Ads are Distracting!!

Ever since this assignment I have noticed advertisements more and more. They used to be just those annoying useless commercials between tv shows that you never wanted to see. All they did is make you want to go out and spend your money on things that you didn't need. Don't get me wrong I still dislike commercials put now I see them differently. I break them down and try to understand every piece of them without realizing it. I always thought things were accidently placed in these ads but now I know everything is in there for a reason. I will find myself trying to figure out every little piece of these ads. I've actually noticed them other places, places I never knew had them. Whether it's driving down the road and the big billboards advertising things or when I am watching a movie and I see little things show up and I now know that they all have a purpose. Even in those movies! Who would have known that movies had advertisements. This paper made me see so much more. I don't know if it is necessarily all good though. It's very distracting especially when I am driving. There is one good thing about it though. Things that I wanted so badly before I see advertised and I just don't like the way they are portrayed or the ad doesn't do them justice so I just don't even care to have the thing I once wanted.

Ads are important!

After learning about the different visual rhetorical techniques used in advertisements, I have come to find that ads are a lot more important than I thought they were. They are not just some random thing that companies make to get their buyers to buy their products. They use the ads for a purpose. Before learning about these techniques, I would flip through magazines skipping a lot of the ads and only reading the articles. Now when flipping through magazines, I tend to focus a lot more of my attention on the ads. I look at the colors, the pictures, and the words. I try find out what the message is that the ad is trying to get out. I notice that a lot of the ads that I thought were kind of weird looking or pointless, are actually the ones that I focus on more now.

Also from learning about visual rhetorical techniques, I find myself looking a lot more at signs and ads when I am shopping. I try to see if the product being shown in the ad is really worth buying based on how the ad portrayed it. By doing so, I found myself not wanting to buy a lot of the products that I used to. By learning about the different techniques advertisers use, it has made me realize that ads are a lot more important than what people think they are. They aren’t just some random thing that advertisers make to get their customers to buy their products.

Platued

How has our discussion of visual rhetoric changed the way I look at advertising and other visuals? To be honest, I haven't had any change at all outside of class discussions. I look at things the same way I always have. I'm an artist, you see, so I analyze everything anyways. I always analyze how the colors, if any, in an ad or visuals contrast and stand out. I notice any focal points or anything of that sort that has to do with artsy stuff. I analyze objects and their placements, compositions, layouts, patterns, lyrics/words, and how the ad or visual makes me feel. In general, I analyze everything anyways. Besides learning new english vocabulary, I don't really look at anything in a new perspective than what I already do. I know I'm being repetitive, but it's the truth. I'm emphasizing the fact that I already really knew how to do this, but this english class has given the vocabulary terms and names for the things I'm doing. Class discussions have also clarified the ads, strategies, and analysis terms for me and brought them into better perspective rather than me just looking at something and saying, "Oh well, that color clashes with that color," or "Those lyrics can be interpreted in this way."

ad's

We talked about analyzing advertisements in my English class last semester so not all our discussion was new to me. In a way I've always analyzed ads. It's natural for me to do. I don't pay much attention unless something catches my eye to begin with and then I look closer. I've never been the kind of person who buys something based on an advertisement. I know what brands I like what products work for me. I listen to friend, family and professional opinions rather than advertisements. I do enjoy the funny or effective ad from time to time. Like watching the super bowl for the commercials, I never actually pay attention to the game.

Visual Rhetorical

When we first got this assignment I thought "How can you explain an ad in 4 pgs?" It turns out it was easier than I thought. I decided that I would look at a bunch of ads online and see what I could get from them. I will never look at an ad the same again. I notice everything about them. Color, size, words, energy, shapes, etc. I now examine every little thing about ads and what they are about. I was at Target the other day and I caught myself looking at an ad for 5 minutes trying to find the real message. I now look behind the ad, not just at what is in front. The thing I love best is the colors of ads. I never realized how much it meant to an ad. It changes so much. I love how advertising is trying to persuade you into what they are selling almost like they are hypnotizing the audience. Visual Rhetorical has changed how I look at advertising forever. I see so much more then just the outside and I love how it has changed my perspective.

Learning to see

I have learned a lot since we started our discussions about visual rhetoric, some things I love and others not that much.
I love being able to go beyond what my eyes see, especially in a world where everything seems to be so superficially oriented. It also feels good to be challenged to prove how much I can get from seeing something. It is nice to know that no matter who might be behind the making of an ad, they have left part of themselves on their work .Their vision is imprinted in one way or another in what they do. Is so enriching to know how someone else thinks.
On the other side, I have to be honest and say that I have this thing about salesmen that makes me furious. I have always felt that they’ll do whatever it takes—especially lie—to get you to buy something. Unfortunately that’s what I’m reminded of when I see an advertisement lately; I feel threatened. Another fact, that I think it’s sad, is that I feel like the magic is lost when I start analyzing everything. Is like learning how the special effects of your favorite movie were made; suddenly, the sense of wonder and the child-like dreaming that you felt the first time, are blown away like a candle’s flame.
I price the ability to dream, is such a powerful force that breaks any fear I might have. It pushes away my evil self, and opens the curtains to dispel my own darkness.

What are you trying to pull?

Ads are everywhere. I never noticed how many ads there are or the huge variety of ads that surround us everyday. If you walk down the halls of UVU you will find yourself bombarded by ads to join the army or to study abroad or even to go see a volleyball game. I didn't really associate these types literature (if I can call it that) as advertisement but I see now that nearly everything we come into contact with is trying to sell us something, get us to act in a certain way or do a specific thing. As I was flipping through the channels the other day I began to notice it in shows not just the commercials between them. American next top model was advertising for Wal-mart and some makeup company. A survival show was advertising a camping supply company and the list goes on. It makes me curious to see how long you or I could go without running into an ad of some sort. could you go a minute? Maybe you could go two, but eventually you are going to have to open your eyes again and when you do there will most likely be an ad in front of you or at least in you vicinity. This being said I don't particularly mind it all that much. I recently returned from an LDS mission and while I was gone I did not watch any TV or listen to the radio. So needless to say I didn't run into much advertisement. don't get me wrong I ran a good amount still, whether that be through billboards or in stores or wherever. Here is my point, I missed knowing what new things were coming out, what movies were new and well a lot of other news as well. So yeah we are bombarded, but hey I wouldn't have it any other way.