Advertising in today’s culture is geared towards manipulating the media to deliver a specific message. In order to shape a community’s perceptions on a specific concept, marketers use precise colors, words, and lighting. To evaluate the impact of all of these factors, this essay addresses the conception of HIV under the lens of American culture and perceptions. In the ad the primary focus is obviously directed on HIV prevention, but it also utilizes minute, independent details that are actually interconnected to help tell a story.
The story being told in this ad is told through the lens that separation of the sick from the healthy is necessary. To this end, the details that are important to portray this message are those that surround the disease itself. This begins with the most obvious detail, the words across the ad stating “each time you sleep with someone, you sleep with their past.” This introduces the bias that
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There is a distinct contrast between the white walls and the darkly tiled flooring. The white background represents purity and innocence, while the black tiles represent the negativity and corruptive nature of the HIV disease. However, it is notable that due to the shadowing, the white walls become less pure, or tainted, in places. The concept of innocence being tainted can be further linked to sex and sexuality.
Throughout the ad there is references to the homosexual culture. The immediate element attributed to the gay community is the two males engaging in sexual endeavors. Additionally, there are two showerheads in the background that share a similar shape to that of the male anatomy. The fact that the ad is focused predominantly on homosexual males highlights lingering discrimination of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Furthermore, the two males engaging in sexual activity lends itself to the lens of promiscuity in American
Advertisements are one of many things that Americans cannot get away from. Every American sees an average of 3,000 advertisements a day; whether it’s on the television, radio, while surfing the internet, or while driving around town. Advertisements try to get consumers to buy their products by getting their attention. Most advertisements don’t have anything to do with the product itself. Every company has a different way of getting the public’s attention, but every advertisement has the same goal - to sell the product. Every advertisement tries to appeal to the audience by using ethos, pathos, and logos, while also focusing on who their audience is and the purpose of the ad. An example of this is a Charmin commercial where there is a bear who gets excited when he gets to use the toilet paper because it is so soft.
Advertising is so prominent in American culture, and even the world at large, that this media form becomes reflective of the values and expectations of the nation’s society at large.
Advertising (marketing) in America is long past its zenith. There may have been a time when people actually paid attention to all of the flash, the glitz, and the hype, but most consumers (especially those in Generation X) are savvy and somewhat skeptical. The public is less impressed and views these types of marketing attempts as desperate, and even pathetic. Marlboro Friday (977) may stand out as a monumental day in the minds of advertisers, but there is another moment that stands out in the minds of consumers; the night a woman disrobed during half-time show at the Super Bowl. It was as if time stood still as a nation witnessed advertising shorn of its pretense. This one event exposed the true state of marketing in America. It seems every attempt to hoodwink and capture the attention of the population has already been tried; there is nowhere new to go. Stooping to nudity to try and capture the attention of the public confirms what the consumer already knows; it doesn’t matter how firms try and “clothe” their products; underneath they are all the same.
Advertisements are all over the place. Whether they are on TV, radio, or in a magazine, there is no way that you can escape them. They all have their target audience who they have specifically designed the ad for. And of course they are selling their product. This is a multi billion dollar industry and the advertiser’s study all the ways that they can attract the person’s attention. One way that is used the most and is in some ways very controversial is use of sex to sell products. For me to analyze this advertisement I used the rhetorical triangle, as well as ethos, pathos, and logos.
HIV and AIDS are increasingly becoming a widespread problem among the many people who do not use protection. So, condom companies have started putting out more advertisements pushing the use of condoms. There are also more ads pushing for people to get tested. One problem: these ads often show a gay couple. This pushes the stereotype that being gay increases the chance that you will get HIV. These ads fully ignore the heterosexual population, which also pushes the second part of the stereotype: being heterosexual lessens your chance of getting HIV. There are ads that appeal to the heterosexual population, but they usually receive less attention than the homosexual ones do. These advertisements push other homosexual stereotypes as well.
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS weakens the immune system hampering the body’s defense mechanisms. AIDS is known to be a deadly disease, especially if it is not treated in a timely manner. AIDS and HIV is an epidemic that is increasing among the African American population with roots tracing back to Africa, AIDS and HIV needs greater exposure and more awareness within the African American community and in the homosexual community.
The documentary Killing Us Softly 4 discusses and examines the role of women in advertisements and the effects of the ads throughout history. The film begins by inspecting a variety of old ads. The speaker, Jean Kilbourne, then discusses and dissects each ad describing the messages of the advertisements and the subliminal meanings they evoke. The commercials from the past and now differ in some respects but they still suggest the same messages. These messages include but are not limited to the following: women are sexual objects, physical appearance is everything, and women are naturally inferior then men. Kilbourne discusses that because individuals are surrounded by media and advertisements everywhere they go, that these messages become real attitudes and mindsets in men and women. Women believe they must achieve a level of beauty similar to models they see in magazines and television commercials. On the other hand, men expect real women to have the same characteristics and look as beautiful as the women pictured in ads. However, even though women may diet and exercise, the reality...
