The signs that we see in the advert that are central to its meaning are, firstly the topless man. Secondly the product he is holding, and thirdly the anchorage on the ad. The simple message that this constructs is that Gillette razor will leave you feeling clean and powerful, just as the anchorage says. Whilst the advert constructs the feeling that you could look like this person in the ad, it also works at a far deeper level.
Denotation gives the literal meaning of a sign, while connotation gives a more elaborate one where the sign system meets values of culture. When we look at the advert we notice that the camera angle of the picture of the man is taken from below. This gives us a view of the man as though we, the viewer are below him, looking up. We are beneath the man in the advert. This gives the man in the advert a sense of power. He is strong and powerful. This idea of strength and power of the man Because of the camera angles, the strong stances, the rugged good looks, and the depictions of success, reinforces the stereotypes of men as strong, powerful, aggressive providers.
The pictured man, in the advert is a sports star named David Beckham. This intertextual reference helps sell the Gillette product. People want to buy into the idea of being a sports star. “Advertiser's use of sports figures to enhance the "manliness" of their products” (Dines 1985) which enforces the idea of men and there dominance. By picturing the man holding the product it actively constructs a relationship between the two. Associating sport, virility and strength through David Beckham on to the product.
The aggressive posture of the man, coupled with the way he is holding the Gillette razor, brings about further connotations. The stance with his fist clenched to his chest, evokes images of stance against evil. During the 1936 Olympics Jesse Owens used this pose to highlight his stand against Nazism. Vikings used it as a greeting to show strength. This is a real symbol for power.
The advert comes from a football magazine aimed solely at men. The way it is constructed is so to appeal to its target audience, men. This is important because before it’s possible to delve further into the ideologies of the advert, it’s important to know who its audience is so that we can understand, how it is meant to be understood.
So far we see that the advert is trying to associate itself with the dominance of men. As Erdley writes “any adequate theory of men and masculinity has to reflect the fact that masculinities are both 'structured' in dominance and, in turn, help to maintain or reproduce that dominance”.(Edley 1996. p97). The advert constructs a ‘structured dominance’; all the signs continue an ideology of the dominance of men. From these understandings of the connotations and denotations at work in the advert, it is possible to understand the idea of the myth.
Barthes argues that and combine to produce in the form of myth (semiotic website). A myth is a story by which a culture makes sense of reality. Myth functions as “synonym of `ideology'” (Barthes, 1972.) However myth is a more complicated idea. “Barthes's understanding of myth is the notion of a socially constructed reality which is passed of as `natural'” (McNeill, 1999). In the advert the myth that is constructed, is of the authoritarian power of men. This myth is evoked because of our society, and how it is constructed. The position that the advert puts us in, in terms of ideology is that we believe men to be strong, powerful and dominant
Bignall believes that ads contribute to the myth that are identity “is determined not by production but by consumption” (Bignall 1997. p37) Ads have an ideological function that encourages us to consume “which grants us membership of a lifestyle group” (Bignall 1997. p 37). This idea means that the producers in the world, who construct ads, shape peoples ideologies. As the owners of the majority of products are male, they reinforce their own beliefs on the myth of the dominance of masculinity.
It has been considered by critics such as Wernick, that because of the power of the feminist movement for equality, men are no longer seen as dominant, but equal with women. Wernick identifies that there is an increasing trend to depict male and female not as opposites, but as fluid categories that occupy equivalent places in society (Wernick: 1987, 280-293). However the advert I am analyzing reinforces the male dominance. This is the key ideology within the ad.
In conclusion the advert constructs masculinity by using a physically strong man to sell the Gillette product. His aggressive stance, the low angle shot are all signs that show us that advertisers are still trying to appeal to men who want to be masculine and physically dominant, the ideology that men want to buy into and still believe in. This is helping to sustain ideologies, and continue constructing the idea of the masculine authority, and dominance.
