Lens Analysis: The Visual Messages In Advertisements

Name: Course: Professor: Date: Lens Analysis Visual messages used by advertisers are meant to influence our thoughts. Cigarettes are among the many products heavily marketed despite the many health risks associated with smoking. To counter these harmful advertisements, graphical advertisements to warn people against smoking are some of the strategies meant to minimize the effects associated with smoking. The inclusion of visual images in such advertisements is crucial because persuasive images influence peoples' thoughts. Visual messages used in advertisements provoke our feeling, pushing us to act appropriately. Using strong visuals, advertisers draw out our hidden fears. According to psychology, the fear of losing something valuable motivates people to take appropriate action. For example, a cigarette warning advertisement is meant to warn the audience against the dangers of smoking can only be effective if the advertisement combines both text and images with provoking messages. The text used in the warning advertisement provokes the audience thoughts, "how long can you live?" is reinforced by an image of a stick of cigarette burning slowly, indicating the age limit for smokers seems to send a strong warning about the dangers of smoking. The visual image and the text used in the advertisement is a persuasive way to influence our thoughts. The advertisement invokes fear and stimulates appropriate behavior; therefore, the emotional appeal enables the audience to rethink about the bad habit of smoking. Most advertisements set a trap for its target audiences using various elements, the audiences are caught up between who they are and who they would like to be. These two different views are the main reason why people feel helpless when they view advertisements. The hidden persuasion in advertising is prevalent because people make decision unconsciously. People tend to become vulnerable to these persuasions because humans are known for having endless desires, including the need to feel safe and the desire to fit with other people in the society. Advertisers use luring images to ensure that people can buy their products by exploiting human natural vulnerabilities. Advertisers take advantage of the helplessness of its target audience, using provoking images. Attractive images push the audience to imagine how their lives will be transformed if they decide to purchase the product. Visual images are powerful tools in advertisements; they often make the audience feel as if they are missing something which can only be restored if they buy the product being advertised. John Berger coined the term culture as a way of understanding human nature, according to Berger; adverts have a symbiotic relationship with fine arts. Berger compares advertisement with artistic images and concludes that advertisements and artworks stimulate our imagination. Advertisements stimulate our thoughts and persuade us to think differently. Images used in adverts portray the life we would like to have, hence, adverts play with our emotions, making us feel inadequate. Advertisers hope that visual images will affect our subconscious levels and push the audience to act upon these desires. Advertisers combine different elements to persuade the target audience. According to John publicity through advertisements is related to envy, this is the strategy used by advertisers to lure consumers. Burger points out that publicized products become the source of envy because the products are associated with glamour and happiness. Therefore, consumers are misled into thinking that when they purchase these products, their life will change. Publicity makes the buyer feel lesser humans because they have not purchased the product, the target audience may feel excluded that they do not possess what is being advertised. The visual images are carefully selected to attract our attention, the first thing that comes into our minds is that we tend to imagine ourselves possessing what is being advertised, such imagination causes anxiety and the need to want...