OMG!! Hilarious!

I don't know if any of you have seen this video. It appeared on perezhilton.com today, and I just cried when I watched it. This is beautiful and so funny! But it also shows that media definitely affects us since our earliest days. Enjoy!

Cinematic Truth and Curiously Strong Mints

For the last several years Altoids has been running highly-stylized print ads that draw on cinematic motifs of the 1950s and 1960s. Playing on the classic themes and situations of early films and television these retro-fit ads seem more absurd than nostalgic; a mode of production in which the denotations are alienated from their connotations, forcing them to negotiate the mechanisms of imagery. This is largely due to the lighting (which is cinematic) and the color (which is unnatural and clearly the result of post-production.)

The use of these "elements" not as subtle processes of design but as deliberate mechanisms of image production force us to consider the narrative "truth" of this image on several different levels and modes of reality. First there is the construction of a social myth (the tableau of a boy being caught masturbating by his mother), secondly there is the re-construction of a certain era or cultural sensibility (that being/ belonging to the 1950s and 60s) and lastly there is the appropriation of these two modes by the advertising industry for use in another context entirely.

Cloverfield

One of last summer’s blockerbusters was Cloverfield. A reason why it was so popular is because of the unconventional way the film was shot. The movie was shot in each main characters’ first person point of view. The whole movie was suppose to mimic sequences of footage shot by a handheld recorder as the characters flee through Manhattan from the unknown creature that is attacking them. The movie was also edited for rhythm, each segment is pieced together, beginning and ending abruptly to mimic a footage of unedited, homemade video. Again, to make the film appear to have been recorded by characters experiencing madness and escaping from peril, most of the movie is shot in tilting movements to imitate the characters running while filming. The movie mostly takes place during the night, so for parts of the movie, the lighting and color (green in quality) mimic the “night vision” function of most handheld recorders. Furthermore, the movie is filled with many nonliteral sounds that are usually edited out in most movies. The scratchy sounds of the shuffling of the camera, the “ding” sound of pressing the “record” button and the whipping sound of wind as the characters run around all contribute to the unconventional effects of this movie.

Here is a trailer of the movie:

Editing for Rhythm in Delicatessen

The editing rhythm in this scene from "Delicatessen" is definitely an example of, as "Analysis of Production Elements" puts it, the "music of the image." The editing is dependent on the rhythm of the squeaking (which is made by the butler). This symbolizes the dependence of the characters on the butcher who are doing daily acts in accordance with the squeaking. The squeaking represents the butler, who provides the only source of food in the town, making the noise. 

Each duration of the shot mimics the rhythm: the first shot is very slow-moving and lasts very long while the girl uses the squeaking as her metronome for the scale she plays on the cello. This long shot creates suspense and desire. 

As the squeaking gets faster, so do the actions of the people and the editing. The "rapidly edited shots build tension, indicate urgency, and create a rushed atmosphere." This urgency indicates that something is wrong which is represented by the following symbolism: The other characters following the rhythm are also trying to drown out the sound. Their act represents the characters' dislike of the butcher. However, they must still deal with the sound by covering it up, just like they must deal with the butcher, regardless of their opinion of him, because he is their only source of food (the world is in a famine). Ultimately, they are dependant on him just as their actions are dependent of his squeaking. At the end of this scene, all of the characters face their limit and either break their cello's string or fall from the ceiling, etc. which foreshadows their impending rage against the butler.

"I Sawr Him. I Know It Was Him."

In the book Atonement, author Ian McEwan uses the driving force of POV as a catalyst for the dramatic change that occurs in the characters' lives. For those who have not read the book or seen the film version, I will give a short synopsis:

Younger, imaginative, precocious sister has a crush on gardener. Gardener loves the older, wiser, level-headed sister. Younger sister sees gardener and older sister doing it. Younger sister thinks it is rape. Later, a house guest is actually raped by someone. Younger sister with the crazy imagination concludes that it is the gardener and becomes a tattle-tale. Gardener is sent to war to fight. Love is put on hold. Lives change forever. Everyone cries and some people die.

I should win a Pulitzer for that.

Anyways, if you haven't seen the movie, go and see it because it is so good. I have the DVD; you can totally borrow it.


Director Joe Wright is brilliant at employing POV in order to heighten the effect of Briony's imagination. In the first few scenes of the film, Wright uses the first person POV when we see an incident through the eyes of Briony:


The audience sees what she sees and we immediately see her own reaction to what she had just seen. We can interpret what she is thinking through her facial expressions: confusion, intrigue, gossip, etc.

