and political) in which the sign appears
Historically, Calvin Klein is known as a controversial figure. His ads from 1995 that featured young models in provocative poses blurred the line between photography and pornography. It should come as no surprise then that this ad is designed to raise more than a few eyebrows. Beyond the obvious call for attention, however, the ad is also part of a culture that values style over substance, surface over depth, image over word, and profit over social benefit.

Develop a list of questions, concerns, and/or issues that will guide your analysis

Develop a focus (thesis) statement
By depicting beautiful and successful women as white, thin, and submissive, high-fashion advertisements promote racist, sexist, and classist ideologies.