Deconstructing Ads
1. These two ads are selling the same product, but in completely different ways. The first ad is from a time where sex and other “private” aspects of people’s lives were somewhat taboo to display for everyone to see. This is why the product is not even the center of attention of the advertisment, but seemingly an afterthought. For the second ad, the 1970’s was a time where sex was talked about in every aspect of life, and advertisers used this fact in order to make their products more desireable. By using Sybil Shepard in their ad, they have made Kotex more desireable just because of the fact that this beautiful woman wears them. The amount of writing in the ads also shows the type of time period these ads came from. The first ad has a large amount of writing that people most likely would have read, not because they had nothing better to do but because advertisements were less frequent. But by the 1970’s the amount of advertisements increased, and the corresponding amount of words in each ad had to decrease in order for the message to get accross.
2. 
(adflip.com)
Both of these ads are trying to sell shoes. The first one, from the 1950’s, does this by showcasing the shoes and providing a write up about their qualities and attributes. The second ad, which is current, is selling “classic” shoes by providing a “classic” image. Although this ad does not exude sexuality, it is still there. Cubism was a movement of art that could convey many different images, not just one of a naked woman. By using a naked woman they have added the sexuality and appeal of the shoes. The difference of the ads show the difference of importance within the time periods. In the first ad they are using the actual product’s attributes to sell the item itself, while in the second they are using underlying sexual tones to put their product ahead.
