photography

Assignment 6 - photo analysis

Canneslions 2007 Press Lions Winners Category - Bronze

Advertiser: Indian Association for the Promotion & Adoption of Child Welfare

An non-profit organization concerned with the escalating issue of orphans and abandoned children in India.

Advertising Agency: Ogilvy & Mather, Mumbai.

Ad type: Public Awareness Messages

In this ad: Sign: A hugMeaning: Love Code: A way to establish closer relations

Semiotics

1. Pierce’s triadic model

Sign vehicle: the form of the sign = hug Sense:the meaning made by the sign =close relationshipReferent:what the sign ‘stands for’ = love

Iconic The photo of two people in embrace resembles a hug, so it isan iconic sign.

Indexical The embrace between the two subjects is affected by the proximity between the both of them, so it is a sign of proximity. Symbolic The embracing of two individuals symbolises love in a conventional manner.

2. Sayssure concept dyadic model Signifier ( form ) and the signified ( concept) are inseparable as a white dove and peace. They are intimately linked in the mind by an associative link that triggers the other. Sign could not consist of sound without sense or of sense without sound. He used the two arrows in the diagram to suggest their interaction. The bar and the opposition nevertheless suggest that the signifier and the signified can be distinguished for analytical purposes. The sign is the whole that results from the association of the signifier with the signified In visual actions, it shows hug. Signifier HugSignified Love It is difficult to explain the distinctions between the two as the signifier and signified are almost identical in a photograph.

Denotation

the surface or literal meaningencoded to a signifierAn embrace denotes the actof clasping tightly or fondly in the arms.

Connotation

An embrace means love, affection, adore, liking, care or even concern.However, in our culturalcontext, it connotes an amicable and intimate relationship between two individuals.

Types of Tropes:metonymy metaphor irony synecdoche

From our shared experience and culture, we often perceive adults as the ones showering love and concern on a child.This ad works effectively through irony as it stimulates the viewer tothink of adoption in a different light.The key message of the ad is effectively brought out with a fitted match between the image and tagline.

Reading the Images: §Colour §Lighting & Special Effects §Kinesics §Costume/Attire §Target Audience – Affluent Indians residing in Mumbai,capital of India §As an Indian residing in Mumbai… §As an Indian residing in other parts of India… §As a foreign national…eg. Singapore

Code we interpret that hugging between a child and an adult = parental love culture = hugging means love, affection, friendliness Technical codes Colour – grey Lighting and special effects – central gradient with concentrated lighting in the middle, behind the boy. The colour is alittle gloomy, but with the glowing central gradient, it acts as a grain of light ( hope). Social codes Expression – show a sense of happiness and love. Clothing – Westernise clothing Because Mumbai is the city of India, the target audience of this ad is more for the educated blue to white collar workers. Hence, the talents in the ads will then be dress in western clothings rather than their traditional costume, so that their target audience can relate it better. Kinesics

the body language itself is self-explanatory. It portrays a loving relationship between the two individuals. The facial expression shows a set of warmth, bringing the viewers into the picture itself. the non-verbal behavior relates to the movement ( hug)

Self-assessment : I personally like this ad alot, because it's subtle, yet, it triggers the us to think about the usual stereotype we have, that it's always the adult showering us with love. NO! We, as kids, can shower with our parents with love to. In this scenerios, it breaks the old stereotype that when it comes to adoption, its always the child that gain LOVE. However, in this ad, it talks about how the kids himself can bring in LOVE to the family. Something different, out of the box, like how the dove ad work ( campaign for beauty). It's always nice to trigger and tickle a certain thoughts in the viewers.

I personally like paul's and meimei's presentation. ( Yes, he can be abit OVERLOADING! HAHA). I like how they study cardology, and how JACK and QUEEN = scandals, and how its only rightful that KING and QUEEN should always be link together. It makes sense, and how the ad uses stereotype to tickle the minds of the viewers. It's creative, and their analysis is interesting. Never did I know realise that each pattern in the cards ( eg. spade, hearts, diamond, 'tree') has a subtle connotation to it.

qiyi and i

Analysis:45/50

Execution: 45

TOTAL: 90/ 100

paul and meimei Analysis:4850 Execution: 4750 TOTAL: 95/ 100