Relationship Between Text and Image.

University Degree Business and Administrative studies

Relationship Between Text and Image

We are exposed to adverts every day of our lives. The can often be in the most inconspicuous of places. Just by walking down the street you are probably seeing douzens of adverts every minute, far more than you could possibly see in the same amount of time on television. They are everywhere, from shop windows, to the sides of vans. Sometimes they don’t have any images at all, just made up of text in various sizes and colours. In magazines and on television however advert are normally comprised of both text and image. There is no point having some random picture with text that has nothing to do with it because it wouldn’t be an effective form of advertising. Companies want to get the most for their money, so the come up with more and more innovative ways to sell their products.

Adverts appear in a variety of different forms. I chose to look at the “Lynx Deodorant” adverts because they come in three different formats; TV, Magazines and on the Internet.

Lynx Deodorant, www.visit 4info.com (2003) Accessed 24.10.2003

This is a still from one of Lynx’s TV adverts. It is for the fragrance called “Dimension,” and the text has several connotations to the image and the product. First of all the text tells us what we can’t immediately see from the image of the can. The fact that it lasts for 24 hours is highlighted by having the number 24 in bolder, larger writing than the rest of the text. The image is of the can placed on a large rock. To enhance this, the writing has a stone like texture to it and is a mottled grey colour. The sun is setting behind the can which is a reflection on the colour scheme of the product (Orange and black). The text has also been written bellow the product which tells us that they feel it is less important than the deodorant, because it idolises the can.

Lancome Cosmetics, (2003) Accessed 24.10.2003

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Lancome Cosmetics, (2003) Accessed 24.10.2003

In the same way, words can be used to enhance an advert. This advert is for a new range of cosmetics by Lancome. In this advert the words are used to enhance the image and form a piece of art. Cosmetics have traditionally had very fashionable adverts. This one is no exception. The advert is made up of three different images which are effectively held together by the word “Lancome.” The images have details about the product built into them. The colour range of the product is blues and purples, which is repeated in the clothing of the models and the colour of the rose on the right hand side. However, the text remains mainly neutral in colour. This allows us to see it clearly even though it is printed over so many different colours. The only object which is allowed to block the text in any way it the head of the rose which naturally forms the same shape as the lower pat of the “O” in Lancome. When writing about the same advert, Nadin Raschke said;

“On the right hand side appears the exact name of the product 'Chrysalis, Spring Colour Collection 1998'. Beneath the text there is an image of two lipsticks and two eye shadows with their colour smeared over the white surface in a way that reminds one of the traces of an insect. The trail leads to an image of a beetle, which is printed right next to the logo 'Chrysalis'. It appears to be the same kind of beetle the model wears on a necklace.”

Nadin Raschke, (2003) Accessed 24.10.2003

She points out that not only does the text relate to the image, but the image also relates to the name of the collection. The image on the right hand side is of two lip sticks making an insect like trail on a plain white background. The product is called the “Chrysalis, spring colour collection. So they have included spring related items in the advert such as insects and roses.

Marlboro, (2001) Accessed 24.10.2003

In this advert from an American magazine the wording relates to two images. There is the main image of the stereotypical cowboy who smokes, and there is also an image of a packet of cigarettes. This is done because it is now illegal to show people smoking in adverts. Traditionally the cowboy would have had a cigarette either in his mouth or in his hand. The rope has been used to fill the gap otherwise he would just be standing there not looking the part. Firstly there is the caption “Come to where the flavour is.” This has been one of Marlboro’s tag lines for many years and is written in the same font as “Marlboro” on the packet of cigarettes. It is plain white text and is the brightest part of the advert, even whiter than the snow which is on the ground. This makes it stand out more so that we read it first. The text is also written in a typically western font. The same sort of font you would find on a Tennessee Whiskey bottle such a Jack Daniels or Jim Beam.

Jack Daniels, www.Jackdaniels.com (2003) Accessed 24.10.2003

In magazines the advertisers have to make the text stand out in case people are just flicking through. Then they stand more chance of grabbing their eye so that they read the rest of the advert. The main text is also much brighter and larger than the doctors warning at the top. Although cigarette companies are legally bound to put doctors warning on their packets, the ones on the adverts are much more easily hidden or over shadowed.

It’s not only companies which wish to sell things that use strong connotations between image and text. Government organisations have use powerful advertising in many campaigns such as smoking. In 1993 the Scottish Health Board released a series of posters to try and persuade people to give up smoking. They were powerful and shocking in some cases. The posters were printed in black and white with bold white text. The text was generally the same size as the pictures as both were equally important to the message. One poster had an image of a bullet and a cigarette. Under the bullet was written the word “Quick” and under the cigarette was the word “Slow.” Both images had shadow coving half of the object which made them look sinister and dangerous. Everybody knows that bullets are deadly, and to compare them with cigarettes was telling us that they do the same thing, kill us. But the words underneath them were stark and plain. You had to look at the image to pick out all the detail, but the text was plain to see from the beginning. At the bottom of all the posters was the same tag line.

“WANT HELP? PHONE THE SMOKELINE ON 0800 84 84 84.” Followed by a small logo containing the words “You can do it, we can help.”

Scottish Health Board, Smokeline, Advertising works 8, Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, NCT Publications LTD, 1994.

In conclusion as to how text has a relationship with image I found that in adverts text is used in a variety of different ways. In the case of the Lynx adverts it was simply to enhance the image and tell us what wasn’t written of the can. The only information that the text gave us was that it was a new formula and that it lasted for 24 hours, where as the image told us what the product looks like. This would be far more important because it means that if we were in a shop we could find the can and then be able to read what the text was telling us in the advert. The image did have connections to the text though it’s physical appearance but there were few deep-rooted meanings to the words. Where as in the case of the Lancome advert the text had more psychological links to the image. The product was the spring range so the colours and the images were things that we would normally think of when we think about spring. In the Marlboro advert there were two types of text. There was the main advertising text which said “Come to where the flavour is,” but there was also the doctors health warning. Both had links to the image. The words had more meaning than the image because they were giving us the information about the product. A cowboy holding a rope wouldn’t automatically make you think about cigarettes. The text is what explains to us what the picture is about. As for the “Smokeline” posters, they have a much stronger relationship between text and image because each is as important as the other. The words give you the message, and the image re-enforce it tremendously.

Bibliography

Advertising Works 8, Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, 1994

Morgan Ross

ELP Semester A