TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis

The description of the advertisement

After reading a few articles in "Signs of Life," one can't help but realize that advertisements play a major role in shaping western cultures. In any commercial or magazine ad, it is clear as day that this ad is being propped as more than a basic personal hygiene item by the production companies. This is apparent to anyone who observes the advertisement (Sturrock, 1979). The advertisement consists of a relatively open and fresh environment with an occupancy sign. All in all, this particular advertisement proves that Steinem's theory that sex and lies in advertisements has become an epidemic in modern times.

Steinem's theory is most evident in this ad where this ad advertisements are commonly placed. First off, this advertisement was strategically positioned in the middle of the magazine to maximize recognition. Also, this ad is a male audience based magazine, thus making the advertisement obvious at first sight that the airline is intended for. Now when we start analyzing the advertisement, the first thing that we can easily spot is the sign that says: "Occupancy by more than 5 persons is dangerous and unlawful."

Anyone can see that the advertisement is geared toward men. However, there are none present. In "Masters of Desires" by Jack Solomon, he wrote “America is a nation of fantasizes… easily enthralled by a veritable Fantasy.” To simply explain this, Solomon is trying to say that Americans are easily manipulated by the fantasy they see on TV and it is obvious that this is exactly what the this ad Company is attempting to do in their ad as well. They purposely leave the shower empty in the advertisement so the potential male consumers can fantasize about themselves being pleasured by a group of women in the shower.

This advertisement not only uses the lustful fantasies to bully male consumers into buying the product, but they also use one of the oldest and most effective technique: fear. Solomon writes in his article that all human beings are constantly afraid of being socially unacceptable. This ad here is imposing a fear that if you do not use Lynx, you will not become part of the norm and not become socially accepted among women.

Sex in advertising has been a main theme for much of the 21st century in American advertising so far (Sless, 1986). It seems like all we see these days are advertisements which utilize the human body and sexuality to sell all kinds of products from food to cars and the Lynx is no exception. It is virtually impossible to tune into any type of media these days and not encounter some type of an advertisement which uses sexuality to sell its product. Most of the time sexuality and the use of the product in the real world setting are irrelevant, but as studies in the last few decades have proven, if sexual connotation is placed upon the a certain product, then that product has a much higher chance of success in ...