The Brief

Rip out an advertising image from a newspaper supplement and circle and write on as many parts of the image as you can. Comment on what it is, what it says about the product and why you think it’s there. You could use this as the basis for your assignment if you feel it’s taking you somewhere interesting. Of you could adopt this method for your assignment preparation.

Come back to this exercise when you’ve reached the end of Part Four and see if you can add anything to your analysis.

The Advert

Here we have an advertisement for sliced ham. I have annotated the photograph in the advert with what I see as the contextual elements.

Deconstructing the Advert – what is there in the scene?

The first element that we notice when looking at this advert is the filled sandwich. It is an appealing looking roll that is arranged so that the contents are on display. The filling is made up from four distinct items, ham, cheese, some form of salad leaves and onions. The arrangement of these is such that the ham occupies the most space in the roll. Remnants of the filling are scattered around the roll on a wooden chopping board that the sandwich is arranged on. The other elements in the frame are the cloth to the left of the sandwich, the dark background that has no discernible detail detail and the light which is coming in from the right hand side. The elements that are not part of the subject, but are included in the frame are the ‘packet of ham’ graphic and the text. The text elements are divided into those that describe the product and those that inform as to the producer. One of the textual elements is contained within a speech or thought bubble that is pointing toward the roll.

Why might the elements be there?

The roll is oriented towards the viewer so that the filling is the first thing we are drawn to. It’s the vehicle for showing us the product but at this stage, it’s not clear what the ad is for. The filling is arranged so that the ham is the most visible element in comparison with the other foods. This points to the advert being about ham. The point is further emphasised by the use of contrasting colours of the other ingredients and the way that bits of them are scattered around the scene. The ham itself if arranged so that it is clear that it is sliced, suggesting that this is the type of product being advertised. The roll acts as a frame for the product, so that is what we are immediately drawn to. The blurred and contrasting background highlights the product as the anchoring point of the photograph.

The roll is placed on a wooden chopping board, which suggests that the sandwich has been naturally made. Combined with the cloth at the left of the frame, the impression created is one of the roll being specially made. The soft lighting highlights the subject in a soft way so that colour and texture are made clear without being jarring.

When considering the text separately, the first thing I noticed was the slogan. The slogan is a play on the phrase “the best thing since sliced bread”, a phrase that is recognisable by most British people. The substitution of ham for bread reveals that this is indeed and advert for sliced ham. The next noticeable text item is the speech bubble that declares the sandwich as being ‘free from nitrites’. This points to the product being healthy. The final text elements are the details of how to buy it. The matter-of-fact statements about it being available and the details of the company are there to inform the curious buyer. As a reminder of what they might be buying, we have a small graphic of a packet of sliced ham to reinforce the point.

What do the elements possibly mean?

Starting with the main subject, the roll itself and its filling are all intended to give the impression of good, nutritious food. The roll is rustic looking and it is arranged so that its contents are bursting out from it. The main ham filling is arranged so that it is honest about the nature of the product (sliced), but the supporting fillings of cheese, salad are not cooked or processed, suggesting a healthier combination. The use of contrasting colours makes us look at each individually and their arrangement, along with the scattered remnants and the rustic roll, suggests something home-made as opposed to mass produced. The wooden chopping board that the roll is sitting on suggests a kitchen rather than a factory and the cloth, although obscured by the main text, further emphasises that suggestion. The photograph used for the advert is enhanced by the use of text placement and language. The speech bubble that contains the phrase “made without nitrates” is an interesting one. The first observation is that the bubble doesn’t point to the ham, but the whole sandwich. The use of ‘made’ therefore seems to be aimed at the completed food, not just the product itself. The way that these two elements create this idea is subtle in getting the message across that the ham is a healthy product without simply coming out and saying that. In fact, nowhere in the advertisement does the manufacture make this claim directly. Instead, the viewer is led to the conclusion that it is because of the appetising-looking sandwich that can be created with the ham. The message is further emphasised by what is missing from the sandwich, the ‘nitrites’. Most of the general public is unlikely to know what nitrates are, but their use here suggests something bad. By stating that the sandwich contains no nitrites, the advert is saying that the public should be grateful that they have avoided this unhealthy thing. The use of fear of accidentally eating something unhealthy is very much in line with Derrida’s idea that a trace of what is missing is always present. The advertisement pushes health but also refers to the implications of not taking health seriously. In fact, nitrites are harmful. In processed meat, they are used to boost colour In this advertisement, there is no explanation other than that they are bad and the buyer doesn’t need to worry about it.

The other text in the advertisement tackles the ‘goodness’ of the product in slightly different ways. The main banner that announces ‘the best thing since slice ham’ pushes the message in a humorous way that this is an invention that is good for us. The play on words of the phrase ‘the best thing since sliced bread’ is intended to invoke the same idea. When bread was cut by hand in the old days, it was seen as a bit of a chore as well as being potentially wasteful depending on the person doing the cutting. The invention of sliced bread allowed for more convenience and less waste, a message that the ham manufacturer is making in this advertisement. They are making no secret that it is pre-processed and sliced (with the addition of the picture of a packed of ham), but making the point of ease of use in addition to the message about it not containing the traditional chemical additions (the nitrates) of other products. This is another point along the lines of Derrida’s trace of alternative meanings; the ham is better for you because you don’t have to do any work to use it. While this sounds odd, there are many people whose busy lives create a need, whether real or not, for time-saving food that lacks any additional hassle. The final element is the name of the product/manufacturer. The ideas that the word ‘naked’ creates lend themselves to the other messages about health and simplicity that the advertisement has pushed so far.

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Naked (adjective)

being without clothing or covering; nude: naked children swimming in the lake.

without adequate clothing: a naked little beggar.

bare of any covering, overlying matter, vegetation, foliage, or the like: naked fields.

bare, stripped, or destitute (usually followed by of): The trees were suddenly naked of leaves.

without the customary covering, container, or protection: a naked sword; a naked flame.without carpets, hangings, or furnishings, as rooms or walls.

Dictionary Definition of Naked [3]

This is a product that is stripped back to its basic form, is not covered or has nothing to hide. The idea that the use of this word creates is one of openness that suggests it is a product unlike the others. Again, the advertisement seeks to separate itself from the rest.

Conclusion

This was an interesting exercise. The advertisement that I chose was just one at random, i.e. I didn’t chose it because of a connection with the product or the imagery, merely selected something from the magazine that I had in front of me. In deconstructing the imagery, I found that there were many subtle meanings and distinctions from other potential ideas. The ham was being touted as healthy and natural because of the way the photography was arranged with supporting text and language. The interesting realisation for me was that although all of these elements work to create that narrative, my perspective was unchanged – I don’t believe for a minute that processed ham is healthy. This is because I bring to the image my own understanding and experience to the analysis. My wife and I eat healthily for the most part and avoid things like processed meats. I know instinctively that the messages in the advert are wrong, but there are many who do not. The target population for the advertisement is the busy person or family member who doesn’t have time to buy fresh ham. There could also be the need for convenience or lower cost or simply wanting to make food last longer between shopping trips. Whatever the motivation, the buyers that are taken in by adverts like these, are not necessarily taking part in creating the narrative as described by Barthes. Instead, the advertisers simply have to signpost the meanings through what the buyer gets (goodness) and avoids (badness) through the use of imagery and text.

I found the multiple layering of this image fascinating. The brief suggests returning to this after Assignment 4, which I will consider doing.

References

[1] Unknown, “Definition of Naked”, Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/naked