Entry 7

 

The second advertisement I choose was a Dorito's.  The advertisement depicts the food pyramid featured on a Dorito.  Right next to the pieces of pyramid say phrases such as "eat moderately, eat overly, eat sparingly".  Overall, I think it's an effective advertisement because I can honestly say, it makes me want a dorito.
    The advertisement is very symmetrical with the one dorito. The denotation is obviously the dorito.  The connotation is the camera directly above a single dorito.  It creates a good unity with just the logo and the dorito.  Dorito pieces also create one chip creating unity as well.  The texture of the dorito looks like the real texture of a dorito which makes it look appetizing.  Because their is only one dorito in the ad it provides emphasis on this one dorito.  The focal point is obviously the dorito which leads your eyes down to the logo.  Contrast is observed through the white stark background with the bright orange dorito.  This makes it look appetizing and pops the color.
    The cultural myths invoked in this advertisements are the ongoing obesity problem in the United States.  Eating food like this all the time causes extremely poor heath and is on the increase in our society.  The target audience is anyone that eats junk food or is tempted by these advertisements.  The relationship between the target audience and the myth is that people who enjoy junk food will see this advertisement and decides to go buy a bag of chips.  One bag of chips won't necessarily kill you, however if you keep bad habits and eat the wrong foods, it could be a danger to your health. The food pyramid on the dorito isn't necessarily a good example for children either. The character functions as a sign because it's a dorito and that is a junk food.  The story this advertisement tells about how happiness is achieved is how happiness is only a bag of chips away.  This advertisement plays off its audience's desires by tempting them with a big dorito on the page.

Entry 7

    This advertisement is typical Marc Jacobs.  The models are casually lounging yet looking beautiful and wearing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.  Yet the focus always ends up being the giant logo that screams Marc Jacobs.  Personally, when I look at these advertisements, I think of a piece of art.  This being one of his least high fashion advertisements.

    Overall, the advertisement is fantastic.  The asymmetrical unity is perfection with the models and surrounding landscape.  Everything looks like it should be there.  The colors are beautiful and unexpected.  The contrast of the bright , bold colors of the clothing compared to the dull/neutral colors of the background draws you in. The focal point is obviously the model's face which moves your eye downwards, straight to the Marc Jacobs logo.  The logo cuts right into the models feet signifying the importance of such a brand.  The type is classic, big and really lets you know who designs the apparel. The connotation of the advertisement is the camera angle of them sitting.  The denotation is obviously the models.

    There are several myths that invoke the advertisement.  The first is the stereotypical model look.  This seriously cripples our society as women and young girls are striving to be this perfect photo-shopped beauty.  The second myth our free market society's need to tell us to buy everything for our happiness.  The target audience of this advertisement is the women of our society that have an interest in fashion or those whom enjoy to look through a magazine.  The relationship between the audience and these myths are devastating and unfortunate.  Women believe they need to look like these women and lose confidence as this is how society tells us we should be.  With our wrong views on what happiness consists of, many go long ways to find happiness in spending rather than family or friends.  The characters function as signs as they are exactly what many wish to be.  This advertisement tells the story that material things and good looks is all that is needed to achieve a perfect happy life.  The audience's desires play off in this advertisement because it shows the need for material things.  The audience's fears can be predicted in this advertisement because many assume the need to be this model.

Entry 6

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate vegetarians.  I get it, the United States has disgusting meat.  If you don't want to shop around for good meat, cutting it out of your diet sounds ideal.  However, it somehow bothers me when someone calls themselves a vegetarian for animal rights and still somehow eats dairy and eggs.  Both of these are from animals that are exploited just as much as slaughterhouses.  If you buy grass fed dairy, that makes sense, but this isn't frequent at restaurants and such.  Why would you eat little fetuses but not any other meat considering eggs?  Free range eggs are still considered chicken. 

