Representation of human

What is sign?

1. Sign is the basic unit of language.
2. Sign is a unit of meaning, semiologists argue that anything has meaning.

If paying more attention at those commercial magazine, print ad and billboard, most of them are actually using the photography of human. Gillian Dyer's book Advertising as Communication (1982) points out that photographys of many adverts depend on signs of humans which symbolize particular qualities to their audience. 
Signs of human can be categorized into four parts:

1. representations of bodies
2. representations of manner
3. representation of activity
4. props and settings

All these elements are usually can be seen in print ads, target audience can understand the meaning unconsciously via them. I will analyse the chosen print ads by using this powerful checklist accordingly.

Remember my last post? I did mention 'to be continued'. Here you go!

It is just simple reason that I choose these two print ads again, instead of others as I post in the previous blog, because this chapter is about representation of human! Does it make sense? Of course, it does. :)

Lets get start it!

LEFT

1.Representation of body

• Age: around 30, wisdom
• Gender: Man- weedy little man. Women- consistent uniform, sexy, attractive
• Race: Chinese
• Hair: Man- the orderly gelled hair, somewhat old style feeling. Women- brownish hair dye (k-pop hair style). I guess men likes this kinda of girl. 
• Body: Weedy little man is undesirable and unattractive. holding spoon and fork in awkward mood. Stewardesses are wearing short skirt with the elegant sitting and standing position.
• Looks:  Stewardesses- close-fitting uniform shows the beautiful 'enterprise line' of women. In Mandarin, enterprise line is so-called 事业线, this is a terminology for those modern women to show their beauty.

2. Representations of manner

• Expression: Man has an inflexibly complacent smile, he is served like a king. Smile lit up the stewardesses' faces and serve him attentively.
• Eye contact: Stewardesses are looking at the man and being submissive to the man. The man makes an connection to viewer, he is looking at you, imply that you can be like me also. (design dialogue: You wouldn't know how excited I am now, you cannot be like me =P) Take it easy, this is just for fun. 
• Pose- One stewardess is on her knee, two stewardesses are standing, and another two are sitting in various poses. At the same time, the man is sitting in the middle. It shows that the man is pedestalled like a king. 

3. Representation of activity

• Touch- 3 is holding various foods and two holding handkerchief. Girls- surrounding him on all sides, like his minion feeding him. just lack of spoon feeding only.
• Body movement- Women are the active obviously.
• Positional communication: In term of spatial arrangement, the man is surrounded closely by stewardesses. it looks a bit compact in the central of this print ads. Their hands are moving toward the man to show they are the active one.

  
4. Props and settings

• Props: spectacle give me this kind of impression of intelligence, yet pedant and nerdy. The spicy Malaysia popular food does have two meanings which are the wide selection is supplied in AirAsia plane, and the hotty/ stewardess. The symbolic red handkerchief connotes AirAsia‘s service is attentive.
• Setting:  setting of the ambience is apparently inside aeroplane with AirAsia symbolic red color.

RIGHT

1.Representation of body

• Age: around 30. wisdom, men are at the prime of their career.
• Gender: In this case, men are active, and woman is passive and femininity
• Race: Chinese
• Hair: Woman- K-pop hairstyle again.
• Body: standard figure. desirable stature to most men and women. I think this has become the criteria of being welcomed people and celebrity. 
• Looks: Look at those 'TOP' votes can show what is the criteria of 'beautiful' and 'handsome'. Hope you know what I mean.

2. Representations of manner

• Expression: the girl is enjoyable to all happen around her
• Eye contact: More or less same with the LEFT print ad. 
• Pose: 2 men standing, 1 man sit beside the girl. the girl is prone.

3. Representation of activity

• Touch: Woman is wearing a headset. One man is holding the red rose to propose, another two men are taking liberties with the woman. 
• positional communication: Different with LEFT, the men are active and woman is passive.

4. Props and setting

• props: luxury dormette is contrasting with the normal seat, also the normal seat is blocked by the luxury dormette. It connotates the high class and comfortable seat is supplied in AirAsia. The symbol rose means love. The arrangement of props is wisely done.
• Setting: Comparing to the LEFT, the space is much wider, it is the particularly huge space for the girl. The connotation of huge space usually give people an impression of comfortable, owning private space. 

Resources: 
Rose, G (2007) Visual Methodologies: An introduction to the Interpretation of Visual Materials, 2nd edition, Great Britain: MPG Books Group.