AXE dry

So when I read the assignment I realized how uncultured I was, because I found the advertisement section to be the most applicable to my life haha. But I don’t feel too bad because I really do enjoy funny commercials and billboards and such. For example, one image that will always stick in my mind is an AXE-dry deodorant billboard I saw in Europe of a guy, arm raised, soaking an attractive woman with his projectile sweat. Forgive me, it’s gross, I know, but also hilarious in my opinion.

The way I read that image is how I think most people do today. People and companies and whatnot really emphasize fast-paced living, and I think ads are really geared toward that too. Most people won’t take the time to really analyze an image, they just need an attention-grabber that doesn’t require any thinking. That’s what the AXE billboard does, and that also explains why racy commercials and other advertisements are becoming more and more prevalent. I also realize that these ads, more often than not, are geared towards a male audience.

That’s what I’ve noticed in what you could call low-end media, but I’ve also been taking classes the last few semesters where we analyze a lot of classical art, which does require a lot of attention and thought. The artist will often put things into a piece that draws your eye toward the focal point. I notice it the most in religious paintings where figures will be pointing to Christ, for example. Or the artist will do more kind of subconscious things to draw your eye, like brighter colors leading up to the subject, or a crowd of people flowing toward the subject. But basically, I only really pay attention to that kind of stuff when it’s some kind of classic painting like that.