Excercise #2

Project Web Exercise 2:
Brief Semiotic Analysis of Print Ad
How does the ad attract the viewer’s attention?
The ad uses large and bright yellow text on top of gray background to kind of bring attention to the message they’re trying to send out. The ad company uses the bright color and size to draw attention to itself and to make sure the important part of the advertisement stands out in the picture.
Why does the model look the way she does?
The model in the picture looks upset and sad, I believe she’s using that particular demeanor to portray someone whose feelings were hurt by the words on the advertisement.
What is the significance of her facial expression and how does that relate to the purpose of the ad?
The girl’s facial expression shows that she was hurt by the comment made on the advertisement. This is to show the viewers that words can really affect someone. The purpose of the ad was to put awareness to the fact that people’s words can be really harmful to someone and affect them emotionally and mentally, the facial expression on the girl kind of portrays that painful feeling that the advertisement is trying to express.

The ad is directed towards any and all of society and people. It’s really basing its message off of when people use the popular saying ‘that’s so gay’ to describe something in a derogatory way. The purpose was to show that when someone uses that expression it’s hurtful and it portrays that being ‘gay’ is a bad thing. This advertisement is trying to show how just those simple words may hurt someone’s feelings and by comparing it to a dumb cheerleader, the ad showed that putting anything in a derogatory way is hurtful. Saying that something is ‘gay’ in that context is the same as calling someone a mean name or just hurting someone’s feelings. The advertisement was trying to prove the point that being gay isn’t a bad thing and using the word in that context may hurt someone who is gay, just like being a cheerleader doesn’t mean one is dumb or doesn’t say smart stuff.