cover of Imaging in Advertising: Verbal and Visual Codes of Commerce

Imaging in Advertising

Verbal and Visual Codes of Commerce

By Fern L. Johnson

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About the Book

While scholarship on the visual elements of advertising has advanced our understanding of communication and media, the language elements - or 'verbal images' of the advertisement tend to be downplayed, providing a truncated analysis.

Imaging in Advertising explores how the verbal and visual work together to create a language of advertising that speaks to audiences and moves them to particular thoughts and actions. Through a series of case studies, Fern L. Johnson examines how the verbal and visual produce meaning - exploring advertisements for cigarettes, alcohol, and cosmetics - and argues that the verbal images in advertising are as important as the visual images, treating advertisements as a structured whole, rather than a series of fragments.

Reviews

"Although we are bombarded by images on a daily basis, there are a surprisingly few number of books that really get under the skin of how advertisements work to sell products. Luckily, we now have Fern Johnson’s insightful analysis to aid us in developing critical media literacy as a way to resist the allure of these seductive and manipulative images that are a key part of our visual landscape."

Gail Dines, Wheelock College

"Emphasizing the interplay of the verbal with the imagistic Johnson’s adroitly applies linguistic and sociological constructs to the reading of advertising. Her critical sensitivity recognizes the tension between postmodern fragmentation and ideological coherence played out in campaigns which exploit the categories of race, gender, and age. Linking discursive practices with broad social meaning systems each chapter is rich with detailed readings, contextualizing information, and critical analysis. Imaging in Advertising is a rich addition to the critical literature on contemporary advertising."

Stephen Papson, co-author of Sign Wars and Nike Culture.

"An illuminating examination of how the verbal and visual combine to create the language of advertising. A welcome and important contribution to the field."

Jean Kilbourne, author of Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 1. Advertising Images and Discourse 2. Smoke and Mirrors 3. Keeping Race in Place 4. Different Tropes for Different Folks 5. Madison Avenue Meets Silicon Valley 6. From Barbie to BudTV Conclusions and Implications References Index

About the Author(s)

Fern L. Johnson is Professor of English and Co-Director of the Communication and Culture Program at Clark University. She is author of Speaking Culturally: Language Diversity in the United States.