Later on, Wright employs the omniscient POV to inform the audience of the reality of the situation:


In these screenshots, the camera work is subtle and always still, to give the impression that we are observing what is going on. Thus, as the article stated, we are given "a comprehensive exposure to the people and events depicted in the work" (208).

Here is the clip of that scene:

Atonement - Fountain Clip | Movies & TV | SPIKE.com

In the middle of the movie, Wright also employs the second person POV during Briony's testimony:



In this scene, the camera goes from third-person POV to second-person POV. We take the role of the interrogator and Briony tells us that she, in fact, "sawhrrr him."

"You sawhhrr him? You know it was him?"
"I sawhrr him. Yes, I sawhrr him with my own eyes."

Finally, I want to refer to the ending of the film, which I considered to be an amazing final scene. In my intepretation, I viewed it as utilizing first-person and second-person and third-person POVs, because we were observing the interview, experiencing older Briony's thoughts and viewing her reasoning while we simultaneously take on the role of the interviewer hearing her confessions.


In this riveting, final scene, we see the transition from third-person POV to second-person POV when the area around Briony's visage turns to pitch black and when she is, of course, looking straight into the camera as if staring at us. Thus, we take on the role of the interviewer as if she were answering our question.

This final scene uses a camera shot which the article mentions called the gaze (207). We see the scene transition from second-person POV to first-person POV when Briony confesses to fabricating things for the sake of a happy ending for Robbie & Cecilia and sharing her general feelings about her past. As the scene progresses and cuts to Briony, the shot's proximity lessens and lessens until we are left a fierce close-up of her face. Indeed, she is talking to us and she is exposing her "mental state."

Camera Movement - Bonnie and Clyde

According to "Analysis of Production Elements", "Camera movements establish the relationship between the camera, the subject, and the viewer" (234). In the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, the final execution scene of the two main protagonists is famous for its progressive brutality and gore. The scene is also notable because it uses different cameras set at different speeds to capture the action taking place. The use of different camera speeds conveys conflicting messages of realism and romanticism to the viewer.

Bonnie and Clyde, played by Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, are bank robbers in love. Throughout the movie (which takes place during the Great Depression), they have stolen and killed their way through the American Midwest and have earned themselves a top spot on the Most Wanted list. At the end of the film, they are set up to be executed by the police. Most of the action starts about halfway through the clip.



The differing speeds at which this scene is shot reveals the complex elements surrounding Bonnie and Clyde's downfall. The events portrayed on camera are in 'real time' until Bonnie and Clyde look at each other and realize what is about to happen. Then, the screen cuts back and forth between the two rather quickly and unevenly. In this manner, Bonnie, Clyde, and the viewer all figure out what is happening at the same time. There is almost a resistance from the audience because there is a general instinct for dramatic moments, such as two lovers seeing each other for the last time alive, to be drawn out in films. However, it appears that the director, Arthur Penn, is trying to remind everyone that real life action doesn't really happen that way by deciding to use these camera techniques.

We are thrown back into "real time" once the shooting begins. Then, the reverse effect occurs - the camera slows down certain shots in order to dramatize the violence. The article states that "media communicators sometimes use slow motion to create a romantic or poetic mood." The slowing down of the action here definitely adds an artistic element to Bonnie and Clyde's deaths, especially Clyde's. Due to the effects of the camera, his fall is portrayed as somewhat graceful, like a perfectly choreographed dance. However, just when the audience gets used to the slow shots, the movie kicks back into gear, and Clyde's death doesn't seem so beautiful anymore as he is showered in bullets.

There are many different ways to analyze this violent scene because of the unique use of camera speed. Many filmmakers still debate as to whether this scene criticizes violence or valorizes it. Either way, through the use of camera movements, Bonnie and Clyde shows how a seemingly simple event can have many complex factors.

Br00tal Grind(house)

The double feature Grindhouse from 2007 is a really fantastic example of a lot of things described in the Silverblatt, Ferry, & Finan chapter we read, but I'm going to talk a bit about lighting, since it seems to be one of the main differences between the two films.

Planet Terror, directed by Robert Rodriguez, is basically a standard zombie movie, and fitting with that genre has an incredibly dark vibe to it. The movie is shot almost entirely at night (I can't think of a single daytime scene off the top of my head), and when the characters do venture indoors (the hospital especially) the light is harsh, which makes the death and sickness being portrayed seem harsh as well.



