Advertisements Objectives Advertisement has a structure, method of reading and discover the substance and meaning to be conveyed and

understood. The structure involves four distinct steps:

MANIPULATE (1) the different elements of an advertisement in terms of its literal content and artistic elements to get acquainted with the major rules of ad composition .

MANIPULATE (2) the advert in terms of how the designer used the principles of design to manipulate the content to provoke meaning.

ANALYZE the ad on the basis of what they have already discovered about the ad in the first two steps. They will consider not only the literal descriptions but also the emotional content and the use of symbols, colours, shots, the picture and its zones to arrive at the message or meaning in the ad.

INTERPRET the ad's worth based on the information they have gathered about it. Interpretations must be supported by what was learned through the "reading" process as they apply to established criteria. Approach How to "Read" an advertisement. The "reading" process is divided into four steps:

1. Manipulation (composition). In this step consider the literal content and artistic elements of the ad 2. Manipulation (analysis) In this step consider the most significant art principles that were used in the ad 3. Interpretation Based on what have learned so far about advertisements what do you think the designer is trying to say? 4. Judgment Explain what made the audience to feel so. Justify your opinion. A few guidelines to read an ad... The layout An ad is usually planned with great care and follows precise rules of composition. Typically the lay out of an ad is as follows:

The visuals It is looked at by 70%, it can be a photo, a drawing, a cartoon, a painting... the message conveyed by the visual depends on the way elements such as products/objects , characters, colours and shots are represented or chosen. Objects Three types: 1. The object as an epiphany or the "here I come" type The product advertised is coming on the market, it is, so to speak, revealed, announced to the public. The emphasis is not so much on the product but on the fact that it is a new one. 2. The self-sufficient object or the "here I am" type The product is world famous, it is generally presented in a very sober way and needs very little padding. 3. The object as a quality or the attribute type Here, the emphasis is not put on the product but on its quality: efficiency, beauty, luxury.. Characters Two types: 1. I'm looking at you The character is standing in front of the reader and looking at him straight in his eyes. It is as if he was called out. The attention is focused on the consumer. 2. You are looking at me The characters are looked at. We can see either their backs or their profiles. The attention is focused on the product. Shots Camera shots are identified by how much of an average sized person or persons are included. Long Shot A long shot shows at least the entire figure with enough space at the top and bottom of the frame so that the people do not appear cramped. A medium shot shows the people from his and her waist to above the head. Close Up

An extreme close up isolates only a portion of the person's head and is used for dramatic visual impact. This cinematic version of framing can be adapted to the needs of the still photographer, especially when planning a series of photographs. Angle/Level: Changing vantage point means taking another point of view or seeing from a different angle. A high vantage point provides this interesting bird's eye view of items. The camera now emphasizes the geometry of our scene rather than the objects within it. For a dramatically different angle, we can also look up at our subjects. There is obviously some distortion here, but this point of view will attract more attention then a straightforward eye level version. In a studio situation, where space is limited, you may have fewer choices. But in still life photography, for an make a remarkable difference in the appearance of the subject. In this product shot, the camera is looking down slightly at the boxes so their tops are visible. This camera position approximates a view a person might have if the boxes were seen on a counter top. The picture and its zones A picture, a photo is a way of shaping out reality and framing it in a format. Each medium has a specific format. A format is a world in itself, it has an horizon, the top part is the sky and the lower part the earth. The upper is the spiritual zone, the lower the material one.
Spiritual horizon Material

The world has a story : past, present and future. on the picture the zones representing the story are the following : PRESENT PAST FUTURE

Thus combining the two directions:

Past spirituality Future spirituality

Past materiality Graphic elements and zones

Future materiality

written signs on a format have different connotations according to their places in the different zones

Dominant zone

Foundation zone

Zone of arrival

Zone of departure

Balance zone

Z-reading Usually, when reading an ad, the eyes follow that direction:

catch point +

catch phrase

visual (photo or picture)

copy/ slogan

logo