Sexuality of Diesel Ads

Diesel is a clothing brand company that was started in the late 70’s.  It has many stores throughout the world and carries a vast array of clothing and accessories in its stores.  As was discussed in a video titled Killing Us Softly, ads today look at women as weak, sexual object instead of strong human beings.  I believe that this is as true as much today as it ever has been because as they say, sex sells. 

Looking at this ad I wonder, “What does anything in this ad have to do with jeans?”  In this ad, this is a topless girl standing in a flower pot watering herself.  This turns her into more of an object like she is just a plant and not a human. The pose that she has also contrasts the sexuality of her attire.  Where as she is half dress in just a pair of jeans and topless, she is covering herself lightly, barley holding the watering can, and standing precariously in the flower pot.  Furthermore, I would like to discuss the caption in comparison the images in the ad.  The caption states, “Portraits for Successful Living,”…well if to live successfully, you have to stand have naked in a flower pot water pot then I’m pretty content with being unsuccessful.

So as a recap, I would like to discuss of the cliché-ness of this ad.  We have a half naked female model.  The model is made to look innocent and in trouble though the expression on her face gives a hint of sexuality and promiscuity.  She is also standing in a flower pot which is turning her into more of an object instead of a human.  Just to rap it all off, the women’s hair is being blown back even though it appears she is in a closed room. 

Frith Analysis: Pokémon Ad

Surface Meaning:

            A strange yellow mouse looking thing walks on a bus with other monsters.  The bus driver makes a comment then drives the bus to a seclude spot.  The driver then gets out and pushes a button.  It turns out that the spot was a compactor and it crushes the bus until all that is left is a Gameboy.

Advertiser’s Intended Meaning:

            I believe that the meaning was to appeal to a kid’s sense of curiosity with this ad.  They really didn’t show much of the game it’s self but more of the creature that would be in this game.  This ploy would have to make the kids play the game to find out what they would have to do. 

 The Cultural or Ideological Meaning:

            When I watch this commercial, I view this bus driver as a villain type.  He steals the Pokémon and crushes them in a dirty looking compactor just so he could have the game.  Well since this ad was directed more to the kids, they might view it a reference to the type cartoons that they watched and that the game is based on where there are villain that you need to stop.  So if the kids were to buy the games, they would have the Pokémon and they would be safe.

Pokemon Ad: I Choose You

An ad campaign that I have enjoyed throughout the years has been the Pokémon ad.  I got into the Pokémon craze when I was in elementary school and as with the rest of my generation, it was a big part of my life.  The best of the ads that is prevalent in my mind was the original one for Pokémon Red and Blue.  This was my first experience with Pokémon and all I could think was, “What are these weird looking creatures.”  I also thought that the bus driver seemed like a dick for shutting the Pokémon into the tiny gameboy.  This ad was just the beginning though and the ads after it also features Pokémon in the real world. 

I think that the ad campaign worked so well because it appealed to their target audience which I believe to be male children.  I know from my perspective, I though the idea of being able to own my own creatures that could breathe fire, shoot water, or who had psychic abilities absolutely amazing.  The ads showed the Pokémon, well and moving in our world so the audience may believe, “Hey maybe they are real and I should train now.”  As we all know, after the first games, Pokémon gained a cult following which is still persistent to this very day and I believe this is due in fact the successful ads that spawned the series. 

The Originals