Author: Burger King
Date: July 25, 2013
Place(s) of Publication: online, television, radio, commercials, billboards
After briefly examining the persuasive advertisement above, I can see the Premium Alaskan Fish Sandwich, the Whopper, the Original Chicken Sandwich, and the returning-for-a-limited-time Bacon Cheddar Stuffed Burger. These sandwiches look really large and are intended to appeal to its audience. This denotative examination of the text reveals that there are burgers/sandwiches that are being advertised by Burger King at a reduced rate if you purchase more food. The ingredients and food items in this advertisement look fresh and appealing. The buns of the burgers/sandwiches are perfectly shaped and round. The color scheme I notice is also very vibrant and welcoming to its audience. The bright colors and bold font of words is intended to make its audience pay attention to what is being said/what is written. The audience is also drawn to the high quality of the image. Since the photograph is focused on the food in the foreground, and the background is blurry, the food is the prime focus of attention. An aspect of film that I can see within this ad is the use of the rule of thirds. If you split this picture in thirds horizontally, the food items are in the middle third of the picture. By having these items in the middle, it indirectly forces the audience of this advertisement to focus their attention on the food.
However, when I apply a connotative examination of this advertisement, I can see the bigger picture, that they are offering way too much food because of their audience. The intended audience is Americans. They are targeting Americans because most people in America eat too much food and America has high rates of obesity. The language used in this ad can be thought of as targeting an audience of people who like to eat a lot of food for a low cost. It can also be attracting people with a lower economic background because of the cheaper deal that is being advertised. When analyzing this picture, I envision one thing.... the culture of America. America's culture is typically known for its plethora (yes I just said that mrs. genesky...:)...) of fast food restaurants. Americans are often stereotyped to be fat and eat way too much, which falls hand in hand with the deadly sin that I see most prominently within this ad: gluttony. I think that this advertisement is very gluttonous because Dictionary.com defines gluttony as excessive eating and drinking, and in this ad, Burger King is selling multiple serving sizes for the price of a normal size portion. I can also advocate that envy and avarice are evident in this advertisement. I think that envy is a deadly sin within this ad because the purpose of this ad is to make its audience envious of the product being sold, and desire it. I believe that avarice is seen a little bit in this advertisement because the purpose it again is to make its audience want to consume it, and greedy to gain it. Even though these last two deadly sins that I have applied to this Burger King advertisement are a little bit of a stretch, I think that it is interesting that such extreme sins can be applied to such a simple advertisement. On a daily basis I see ads like this, but I never think of how sinful they actually are.
Works Consulted
Burger King . “Mix & Match 2 for $5.” Burger King, Burger King Corporation, www.bk.com/offers.
“Gluttony.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/gluttony?s.
I really liked how you not only examined the food in this advertisement but also the colors, fonts, and focus and how this helps the ad be appealing to its audience. Also, it was interesting how you linked this ad to a huge problem in America: obesity. I loved that you included a definition of gluttony to allow your audience to know what definition of this word that you would be working off of. It was interesting that you also chose to discuss the use of avarice in this ad since this was not as obvious at first glance. Finally, I thought your last comment about seeing these ads everyday and not noticing the sins in them was very relevant because when I look at an ad I am not focusing on the sins and deeper message, I am focusing on the product.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting that you included film elements into your examination of the photographic part of this advertisements. I also very much agree with your analysis of how this ad perfectly demonstrates American culture. You made the connection between the deadly sin of gluttony and this ad, and this ad and American culture, and I think you could also say that this ad indirectly tells a non-American audience that gluttony is common among the American people and in our society.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you connected the advertisement to the overarching theme of obesity. It was nice to include background information on gluttony and obesity in American culture. Also, I believe that film is a huge part of the fast food industries approach to advertising. I like how you incorporated that into your analysis of the advertisement.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your points about appealing to individuals with economical struggles since they get feed their family very cheaply. The colors schemes almost make you able to smell the food item and that says a lot about what our american culture wants. We are known as the obese side of the world and our media does not help fight that stereotype.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts here- challenge yourself to also think about format/structure to further your analysis. I am impressed by your visual analysis skill.
ReplyDelete