 

 

 

Cow: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.leehansen.com/printables/masks/images/cow-mask-coloring.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.leehansen.com/printables/masks/cow-mask.htm&usg=__FKlln9niAMKjeb6IXC3t9Es2UT0=&h=750&w=600&sz=20&hl=en&start=18&zoom=1&tbnid=QBmu9QXUmXFzSM:&tbnh=113&tbnw=90&ei=YvldTY2DJIGasAPz1bi_CA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcow%2Bhead%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D978%26bih%3D549%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C403&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=374&vpy=199&dur=513&hovh=113&hovw=90&tx=116&ty=157&oei=XfldTZz4G4yksQPTsvTTCA&page=2&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:18&biw=978&bih=549

Milk: http://tell.fll.purdue.edu/JapanProj/FLClipart/Nounsfood%26drink.html

Entry 5

This advertisement portrays cigarettes as the World Trade Center.   This is obviously a metaphor for cigarettes killing as many or more people than the World Trade Center attacks. The smoke burning off the frame leads your eyes to the cigarettes which then leads you to the logo.  I believe this is a creative way to design an advertisement because it adds an emotional appeal with the towers.  Overall, I think this advertisement is effective because it is a clever idea and because it creates pathos with 9/11 and death. Personally, I don't agree with this ad however, because realistically 9/11 and smoking are two completely different entities.  Smoking your entire life is a choice while dying in 9/11 was a tragedy.

Entry 4

For this entry, I decided to take a walk my dog around my block and see what I could find.  It's amazing how many signs there are around in my neighborhood that I don't notice ever.  The first symbol I came across was my dog's name collar.  One side of it has the symbol of a paw.  Next, I walked out into my garage and came across a restroom sign.  I have no idea why or who put this in the garage but it's regularity bores me.  I see a box of my boyfriend's car parts.  The symbol is words that are almost blended together.  This type was really interesting and I consider it a symbol.  I also see the logo of my truck, Chevrolet.  This symbol is a classic and is just simple/plain.  When I finally begin my walk, I am bombarded with signs.  The no parking during winter sign uses contrasting colors to show the seriousness of it.  A rental sign uses type colors of green and blue to signify the saving of money and happiness of buying a house.  Right next to it stands a Realtor sign that uses intriguing type with the "x" and colors of the flag to show it's all American business.  The infamous no parking sign uses the red cross through the P to show the demand of no parking.    I also come across a Southwest Protective sign that is bright yellow to catch one's attention.  I come across another real estate sign that uses the peaks to ensure it's local stance, not to mention the bright colors to emphasize.  A towing sign chooses to one again use the red and black to signify the demand or serious information labeled.  This also goes along with the stop sign.  The speed limit sign makes sure that the speed "25" is bigger than the speed limit type as to be easier to read for drivers.  The sign under it signifies no parking in the bike lane and the type is bright red to understand where the no parking is referring to. 

Entry 3

 I found this arrow on the lock of my door.  It's use is obviously to determine which way to turn the lock. I don't find this arrow necessary, however it does help the two seconds of trying to lock the door.

 This is my oven.  The arrows are used to crank up or down the temperature of the oven obviously.  I find these arrows necessary and extremly helpful.  I don't really know how I would set the temp without them. 

 The Nintendo 64 remote is a necessary part of my house.  These arrows help direct my game playing significantly as they move towards the direction they're pointing.  Without these arrows, it would be difficult to get around while playing Mario Kart I would imagine.

 These arrows are on my T.V. I actually don't know what it means by operate, but I can only assume it means to move something left and right.

 I choose my T.V. remote because it has multiple arrows.  All of the arrows are directional, up or down, left or right. 

 There is arrows on top of this prescription bottle.  The arrows signify direction telling you to open to bottle counter clockwise.

 I've never noticed this arrow before because I haven't really examined a fire hydrant.  But I like how the arrow goes through the type to show the direction to open it.

 One again, another directional arrow.  I like the colors of this sign and also how the type is inside the arrow.

 Directional arrow.  This signifies a one way street.  These signs are boring, we should spice them up a bit.

These are also directional arrows,  they enforce the rules of the road as well.

 This  piece isn't necessarily an arrow.  However I viewed it as an arrow pointing upwards.  It's use is clearly decoration.

 This is the logo on my water heater.  I don't really understand why there is an arrow there other than it looks cool on the y?

 The dirt devil also has an arrow for its logo.  I believe it is supposed to be a devil's tail, but it looks like an arrow to me.

