A D B U S T E R S The treachery of images (Rene Magritte, 1928) Surrealist
"This is not a pipe" - in English
This piece explores your perception of things. Surrealists were fascinated by dreams.
DETOURNEMENT - Highjacking or re routing. Taking over. aka "culture jamming"
Culture jamming is often obsessed with the idea of consumerism and capitalism
Issues with consumerism -
Unfair
Exploitation of workers e.g. Primark came under heavy criticism due to the fact that they were under paying their workers in China.
Culture Jamming - is the practise of criticising and subverting advertising and consumerism in the mass media by methods such as practising advertisements parodying those of global brands.
ADBUSTERS GENRE
Is a satyrical comedy magazine.
GENRE: Independant, campaigning, culture jamming
SATIR - A COMDEY THAT ATTACKS SOMEBODY E.G. POLITICAL FIGURES. Gets across a message to the audience.
BRAND IDENTITY-
White space -purity and cleanliness. Contrasts with what web can see on the front covers.
A lot of contradictions
Layout changes. Masthead changes every time. Makes them controversial and makes them challenge ideas.
No reference to anything inside the magazine.
ADBUSTERS is a bi monthly publication. (every other month)
Adbusters media foundation created inn 1989. SELF PUBLISHED
SET EDITION MAY/JUNE 2016
Price : £10.99
Circulation 120,000 readership globally.
Non profit magazine - there is no adverts in the magazine. Explains why it is so expensive. ANTICAPITALIST
Target class - nobody really knows. The price is high but the ideology seems to be aimed towards the working class.
NOT A MAINSTREAM MAGAZINE
NOT ADVERTS AT ALL - non profit, but very high cover price
CENTRAL IMAGE is that of a screaming terrorist. Clear to look at. Unclear meaning. BINARY OPPOSITION. Deliberately confrontational - not appealing to a mass audience at all. SUBVERSIVE
Dark overall tones - like camo/amry connotations
"Post - west" lost to terrorism.
Grain effect on the top- spray-can tool. Defacing, vandilisism.
Masthead is covered and defaced - this magazine is different from other magazines.
Subverts a lot of conventions.
Masthead is plain white, sans serif and visible
Black background - the image is slightly graphic.
Most magazines that are this price would not want to present a negative ideology to their audience.
Layout is eye-catching and we see the emotion and anger.
SYMBOLIC CODE AND PROAIRETIC CODES OF ANGER THROUGH THE FIST
Front cover is not fully anchored - assumes a level of understanding in the audience.
Adbusters and Genre:
POTENTIAL EXAM QUESTION -
"Genre conventions in magazines are completely informed by the social and historical context to which they are made" Steve Neal*
Evaluate this statement with reference to Adbusters*. Make reference to genre hybridity.
- We will be talking about Genre mainly within the response. (think about ideologies within the magazines)
- Historical context - when it was made.
- Social context - how society has changed & what is going on during the time.
- "Evaluate" - do you agree or disagree with the statement?
PAGES 2 AND 3 ANALYSIS
- red logo against white draws attention
- "red soles are always in season" - lexis refers to the high-end brand but also sore feet on the child ("red soles")
- binary opposition - brand against image, conventions of a charity advert
- makes readers feel guilty because they're spending money on expensive shoes, whilst some children don't have any
- lexis targeted towards middle class - more likely to own the shoes, even more guilt
- Ethnicity statement - stereotyping that African people are all poor.
- Wearing the shoes gives you cultural capital.
- Directly criticising the company
- no language, no lexis, no anchorage
- binary opposition of image of refugees trying to escape from somewhere (colour of skin, clothes, location, facial expressions) against catwalk (clothing, location)
- we all live in the same world but everyone lives so differently, complete poverty vs absolute luxury
- sense of helplessness and confusion
- monochrome and coloured image - emphasises the difference
- consumerism fills a void that people feel when they see negative images of 3rd world suffering
- Poverty and Wealth Binary oppositions
KARL MARX
ADBUSTERS CAMPAIGNS
Abusters takes part in very controversial campaigns
E.g. Black Poppy Day, Buy nothing day
Preaching to the converted - criticisms - the target audience already are into these ideologies
- Said to be anti Semitic ( anti jews )
Buy Nothing Day - ignoring Black Friday. You don't give into consumerism.
"It might lift your spirits for a few hours, or if you’re lucky, maybe a day or two, but in the end (and we mean the real end) your connections, your friends, your family, and your human experiences are all you’ve really got. So this year, at this moment in history when the existential threat of climate change is breathing down our necks, why not do something wildly different: Ignore Black Friday - decide to do things differently this year."
Occupy Wall Street Protest- became very popular in 2011. Adbusters organised the protest.
PROS OF CAPITALISM
-it works to some degree
-provides a structure to our lives
-consumerism is a distraction from the harsh reality
-gives people their own identity
ADBUSTERS WEBSITE QUESTIONS:
How does the website reinforce the brand identity of the magazine?
- includes controversial ideologies through images and clips
Is there a clear house style that is evident across the magazine and the website?
-I don't think adjusters has a clear style. The magazine composition changes regularly as well as the website layout and content.
What does the website offer that the magazine can't?
-Clips, edits and the "video of the week"
How does the website extend the brand ?( e.g. through videos, merchandise etc)
- Having their own shop
How does Adbusters use social media?
How can readers interact with the magazine through the website and social media?
- comments, anybody can submit to adbusters, audiences can share, like, retweet contewntn
Thank you this was very helpful 👍🏼
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