According to Berger, how do “publicity”–what we would call advertising–images influence consumers and why is this significant? According to Berger, publicity influences us to purchase more items in order to feel richer and more glamorous. In fact we are depleting our earnings on things we don’t necessarily need. 

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?  These differences are Important because they can help us realize reality from fantasy. In a way these advertisements are a misconception of our reality. We see glamorous models, High end products and beautiful backgrounds and we want to fit into that description.  We spend more money  in order to fill a void and we also want to feel enviable. Reality is we are losing our sense of self.  Burger explains that  these oil paintings were a depiction of what was already the reality of the Owners. They were wealthy and already part of a higher class society. Publicity is the art of capitalism and The oil paintings demonstrated in the film were the quality of life of the wealthy owners.  

Choose one of the “dreams” he offers or think of your own. How does this dream offered by advertising use imagery to manipulate consumers? The dream of a far away place to me was like a representation of reality and fantasy. We imagine a world of castles and chivalry. As we wander in Romantic scenery and extravagant places that we see displayed on advertisements. We want to belong so we feed into this fantasy and spend  more and more. This makes us feel exuberant as we suddenly fit ourselves into the advertisements. We see another  world where our reality is not so pleasurable. We are Nomads in this dream as we are trying to find our place in a world that is deceitful and violent. This dream is not what we desire so advertising and publicity helps us escape this reality we believe the more we have the more glamorous and desirable we will become.