Discussion Questions #4

Question #1:
Customers are influenced by advertising because they are surrounded by them everywhere they go. All kind of these images are an integral part of our lives and that is why is practically impossible to completely avoid them. We are swallowed by the commercials, and all of those images are stimulating our imagination. Propagation of the product appeals and concentrates on the viewers’ ego. The purpose of the modern way of how we perceive the pictures is to make us believe, that if we get a specific product, not only we could become better people, but we will become the most precious pleasure of the company/society. The only thing we have to do is spend our money and possessed the goods, but that is very misleading and false.

Question #2:
In the old oil paintings, there wasn’t a pictured way, how the person achieved the success or assets. It was rather a celebration of already achieved success. According to Berger, advertising is promoting the product itself but in some desired context of life to attract a buyer. It is very important because many of us unconsciously believe, that by buying the advertised product we buy the acceptance of society as well as a certain lifestyle. I think that nowadays we think success is mainly about possessing some goods and that is not good.

Question #3
A good example of what Berger used was skin. By purchasing promoted products, we are not going to look more beautiful, as it is pictured in the commercials. But many people are imagining, that by buying and using that product their skin and also themselves, will become more desirable and in the center of the attention of others. They believe they will become more popular. But unfortunately, they just became manipulated by the nice pictures.

Discussion Questions #4

1. According to Berger, how do “publicity”–what we would call advertising–images influence consumers and why is this significant?

According to John Berger, a publicity picture makes viewers think if they buy what it offers, that possession will change their lives, including their relationships. By showing images of happy people who use their products, they convey a message of if we buy that product too, we can have a life like those people.

2. As he compares oil painting to publicity (advertising) photography, Berger argues that oil painting “showed what the owner was already enjoying among his possessions and way of life;” “it enhanced his view of himself as he already was.” Whereas publicity pictures, “appeal to a way of life that we aspire to or think we aspire to.” Why are these differences important? What do they reveal to us about the production of images for publicity?

According to John Berger, oil paintings began with facts of its owner’s life. It shows the current wealth or achievements of its owner without including how they get that wealth. It doesn’t offer something, it just shows what they already have. But, publicity shows us a perfect life that we want to have. And, it offers that life to us by purchasing their service or products.

3. Choose one of the “dreams” he offers or think of your own. How does this dream offered by advertising use imagery to manipulate consumers?

I chose the dream of a faraway place. This is a dream that both he offers and of mine. Since I was a kid, traveling around the world is one of my biggest dreams. Especially after the increase of my interactions with technology, I realized that this dream get bigger and bigger place in my heart. Travel agencies advertisements have a big role in this. Images of other countries have always very distinct colors and usually, everyone in those images looks so peaceful and happy. Noone shows a signal of a bad mood or difficulty which makes me feel like if I go to that place the only thing I feel will be happiness and peace.

Discussion Post #4

  1. Publicity influences consumers to buy products because producers know what type of status people want. Individuals who seek to have up to date trends, styles, and nice expensive materialistic things buy everything and anything they want to feel good. They are seen and represented as “glamorous”. While others envy them for what they have and who they are. As Berger describes people believe that if they use these products they have better lives. 
  2. These differences are important because it states a clear reality and fantasy. Oil paintings illustrated a person’s wealth and status in the moment of the painting regardless of how they consumed it. Whereas publicity illustrates a fantasy that everyone wishes to have. It’s not obtained by the consumer just yet but waiting to convey the consumers to purchase it. The only way of obtaining anything is with one important thing, money. This reveals that money is the only way one can obtain these products and once they do they can have the wealth. Money basically buys your happiness, your economic status, your wants and desires. People fear having nothing because then you are seen as nothing as well, faceless as Berger expresses. Anxiety spikes because of this fear. 
  3. Berger talks about 3 dreams, one of them being “The dream of later night”. He discusses how something so small can be the life of the party. Alcohol, cigarettes and other substances are what people look forward to when escaping from their daily lives. Berger expresses these substances as “it is you who will bring the greatest pleasure of all” People intentionally surround themselves around this to have a “good life” Advertising uses imagery to manipulate consumers into buying cigarettes and alcohol so they can see how wonderful it is to use these products when trying to relax and party with other individuals. These are escapes nothing else can give you. 

Discussion question #4

  1. According to Berger publicity persuade consumers to spend their money showing them people who have a way of life, a possession or something the consumer would like to have, the purpose of publicity is to convince the consumer that buying certain objects, or acquiring certain service will change their lives. The purpose of publicity is to make people spend money in things that would make them seem richer or feel happier than they really are, even though they are poorer because they spend money in that. Publicity makes people think they could be someone they are not just by buying things.

2. Berger argues that glamour is a new concept that didn’t exist for the aristocratic society because when you born into a predetermined social class, being impossible to overcome poverty the concept of personal envy is a less familiar emotion, so without social envy glamour can’t exist. Berger compare oil paintings and publicity saying that they “share many of the same ideals, all of them related to the principle that you are what you have. Their purpose and their effects, however, are very different”, oil paintings used to show the real life of the owner, showing his wealth and power, publicity is about a way of life that the viewer aspire to have, publicity shows how these possessions could even improve your relationship with people, from your sexual life to your relationship with your family.

3. Publicity plays with the viewer’s mind, making people believe that they are not enough to be enviable, but they can still achieve the dream. One of the dreams Berger talks about is “the dream of a faraway place” in these kind of publicity they show people being and acting so natural with people of other cultures, and in beautiful places so the people can question themselves and think that maybe a trip to somewhere else could change their lives or give meaning to it.

discussion question 4

  • Advertising is the process of  making people feel that they need to live and desire in certain way. They create an illusion of life and it is so real that people believe in it and buy every products to fulfill that illusion.

 

  • According to John Berger oil painting is way of owner to show is power and to show that his/hers achievement. Publicity photograph is way to show us what we need to achieve and our desire to have a perfect life. They uses their images to make us feel we need to buy certain products to achieve the their way of life.

 

  • John Berger spoke of three dream, I chose the dream of a faraway place. Often I like to imagine myself traveling in distance country.  Discovering new places and facing new adventure. Mostly because of the advertisement  from the travel agency make feel like to truly enjoy an adventure I need to travel far.

discussion 4#

1. According to John Berger, everything that persuades individuals to consume a product is considered advice. They create dream lives and try to sell the perfection as if what they sell us will fix us. It is significant because what they propose isn’t real.

2. The paintings hide their “imperfections” and the photograph shows you a life of glamour that is available to everyone but a few people ever have. While we know the publicity does not represent us, but instead of that creates dreams for us that are not real.

3. One of the examples that John Berger gives us is about the “perfect skin”. It gives people the idea that once you use their product you will be able to have a perfect skin, like the one that they show all the hands touching. They make you think that with “perfect skin” you will be accepted.