Blog Post #3

  1. Publicity (advertising) images influence consumers because it makes them envy. Consumers see the billboards or the magazines, or ads, and they point out the things that they want from it. People compare themselves with anything and ads are not an exception. They think if they buy whatever is being sold that it will help them look or be like the people in the publicity images. This is significant because it doesn’t work that way. You can’t buy something to change your whole life. This is a never ending cycle which means more consumerism because of envy.
  2. The differences between oil paintings and publicity pictures are important because the oil paintings are what the idealization of wealth and glamour originate from. It shows a place of wealth, and the ads makes you believe they can help you achieve that wealth/glamour. Berger points out that oil paintings were surrounded by gold frames to represent wealth and ads are surrounded by us and our needs. This reveals to the viewers that the production of images for publicity has origins dating back to old times. Also that the main purpose of them is for you to want to compete to gain status of whatever kind.
  3. The dream of later tonight offered by advertising uses imagery to manipulate consumers by showing that the man with the nicest shoes will have the best time and get the best girl. This is a mans dream and they manipulate him by telling him that he will get it by buying this or that. Advertising will continue to do this to people. For example, perfume ads. Somehow by getting a perfume you will turn into a desired woman walking down the street mysteriously. They paint ridiculous images but it still convinces the consumers.