After Planet Terror ends, we are suddenly transported down to Austin, TX for Deathproof, a film that is almost entirely set during the day, bright sunlight shining. I remember being in the theater, and during the opening sequence (below), I felt like squinting.



It is pretty significant that the only night-time scene in Deathproof is the actual death scene halfway through the film. Deathproof is actually quite the uplifting movie, and I think a lot of that is because of the lighting choices.

I can't believe I got one of these posts done before midnight.

Everyone's Waiting

I'm going to preface this post with a huge spoiler warning, and advise everyone to skip this unless they've already seen Six Feet Under's series finale, or have no desire to do so.

While the final season of HBO's Six Feet Under had some truly rocky and forgettable moments, the final ten minutes of its series finale are hands down the BEST television I've ever seen, and one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on or off a screen. I could easily write the five page paper on this scene alone, but the next few paragraphs will have to suffice.

For those unfamiliar with the series, it follows the Fisher family, starting from the time of its patriarch's death. It's a normal looking family, but for the fact that the family business is a funeral home. The phenomenal ensemble cast takes us through their journey--love, loss, growth, betrayal, maturity, births, and deaths. In fact, almost every episode begins with the depiction of a death, which is tied into the episode. It's this kind of black comedy that makes the issues relatable.

Anyway, I first stumbled upon the show during a sleepover with a friend in late middle school. We watched an episode, but I wasn't impressed. About two years ago, shortly after I had been hit in the face with the realization that mortality affected my family and loved ones too, I saw the DVDs at the library. It seemed like a fitting way to grieve, so I took a chance on the pilot, and was instantly transfixed.

In a matter of months, I had made my way through five seasons and 62 episodes, and was up to the 63rd (and final) one. It was incredibly strange--I had come to know the characters better than some of my real life relatives, and had to prepare for the realization that they were just that, characters, and that their stories were coming to an end. Before watching the finale, I never could have guessed just how right I was.

At the point in the story in the following link, Claire, a formerly rebellious and fucked up teenager is preparing to leave home and her family in California and move to New York, even though there's nothing waiting for her there except for the great unknown and her passion for photography.

As she's taking one final family portrait, her dead brother speaks to her: "You can't take a picture of this--it's already gone." For a show that features death as a central theme, it's fitting for it to end with it, but nothing could have prepared me for the manner in which it was done. As Claire begins to drive through the desert, on her way cross country, we fast forward in the lives of every central character--happy times, and finally, deaths. Every single death is perfectly appropriate and ties into the intricacies of each character's story. There isn't a major storyline that goes unresolved, and yet, all this mortality is juxtaposed with Claire's journey--she truly has her life ahead of her, but only we are the ones to see how it ends.

This entire sequence is a phenomenal example of temporal editing--what better way of commenting on "the subjective nature of time" than ending with finality? Arrangement is also significant, as the deaths don't occur in a linear fashion, and some happen prematurely and unexpectedly.

In preparing for this post, I watched the clip again, and was shocked at how my emotions got the best of me. I had barely even thought about the series or characters in well over a year, and it was like they had never left.

Temporal Editing in Slumdog

The best modern example of temporal editing has to be the 2008 Oscar-winning film, Slumdog Millionaire. The film weaves seemingly irrelevant flashbacks of the main character’s (Jamal Malik) life into the body of the film to help make sense of its present events. The life experiences of Malik that the film flashes back to explain his ability to answer the tough questions on the popular game show, “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” which (in the film) he is currently a contestant of. The insertion of the flashbacks creates depth and meaning in the plot and draws an emotional response from the audience. With such a heavy presence in the film, the production element, temporal editing, is central to the audience’s comprehension of the storyline of Slumdog Millionaire.

Unfortunately, the best video clip that I could find of temporal editing at work in the movie is the trailer. The way that it displays an equal share of clips from the movie’s flashbacks as well to its current moments reveals just how important the production element is in the overall effect of the movie.

Trapped In My Own Body

The point of view that a story is being told from has a huge impact on how a story is told, what information is being conveyed, and the audience's orientation and sympathies (205). 

In his film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Julian Schnabel takes a very creative approach at shooting the opening scene. Before we're even introduced to the characters, the song being played during the opening credits sounds like it's preparing the audience for an old fashioned, French love or light hearted story. However, when coupled with the images of X-rays of the human body, the music suddenly seems contradictory and the audience has a feeling that this movie isn't going to be all nice and dandy. It creates an unsettling atmosphere right from the start. 

