• According to Berger, how does “publicity”–what we would call advertising–images influence consumers and why is this significant?

In accordance with Berger, publicity sells consumers a dream. Berger says “Advertising is effective precisely because it feeds upon the real.” This is significant because it shows how major corporations abuse real-life problems for financial gain. By highlighting the glamour of life within these advertisements, people often compare their beauty, wealth, etc. because it shows them a future where they’re living a more desirable life.

• As he compares oil painting to publicity (advertising) photography, Berger argues that oil painting “showed what the owner was already enjoying among his possessions and way of life;” “it enhanced his view of himself as he already was.”  Whereas publicity pictures, “appeal to a way of life that we aspire to or think we aspire to.” Why are these differences important? What do they reveal to us about the production of images for publicity?

Berger argued that an oil painting often highlights features that the artist is confident in, as opposed to advertising, which often uses societal pressure to sell a dream to consumers. The difference between the two is drastic, I believe Berger compared the two to furthermore explain how the production of images for publicity, abuse the realities & struggles of the public. In today’s world, knowing the difference Berger was referring to, is very important because it reminds us that we don’t need to change ourselves or our lives to feel confident. With Instagram models advertising health & wellness products, or an ad of men in suits telling you how you can make a fortune from your couch, we are constantly told that if we feed into a certain fabricated image It’ll somehow fill us with happiness or make us superior. But It’s short-lived, because like Berger said “The things which publicity sells are in themselves neutral” which means these things we’re being sold, mean nothing.

• Choose one of the “dreams” he offers or thinks of your own. How does this dream offered by advertising use imagery to manipulate consumers?

Throughout the video, there were 3 main dreams Berger discusses. The dream of “later tonight”, the “skin” dream & the dream of a “faraway place”. The skin dream resonated with me the most, particularly because of its popularity amongst society today. We are constantly chasing this artificial beauty because we believe we need to conform to society’s standard, companies abuse that and get consumers to believe if they invest in their product, they too will enjoy a much richer, fulfilling life. They manipulate consumers to buy beauty products with the promise of becoming more desirable to not only themselves but others as well.