English 1010
Image analysis

The majority of advertisements have most things in common, for example very seldom will you find an ad where ugly people are representing the product being sold. The four companies that I have selected to look at are the epitome of misrepresentation. From what I already know about the three and the types of people that purchase their products the four companies that are being looked at are Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Eddie Bauer.

Gap- The advertisement that I decided on is an image of a woman dressed in winter clothing and wearing a rather large hat with two men, one in front and one in back. The man in back is black and the man upfront is white. The woman is sitting in the middle and it appears as though the she is in a wind tunnel, her hair is blowing and she has to hold her hat on. The men on the other hand seem to be rather unaffected by the wind storm that is blowing through. The woman also has her mouth open and seems to be falling backwards. The man in back is the only person looking into the camera while like I said the woman is falling backward so she is looking at the ceiling and I get the impression that the gentleman in front is in deep thought about something. The color in this image is very dull and mostly white and grey.
What I perceived from this image is that the woman in the middle is in her own little world and she does not seem to notice what is going on around her even though there are two very attractive men sitting around her she is in charge of the situation and she has some sort of strange power over these two men. I am guessing that the two men in the picture are probably gay but that is my opinion. Gap targets a huge variety of people, I would be willing to say that over 70 percent of Americans own or have bought something from Gap. This image tells me that yes it is possible to be good attractive no matter what color or sexual preference you may be. I do know that this clothing is some what affordable and fits all sizes, which is why they get such a wide variety of costumers.

Old Navy- Image, this is a picture of a young girl wearing winter clothing she has her hair done in two long pony tails like Pippy Long Stocking. She is jumping in the air with her legs kicked back behind her and her arms are thrown straight out from her body. It looks as if this young lady is extremely happy to be doing what she is doing, smiling the way she is. The colors in this image are remarkable. Very bright, brilliant and vivid she has a dazzling white smile and her boots are even pink.
One might get the impression that these cloths not only provide you with protection from the elements but freedom from the world. They seem show that one can wear their personality on the outside and show off to everyone that I am a cheerful person. I also get the impression that these cloths might make me young again that these cloths will some how turn back the hands of time and I will be a child again. Old navy is very bold in their advertising and clothing, everything is so brightly colored that I would be embarrassed to walk down the street in one of their sweaters for fear that someone might mistake me for some kind of exotic bird. The product targeting for old navy is more for the average middle class mother who thinks she is buying her children something nice but in reality she is buying them a free ticket to get beat up at school.

Banana Republic- Picture this, a young Asian woman of about 25 years who seems to be strutting down the street. She is wearing high heeled black leather boots that go up to about her knee. A long white coat flows behind her as she strides her glossy dark hair is streams off her head. Her clothing is casual yet professional, the coloration is especially noticeable. the look on her face shows that she can be sexy and still in charge.
When I see this picture it reminds me of all those girls in high school who knew they were good looking and would use it to their advantage. When I hear the name Banana Republic for some reason I think BYU I do not know why this is maybe it is because BYU is all about competition everyone has to be better than everyone else. The type of ads this company puts out are defiantly directed toward people who are looking for the more casual yet sophisticated look. There is one catch though this clothing is pretty pricy.

Eddie Bauer- The weather is cold and you need a coat to wear that will keep you all warm and cozy. The image on the front cover of the Eddie Bauer catalog is of a woman standing outside in the cold buttoning up her down coat and holding a pair of gloves in her hand. She is staring directly into the camera with her big blue eyes. Her coat is a faded whit color that contrasts with the surrounding snow.
What this image says to me is that not only that this coat will keep me warm but it also offers a sense of protection and security. The woman in the picture is not young she is a middle aged woman still very beautiful but more mature than the other models. I can see why people would want to buy clothing from this company; it is a more stylish grown up look. Eddie Bauer is more than just a line of clothing it is an entire image, the type of people that are targeted in the majority of their ads are upper middle class middle aged people. The clothing itself is not flashy it does not stand out as something different, the fact that you are wearing the name Eddie Bauer offers all the comfort you will need. When you have on a pear of Eddie Bauer jeans you can walk down the street feeling much better about yourself. Style is all in the name.

posted by craniac @