As soon as the music fades away, we see the camera blur in and out, and hear muffled voices as well as the more prominent sounds of someone's heavy breathing. As you can see, after watching this clip, the entire opening scene has been shot from the point of view of Jean-Dominique who has just suffered from a stroke. We are literally looking through his eyes (or rather, one eye, since we later discover that he has lost sight in one of his eyes) and are experiencing first hand what he is going through and what he is thinking. This has such a powerful impact on the audience because most of us have never had a stroke, so Schnabel has made it possible for us to experience the closest we'll ever get to experiencing the after effects and recovery process of a stroke. Everything from the flesh colored blur in the left corner of the screen to signify his eyelid to the blurring in and out of his sight to the confusion he is experiencing to his flashbacks (which are made obvious due to the dramatic change in lighting) was represented beautifully. I also love how his thoughts are much louder than any of the doctors' or nurses' voices since they are in his head. For once, we the audience, are not placed on the same platform as the director where we can see the characters from all angles (often times impossible angles) and know what's going on at all times. From the very start of the film, we are just as confused as the main character and only know as much as him. We ARE Jean-Dominique. 

At Merlotte's!: True Blood as a Sitcom

Most people know HBO's True Blood as the critically acclaimed one hour drama about vampires, a telepathic waitress and a whole lot more. True Blood can best described as thrilling, suspenseful, dramatic (some might say melodramatic) and at times humorous. But, what if it was none of these things? What if it was nothing more than a bad 1960's-esque sitcom? The video below shows exactly what True Blood would be like if that were true.

With the addition of one little editing device, the laugh track, YouTube user unclejubalon has completely transformed True Blood. While the concept, the actors, the direction, and even the dialogue remains untouched, the addition of a laugh track in specific scenes changes True Blood from a gripping, slightly campy drama to an unfunny, formulaic sitcom.

Sans the Comic Sans

The style of typography can set the tone even before what the words written in that font is saying. Headlines need to grab your attention, but most newspapers and magazines stick with the same font family; this consistency is "to give the readers a sense of familiarity" (Silverblatt 220).


This is great and all, but since those are static and the article already discussed the mastheads of such publications, I'm going to dive into movie titles and opening/closing credits where it's not just in print and not just a stamped brand, but instead moves and floats in space while introducing or concluding a feature film.

I'll start with a title of one of this year's summer films Ponyo (2009):


It's like summing up the entire theme of the film in not just in the word itself, but the style it has been designed. The custom font is thick with tiny "bowls" (technical term for the hole) in the O and a nice swishy wave at the bottom of the N. The title alone signifies that this is probably a children's movie that might take place underwater, rather than a horror film like Saw, which uses a disgruntled, dirty look.

Here we have the opening credits for Donnie Brasco (1997) starring Johnny Depp which used "surveillance-type photography and kerning fonts...which hinted at the character's obsessions and the story of the Mafia's descent into hell" (221). The font face is fairly simple, but the uneven kerning (space between each letter) ages the look and adds raw texture, similar to the stereotypical typewriter lettering on a police record.

(Click any image to see it larger)

"A Unique Sound"

As we've seen stylistic elements present throughout film, television, print ads and more. They are incredibly influential on how an audience receives and perceives a message. As I was searching for an ad that displayed some of these stylistic elements, I came across the ad for the Audi. Not only did the commercial catch my attention, but in my opinion demonstrates an interesting view to stylistic elements. The ad is centered around James Frances, who is a sound recorder for film. He is recording sounds for an upcoming movie and using the sound of the speed of the Audi as its model. He states in the commercial, "it's really important in a movie to find the unique sound." This reveals a double meaning. Not only is he explaining the importance of sound in a film, but also showcasing the incredible sounds the sleek Audi creates when one drives it. Here the sound of the commercial is showcased by the dialogue of James Frances and the background sound, which is the sound of the car. A key concept is the point of view is coming directly from James Frances in the first person. Also, there was a mention of a connotative image, but here in this case I think there is a connotative sound. This commercial is strengthened by the combining of the importance of the sound for selling of the vehicle and also for the special effects that a sound produces for a film. There are vertical lines present in this commercial when the car is driving exuding its sound and speed on the straight aways, giving the car a notion of power and great strength. This also sheds meaning on the importance of sound being powerful and of great effect to strengthen a movie. The background noise displays the fierce car sounds of agility and speed.This takes on the literal sounds directly connecting the visual of the car speeding down the road and when applied to the movie, the space ship traveling through space. The image of the car zooming past is carefully timed with James Frances obtaining the recording of the sound as well as the space ship sound as it passes by. Not only does this ad deliver a message about how important and strengthening sound can be for a film, but it is a great and in a way abstract advertisement for a car. Audi takes on the uniqueness of being the model car, the model sound for a film effect. It showcases how sleek and fast it is. And all the while, their slogan is so simple. One of the greatest things I admire about advertising is that sometimes its the slogans and tag lines that are the simplest that really catch your attention. Less is more really does influence more than one would imagine. "Audi: A Unique Sound" -- Audi: A Unique Car

