- According to Berger, publicity uses carriers of images and words to stimulate people’s imagination. It shows the lives of those who have made a change to let consumers feel envy. This feeling will cause consumers think that they can make themselves richer in one aspect by consuming. Publicity is significant, not only it is all around us, but also because most people want to be envied and attractive in this society that is called for moving democratic. As Berger says, being envied is a glamour. Publicity is the process of generating glamour. Thus, consumers will be attracted by these various publicity’s images and go to buy more products. The images of publicity will silently affect us imagination and remind us to think about our current situation.
- Oil painting and publicity photography have some difference. Oil painting is a kind of classical art and used to record the real life of the owner. It doesn’t show glamour that like publicity images, but people who watch these oil painting can feel the superiority of class life. For example, seeing the manor, beauty and carriage in the oil painting, these superiority is what makes people enviable. However, publicity advocates a life style that we desire now. It advertises all kinds of things that it thinks people want but haven’t got yet, like luxury car, luxury package and villa. The biggest difference is that publicity hopes people believe that what they buy is not just a thing but also a way of life. In my opinion, oil painting shows the owner’s wealth and lifestyle. Publicity also uses the images to reveal people’s pursuit of wealth and lifestyle. These differences are important because the eras are different. With the change of times, people who pursue wealth and lifestyle become not only those who can own oil paintings. Publicity photography is a form of marketing, but it uses a similar way with oil painting to give people the image that they can change themselves and pursue their dreams by buying things.
- Just like Burger’s the third dream- the distant dream. Publicity uses exotic and beautiful scenery pictures to make consumers produce various imaginations, which make them yearn for traveling. People will generate motivation through comparing their current situations with the distant dreams. The images show an unknown world where full fill passions for them, and those are charming. In order to pursue a better way of life, they will work hard to pursue their dreams. In other words, publicity use imagery through adding some elements that can generate glamour in the images to manipulate consumers. For instance, the color magazine which Berger read, author uses pictures of refugees to appeal public sympathy. However, I think it is a way to manipulate consumers. These images not just arouse consumers’ sympathy, but also make them feel superior. Publicity uses their superiority to manipulate consumers to spend for pursuing what they want.
ENG 101: an Introduction to Composition and Research (Fall 20)
Ways of Seeing/Ways of Hearing
Very insightful! I agree and like that you pointed out the images of the refugees not only conveys sympathy but also superiority as well.
Thank you for reading my post.
It is great explanation. I highly agree with your respond. You acknowledge about that difference between publicity photography and oil painting .
Haha, thank you. I don’t really understand this video.