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Caryn Bedford Ms. Caruso Engl 1101 7 November 2013 Ray-Ban Advertisement Examination This rhetorical analysis will examine an advertisement thoughtfully chosen from a magazine. The Ray-Ban sunglasses brand is a brand familiar to many people of different ages. This particular Ray-Ban advertisement is a unique one in which the history of the brand is being displayed. The brand that the advertisement is showing off is the famous sunglasses brand RayBan. The ads image shows older couples formally dancing around a younger looking couple in the center of the page; the older men and women in the background appear to be appalled at the way the younger couple is dancing. The young ladys bare legs are in the air as her partner holds her with a smile on his face. The ad contains the text Never Hide along with the brands logo next to more text saying 75 years, legends. The ad is completely black and white except for the pop of color that comes from the red of the Ray-Ban logo in the lower right corner of the page. The ad conveys a sense of anachronism by displaying the models, whose actions are uncharacteristic of youth in the 1940s and 1950s, yet are in clothing identified with the era. The ad is celebrating the 75 years since the company was established has been around. This advertisement was found in the fashion magazine Elle. Naturally, this Ray-Ban advertisement was found in a fashion magazine along with other designer brand advertisements. The fashion magazine this ad was found in was Elle magazine. Elle caters s audience caters to an eclectic audience people of different ages. People who are interested in fashion, beauty, Hollywood, and eccentric lifestyles read Elle and would come across this Ray-Ban ad and other sunglasses ads. The ad would catch Elles audiences attention by having that pop of color in the
Comment [v3]: I feel as if this introduces the paragraphs topic more smoothly than before. I wanted this paragraph to pick up where the previous one left off by introducing where I found the ad. Comment [v4]: This revision makes A LOT more sense than before, and also helps to smoothly introduce the varying audiences. Comment [v2]: I kept the changes in this section to a minimum because I want to clarify to the reader what I see when look at the ray-ban ad. Comment [v1]: This version of the introduction sentence guides the reader into the paper way better than the previous one. This new sentence is less of a blatant introduction since being blatant does not quite fit in with this paper.

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corner of the page that stands out from the black and white. Other sunglasses ads such as Louis Vuitton and Tommy Hilfiger are in color and simply show the product with minimal little to no text. The audience would then see the message Never Hide and the image of the dancing young couple and make a personal connection. That connection could be that one should literally never hide who they are and what they want to be. Since Elle is a fashion magazine, the ad is convincing the audience to be trendsetters by wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses. The ad is reaching out to Elles audience and telling them to continue to be unique trendsetters and that its okay to go against the ordinary to make a fashion statement through wearing Ray-Bans. The fact that the ad is set in the 40s or 50s shows how different life was back then. The black and white color scheme of the advertisement and the clothing the models are wearing reflects the time period the ad is set in which is possibly the 40s or 50s. Life was very different in the 40s and 50s when the older generation disapproved of the young peoples way of life which can be seen by the looks of disgust the older people in the ads background have. To a modern audience, this ad displays how conservative the times were and how younger people were oppressed. It shows that the older citizens played a greater role in how the younger generation dressed and behaved. It was quite scandalous to go against the norms of conformity by partaking in outlandish behavior or something as simple as wearing designer sunglasses, as the young people in the ad are cognizant of the scrutiny and judgment they are receiving from the group of older people. The modern audience may see this ad and be thankful that they were not living 75 years ago when the Ray-Ban company was established. They would be appreciative that modern living is not as strict and also that the older generation is not as critical today as they were then. The younger generation may feel as if they do not have to hide their unconventional lifestyle as much as the generations before them. Based on this ad, the older generation may think that Ray-

Comment [v5]: The comparison of the Ray-Ban ad to other sunglasses ads starts here sooner than before. I made sure not to make one paragraph dedicated just to comparing the ads but to put comparisons here and there to keep the focus on the audiences perspectives.

Comment [v6]: I now realize that this sentence is extremely repetitive and unnecessary since the same thing is said in the next sentence. REPETITION IS NOT GOOD!!

Comment [v7]: I see how here I did not previously explain how I came to my conclusions about the time period of the ad, now my thoughts are clearly articulated.

Comment [v8]: This is where 2 paragraphs were combined to make one since both paragraphs go hand in hand with the topics of each one. Combining the paragraphs makes the paper flow smoother

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Ban sunglasses and other designer brands contribute to the scandalous behavior of young people. A person from an older generation may believe that no matter what the time period is, the younger generation will always misbehave. In the advertisement the only people wearing glasses are the young people, not the older people in the background. This shows that throughout time, the youth will make bold moves to get attention and are not afraid of the repercussions. Quite possibly an older audience may think that Ray-Ban glasses are the reason for the younger peoples misbehavior. In a way this ad shows that the Ray-Ban company is biased towards older people, their rigid morals, and strict lifestyle. The ad shows that the younger generation is cooler and more up to date with the trends than the generations before them because they are the ones wearing the Ray-Bans in the ads image. Sunglasses aficionados may be prompted to buy Ray-Bans because it is a unique, eye catching sunglasses ad. The sunglasses are clearly displayed in the ad with bold designs. Unlike other sunglasses ads, this ad has a message and story to tell. For example in the Louis Vuitton and Tommy Hilfiger advertisements from the same magazine, the models are simply wearing the sunglasses whereas in Ray-Bans ad there is activity occurring with a message concerning the companys motive. In the Louis Vuitton advertisement the model is shielding her face from the sun making the sunglasses pointless, and in the Tommy Hilfiger advertisement the model wearing the sunglasses is not conveying a blatant message for the company. These ads are letting the products sell themselves contrary to the Ray-Ban ad. Although the Sunglass Hut advertisement has a similar message, it is not conveying the message of the company with a story. The Ray-Ban ad may convince an audience of sunglasses aficionados to purchase their product by wanting them to be part of Ray-Bans history because at the bottom of the page it states 75 years, legends and Be part of the Legend. The ad takes the audience back through
Comment [v12]: I feel more confident with this paragraph now that the comparing ads were explained in more detail. Comment [v9]: I did not change much of this section because I felt that I articulated my ideas coherently and got what I already needed off my chest. Comment [v10]: Ray-Ban does a great job of promoting their product in this particular ad so that it is appealing to sunglasses shoppers which I what I am conveying in this paragraph. Comment [v11]: These designer brand ads are too posh to have a quirky ad like Ray-Ban. Here I am comparing how sunglasses freaks would see the ray-ban ad versus how they would interpret the other ads.

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time giving insight as to how old the brand is. The ad also shows that Ray-Ban sunglasses have been important trendsetters in the world of sunglasses throughout its the companys history. The Ray-Ban advertisement proved to be a very eclectic and unique one that stands out amongst the other sunglasses advertisements. With its lack of color, placement of the product, bold underlying message, eccentric models, and historical reference, the ad can reach a variety of audiences and interpretations. Audiences such as Elle magazine readers, modern generations, older generations, and sunglasses aficionados can make personal interpretations about the ad. A modern young audience may feel as if Ray-Ban sunglasses will allow them to release their inhibitions which was not acceptable during the time in which the ad was set. An audience of an older generation might think that Ray-Bans contribute to the outrageous behavior of young people. To Elle magazine readers, the ad is eye catching with a bold message. The ad could catch the attention of people who love sunglasses; and they then may be convinced to buy Ray-Bans because of the message and overall intriguing ad.
Comment [v14]: This sentence was omitted because it lacked depth and did not add much to the conclusion. Comment [v13]: More was added to this sentence because I did not state why this ad was unique

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