All those problems will "Wash Away"

This is one of the cutest commercials that I've seen in a long time. The commercial is for Dawn. The ad sends a message that Dawn is so gentle that it can wash away the oil spills that trap innocent animals, without hurting them at the same time. It also urges people to buy Dawn, because a part of the profit will be donated for this cause.

But the directors of the ad did a great job with the production elements (and most specifically, with the color and the music).

COLOR:
The entire commercial is situated on a blue background that is supposed to resemble a clear blue water of the ocean. The fact that the blue background isn't dark but light, makes the entire scene more relaxed and calm. Also, because the blue background is so vivid, it makes the animals in the commercial even more lively.

BACKGROUND MUSIC:
The choice of the background music was simply perfect! As the commercial starts off, the audience see a duck covered in the oil spill, while we hear "I got troubles although, not today" as the background music. This reinforces the idea that even though the duck is hurt by the oil spill, the problems will soon go away. And then as the person used Dawn to wash the oil spill off the duck's feathers, the audience hear the background song lyrics: "'Cause they're gonna wash away." And as the commercial nears the end, we hear the still cheerful background music (which seems to be played by an ukulele- which also happens to symbolize a cheerful state of mind) and we see other sea creatures like the sea otter and the penguin being happy, after the oil spill were washed away from their fur and feathers.

I just simply love this commercial. Not only is it cute because it shows these three cute animals being helped, it also reminds me of the always-fun bath time that younger kids simply adore. And I'm sure that with that specific background color, the specific cheerful music, and the imagery of a bubble bath, this Dawn commercial definitely reached its desired audience (housewives who are conscious of the environmental issues, as well as mothers whose young children might be charmed by the cute animal actors), and became a success.

Jennifer's Body Trailers

Here is the original Jennifer's Body trailer with an explanation from the people involved:
"Fox is putting a trailer of Jennifer's Body in front of Bruno this Friday. Great, right? Only problem is it's not our trailer. It's kind of a straight horror preview and while we're sure it'll appeal to many of you, we wanted to make sure you guys got to see our cut... Lets call it the "filmmaker's cut". We think it captures the comedy and scares of the horror films we grew up on - a kind of nostalgia for when horror films were fun. Can't wait to show you the whole film... In the meantime, here's the red band trailer we wanted our fans to see."

- Karyn, Diablo, and Jason




And here's the one we saw in class to compare:

How to Embed Videos

From YouTube:



From Hulu:



From Yahoo! Video:

Yahoo! Video Presents: Simple Video Embedding @ Yahoo! Video

EVERYONE PLEASE MAKE SURE THEIR IMAGE LINKS AND VIDEO LINKS WORK! I wrote a post on URL and image linking the other day that might help. If it's still not working, try the Blogger Help Section.

If you've done all this, followed all the instructions in the videos and help files, and it still doesn't work, please post the issue that you're having in the comments to this post so I can help you figure it out.

Jaws

Since Jaws is such an old movie it was incredibly difficult to find scenes from it, and this one particular scene which I wanted only came in a trailer-like form. Anyway, when you guys watch the clip please ignore the man that is talking over it and you can stop watching once the woman is attacked. Sorry it's such a bad clip!!:

Jaws 

This is a very simple scene, just a pan shot of coral and a woman swimming in the ocean, and yet the incorporation of sound effects manages to transform what would originally be perceived as a serene shot (at least until the woman is seen thrashing about) into a highly suspenseful one. In this scene all one can hear is nonliteral sound, the beats are low pitched and slow but gradually get faster and louder and more high pitched to signify a sense of foreboding and that danger is getting imminently closer. “A movie is made up of many, many details, and nothing is more important than the music,” (Analysis of Production Elements, pg. 239). Sound can really help to create a mood; imagine if the song that was playing in the background was something cheerful and upbeat-no one would have any sense of fear and that would take away from the entire scene. “Musical cues tell viewers how to feel about what they are watching,” (Analysis of Production Elements, pg. 239). In this scene, not once is the shark shown and yet viewers know that they are meant to feel a sense of fear and suspense. I think Jaws proves that sound is just as important as what is being shown visually-Jaws is associated with its soundtrack, viewers remember it now because of its suspenseful music. I’m pretty sure this music is familiar to almost everyone even if they haven’t seen Jaws proving that sound can have a deeper impact than the visual aspects of a movie itself!

