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Bacardi Revealed

Bacardi Revealed

Many contemporary theorists believe that while meaning is obviously formed through language, our lives are bombarded with nonverbal messages that are also very important factors in terms of shaping our perceptions.   This seems most apparent in advertising, where every image, color, edit, etc. is intentionally manipulated to promote a particular product.   Susan Bordo, a modern feminist philosopher, takes on advertisements in her work "Hunger as Ideology."   Bordo presents gender, sex, and the body, and how they are used in advertisements.   Alcohol, like any popular product is a prime example of what Bordo tries to convey about advertisements.   Bacardi & Company, as with nearly any brewer, is notorious for using images depicting attractive women, appealing events, generally good times, or combinations of any of the three. The image attached is obviously intended to sell alcohol. To do this, the company uses several not-so-subtle and subtle arguments within the picture.
This image is relatively simple, composed of a woman placed on a red background, accompanied by a few simple phrases and a prominent Bacardi logo.   The woman is much more heavily emphasized than any other element in the picture, including her drink.   This technique is employed to cause viewers to stop and stare, almost undoubtedly noting at some point the lower phrases.   Most noticeable is the woman in the picture.   The eye is instinctively drawn to her, though not simply because she is a woman. Note the attire of the woman: it is revealing and suggestive, creating excitement. Her pose also draws attention to her.   First the readers eyes focus on the right-hand shoulder then move in one of two paths.   Initially, the eyes move down and across the back, following the line of her arm directly to the glass (presumably of Bacardi) in her hand.   At another glance, however, a reader could follow the line of her shoulders across her back, to the left-hand side of the ad, then down her...