The image under discussion is an advertisement of Orbit chewing gum. The photograph is used to advertise the chewing gum in a glossy magazine, and it is possible to presume that it addresses both male and female demographic. The photo includes both an image of a handsome young man and a catchy text to accompany it.
The advertisement displays a young man, handsome, confident and even provocative, with classy hairstyle and perfectly-fitting suit. It is a close-up; therefore a viewer can see only the face and shoulders of the model. The focus is on the man’s face; his smile in particular is a prominent element of the advertisement. It drives attention to the shiny and clean teeth, the smile which makes the model attractive and appealing. The background of the photograph is blank blue. There are no objects at the background, so nothing would deflect the viewer’s attention from the image. The whole image of the man is clear, the face is well-lit. Special effect is used on the smile of the model in order to show how sparkly and clean the teeth are. This helps to emphasize on the purpose of the product advertised.
The photograph looks like an informal portrait emphasizing on the character and his status. The photo projects an image of a successful young man, possibly popular with women, possibly a high-flyer in his career or business. There is no background or any scene in this advertisement. But the caption offers certain context to the image and allows the viewer to fill in the blanks, to make up a story which progresses from this attractive beaming smile. The model does not look straight into camera, he glances sideways. His cunning look implies his confidence or probably his satisfaction with something he has just said or done.
The advertisement under discussion is not complete without the caption used to corroborate the message of the image. The text goes: “That just brushed clean feeling after an innocent ‘let’s grab coffee’ got you more than just coffee”. According to Mauk and Metz, when text is used in the advertisement together with an image, they both “fuse into the same idea” (177). Here the viewer can see the cunning look and a happy shining smile of the young man. The image, when seen independently, simply implies that the man is self-assured and happy. But the caption lets the viewer understand the situation better. The man is handsome, he has invited some lady to grab coffee, but the clean teeth and fresh breath after having Orbit got him something more than just coffee. The viewer can easily imagine the whole story, not only the scene, where the attractive man invites a woman for a cup of coffee, and his whole look, charisma and fresh breath, of course, make the date surrender, whatever it may imply.
This advertisement may appeal to both male and female audience. Men may want to be like this character, look that confident and successful, and achieve certain desired things. Moreover, the caption implies that with the help of Orbit one may easily get more than coffee having invited a lady to grab a cup of a hot, smoking, full-flavored drink. On the other hand, this advertisement is appealing to female audience, too. The photo of the handsome model attracts attention, and the caption persuades that shining smile and fresh breath even after a cup of coffee are good reasons for something more than just a coffee-break.
The whole impression the advertisement makes is rather positive. It looks well thought-out and well-focused on the main point of advertising the chewing gum. The image of the model fits well in the context of a glossy magazine and seems appealing to the supposed audience – young adults who read such magazines and tend to take advantage of most of the content in it. This advertisement also corresponds with most Orbit photo ads which emphasize on the beauty of the smile of those who chew Orbit gums.
Works Cited
Mauk, John, and John Metz. The Composition of Everyday Life, Concise Edition. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.