Now imagine if Jaws had sounded like this: 

Jaws 2

By the way could someone please tell me how I can post videos on the blog?? I'm not very tech savvy. 

Special Effects seen in "Twister"

When it comes to well-done special effects, one of my favorite movies comes right to mind, Twister. If these don’t look like real F-5 tornados, then I don’t know what does. The special effects used in this movie do not only include constructing numerous tornados that resemble various F-1 to F-5 treacherous storms, but tractors, tankers, and cows were also easily created in a computer environment all with a little magic from Hollywood.

This YouTube video shows really well what exactly goes in to making this movie seem as real as they can be. Things such as color, lighting, and speed are all taken into account when designing a real life tornado because good visuals are a key concept in convincing the audience that what they’re looking at is actually happening. (Of course, similar sounds are helpful, but if you’re anything like me or most people these days have to “see it to believe it!”)Special effects teams today can create just about anything known to your imagination. As discussed in the reading, one of the most common tricks of special effects are used when a team constructs a miniature model of something they want to appear real. In the example for this movie, that could be a cow flying across the screen as if were being blown by the winds of the tornado. Obviously this couldn’t be reenacted for real life filming, but instead, filmmakers constructed a mini version of a cow and made it appear real by “overcranking” the camera at a faster than normal speed. This is also commonly used in movies such as King Kong with the humungous gorilla who held up lifesize trolly cars, or the building size t-rex in the movie Godzilla. It can even be used for objects that are not living, such as constructing the great Emerald City for the film The Wizard of Oz.

All in all, I feel that when it comes down to deciding if a movie was good or not, it really comes down to the special effects seen in the movie. If you felt like you were right there in the middle of the action, then the filmmakers did their job. And if not, it’s usually a pretty big disappointment because listening to actors walk and talk can only take you so far. Can you think of any other examples from movies in which you think the special effects teams did a great job in making something seem very realistic?

Record Labels as Branding

We record collectors think we're soooooooo special. Yep, we know all the cool bands before they're actually cool, we can tell you who produced the second Suicide album, why Enya is actually really cool, etc etc etc etc.
I have always known that my music habit has been the privilege of a consumer society, but the similarities between picking out the best record at Other Music and shopping for clothes at Macy's was almost shoved into my face while reading Chapter 7. In indie music culture branding is inescapable, and basically essential for a band's survival. Record labels are a symbol of cool, and when record buyers go into stores, in general they will search for the label as some sort of indicator as to whether or not they should purchase that record, tape, or CD. Collectors search out old records on labels by bands they may have never heard of just because they carry the seal of approval that the label connotes.
I have run out of time before class starts, so I'll post this now, but I'm going to come back to this after class and finish my ideas!

Coca Cola strikes DESIRE

The Brand. It’s what keeps people hooked. Without our want/need for the brand it would never sell. To sum the goal of advertiser's up in one word: Desire.

The role of the brand is central to commodity culture. Instead of a “real” world of objects to which advertisements refer, we see the emergence of a culture in which the image itself is what we live though and consume. Sturken & Cartwright state that,”Identity is no longer the signifier of a product. Rather, identity is the pure product that we consume, either as information or as image” What makes advertisements as powerful as they are is that they are lived through the insignias and logos affixed to the products we use, or the food we eat. Take the insignia of CocaCola for example:

It’s no stranger to any of our eyes, for we’ve seen this at sporting events, billboards in Times Square, on TV shows such as American Idol where it is so vividly displayed on the judging table, it’s even in magazines and papers brought to our front doors. The goals of Coke manufacturers consist of getting us to identify their products with quality. They want to make it CRUCIAL that we find enough purpose and desire toward their product that we want to continue to buy its name BRAND over the next generic type. In order to do this, Coke brands itself with celebrities, classy events, and anything they feel the average consumer would DESIRE. Because in the end, that’s what it’s about: our wants and desires. If Coke can retain these distinguishing features, then it will be a successful product. People recognize the logo and want to be apart of this brand. Sturken and Cartwright seem to have nailed advertising on the nose because they know exactly what we, as consumers, are looking for in our brand name products. And it proves to be true because it sure looks like Coke has been pretty successful!