In conclusion the ad shows its appeal to logos, pathos, and ethos by having a woman on it and having her state her opinion. By having the character state her opinion it will make people who see this ad think about the issue at hand. In addition to that the ad uses a simple but effective way to capture the audience’s attention. It captures attention by using a well-known character, a short but effecting statement, and a simple color scheme to draw attention. Doing so helps grab the reader and then further deliver the message of pro-choice and that it’s a woman’s choice to do with her body as she pleases.
The tenth picture from the first visual set is titled “Date night”. This picture shows a couple of old men in a jail cell. They are all wearing dirty clothes. This is trying to show that if you drink and get cut, you will go to jail and be in jail with these kind of people. I think this picture is persuasive because it shows that someone will go to jail if they get cut drinking and driving. I think this ad will be more effective for younger adult than older adults because it can be a lot scarier for the young adults.
For over thirty years HIV and AIDS have presented historic challenges to the human nature, especially to our planet’s public health, scientific and medical communities. It is estimated that just in the United States between 900.000 and 950.000 persons are living with HIV and about one forth of those infected have not yet been diagnosed and are unaware of their infection. The number of people with AIDS is increasing as effective new drug therapies keep HIV-infected persons healthy longer and dramatically reduce the death rates. However in spite of extremely beneficial advances in the field of HIV-AIDS treatment in recent years the epidemic is far from being over. The Center for Disease Control in the United States has estimated that about 40.000 people become infected every year and most of these are young persons under the age of 25. The epidemic of HIV is severely impacting the communities of color, particularly young men and women. Roughly about sixty percent of new infections continue to be among men having a sexual intercourse with another man. The National HIV Prevention Committee suggests that there has been resurgence in unsafe behaviors among some communities of gay men. With all the research and evidence available from various government and non-profit organizations dealing with HIV and AIDS prevention far too many Americans believe that the epidemic is over in the United States. Among minorities, women, and the poor the worst may yet to be come. African Americans represent 12 percent of the American population, which is about 35.000.000 people, but about 50 percent of the new HIV cases (www.statehealthfacts.org). In the United States some 80 percent of all women infected are women of color. In addition African-American women are becoming infected at younger age compared to their white peers primarily through heterosexual contact. Hispanics present about 14 percent of the US population, about 40.322.930 people, and 20 percent of HIV-AIDS cases. The HIV infection rate among Native Americans is approximately one and a half time that of whites and they die from AIDS much faster than the whites due to late diagnosis.
The epidemic of HIV/AIDS has been a repeat offender in the deaths of many people worldwide, African Americans, specifically, have been disproportionately impacted by this virus since it was first discovered in the early 1980s. Despite African Americans only being accountable for a small portion of the total U.S. population, they are the ethnic group most greatly affected by this virus. The HIV and AIDS epidemic does not simply target African American males, but over the years has grown to greatly affect black women, gay and bisexual men and the youth as well. There are many speculations as to why the ethnic group of African Americans has such a high rate of HIV and AIDS, however, this paper will explore specific reasoning behind this issue. The prevalence of HIV and AIDS amongst African Americans is an ongoing health issue due to lack of education and awareness, a smaller population, demographics and stigmas towards gay and bisexual groups.
HIV and AIDS have affected millions of people throughout the world. Since 1981, there have been 25 million deaths due to AIDS involving men, women, and children. Presently there are 40 million people living with HIV and AIDS around the world and two million die each year from AIDS related illnesses. The Center for Disease Control estimates that one-third of the one million Americans living with HIV are not aware that they have it. The earliest known case of HIV was in 1959. It was discovered in a blood sample from a man in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Looking further into the genetics of this blood sample researchers suggested that it had originated from a virus going back to the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In 1999, researchers had discovered that HIV is derived from chimpanzees native to west equatorial Africa. This epidemic is spreading throughout countries and infecting 14 thousand victims every day. Learning about HIV includes knowing how to contract the virus, understanding most of the people it affects, how to prevent the spread of it, and knowing what treatments are available.
In the essay “Beauty (Re)discovers the Male Body,” author and philosopher Susan Bordo discusses the history and current state of male representation in advertisements. While using her feminist background, Bordo compares and contrasts the aspects of how men and women are portrayed in the public eye. She claims that there has been a paradigm shift the media with the theory that not just women are being objectified in the public eye, but also men too. Since the mid-1970s, with the introduction of Calvin Klein commercials, men have started to become more dehumanized and regarded as sex symbols. In a similar fashion to how Bordo describes gender, race plays a similar role in the media. People of all different ethnicities and cultures are being categorized into an oversimplified and usually unfair image by the media over basic characteristics.
The second ad is advertising a tie by the company Van Heusen. In the picture there is a man lying in bed being served by his wife. The wife in this ad is on her knees looking up at her husband at the side of the bed. Her being on her knees makes her look weak and vulnerable. Her being in her robe also could symbolize that she is vulnerable because someone in their robe is typically at home. The husband on the other hand, is in a relaxed position with his hands behind his head.
The early 1940s to the 1960s truly exemplified the social constructs of a married couple, and with that, the stereotypes that followed. In this 1960 Mr. Leggs ad (see page 3), blatant stereotypes can be shown. The advertisement shows portrayals of chauvinism, strict gender roles, and gives a message to the mass on what is “normal” at the time.