 This is a tea packet, the arrow at the top signifies the direction to tear the bag.

 The Ross price tag has an arrow to signify their price versus the price offered at other stores.  I think this is a clever way to advertise their lower prices.

 This isn't necessarily an arrow, however when I first saw it i recongnized the value to be an arrow. The water drops get bigger as it goes up and becomes a design that kind of points.

 This is the symbol on my recycling bin.  This symbol signifies that this is the recycling bin rather then the trash can.  It's interesting that the arrows signify the reuse of recyclables.

 These arrows are from my air conditioning buttons in my car.  They signify the direction of the air conditioning to blow.

 

Lastly, I found these arrows in my garage.  These arrows are referring to the recommended panel spacing.

As the article says, considering the arrow was one of the first symbols used by humans, we use it frequently.  It's amazing how many different uses we have for them today.  Identifying location and direction, reinforce rules, etc.  Overall, arrows are an important symbol used by every culture and are extremely necessary.

Entry 2

The fire extinguisher is obviously a very literal sign.  It shows exactly what a fire extinguisher is meant to do; put out a fire.  I believe this has a good sense of unity because all the pictures have a purpose that add to the overall meaning of the sketch.  The emphasis on the extinguisher being used promotes the focal point.  

The janitor's closet sign is again a very obvious sign.  I decided this would be a good way to design the sketch because it has a certain symmetry about it that is appealing.  It creates a great focal point as it is equal in dominance.  

The exit sign sketch I have created was meant to be a person waving and walking therefore leaving.  Although it is asymmetrical, it has a clear focal point.  I also believe  the arrow and the waving person create a distinctive unity that goes extremely well together.  

Since the parking garage sign we currently have is simply a circle around a p, I thought of a more literal stance of a parked car in a square would do the trick.  The focal point is obviously the car, which I believe is an easy enough sign to assume a parking garage.  The unity of the sketch is simple because it is only one object.

I've never been in an executive washroom, however I think its safe to assume that whomever gets access to it has to wear heels or a tie to work.  This sketch is quite literal as all my others, but I think it clearly signifies the executive.  I tried to create contrast with the striped tie.  The sketch creates one focal point obviously and unifies the item.  

For the restrooms, I was planning on doing long hair for women, short hair for men.  However, this was a difficult point to make as men have long hair, women have short hair.  I think this sketch was the hardest for me because gender issues are iffy.  Even the sign we have for restrooms now is iffy.  So I choose to sketch underwear, because I would laugh if I saw a sign like this.  Although not every man wears boxers, I hope that more wear these then whitey tighteys.  I tried to make the sketch pop with the contrast and variety of the patterns on both sets of undies.

Entry 1

If I were to describe myself in symbol form, I would have to pick a hat.  Fashion is something that has been a rapidly increasing interest of mine since i was younger. I also believe that fashion is a great way to capture a person's uniqueness and allows to to be one step closer in understanding who one is.  I choose a fedora to represent my love of fashions because hats are my favorite piece of clothing to buy and wear.  Why hats you ask?  Simply because hats throw together any outfit perfectly and I have a hat for every occasion.  Hats allow me to accessorize  to a point to the mood I am in for the day.  If I'm in a happy mood, I'll wear my favorite fedora, if I'm in a sad mood, I'll wear an over sized beanie.   At this point, I have a million hats and they're not only for my bad hair days. 

If I were to be assigned a symbol as people view me, I'd have to say I'd pick a world.  I don't mean this as people think I am the world to them, but I think I'm viewed as being in my own world about seventy percent of the time.  By this I don't mean that I don't like socializing or anything, just that I am constantly thinking or in my head.  There are definitely pros and cons to being so extremely interpersonal.  I think pro wise, I think things over entirely too much.  On the cons side, I can be seen as quiet until someone knows me because I analyze situations to the extreme.  When a stranger sees me, I assume this is how I look like as when I walk anywhere I make sure to have my over sized Ray

 Bans with headphones and a hat of course.

Photo Resources:

Fedora: thegloss.com , Goorin Brothers Fedora

Planet X: thedailygalaxy.com