Analysis of print advertisements for beauty products

 P block

• Location: city has connotations of professional upmarket lifestyle
• Lexis of 'New York' acts as anchorage for the audience, reinforcing the idea of New York, which has connotations of an exciting, busy life
• Muted colour palette draws attention to the product instead of the setting
• Intense high key lighting emphasises models face demonstrating that she is the focal image
• Target audience of women: use of clearly female model suggests makeup is targeting a female audience
• Direct mode of address: model looks directly at audience, demonstrating her power, confidence and importance
• Slogan: "maybe it's Maybelline" catchy and easy to remember for the target audience (working class audience?)
• Models use of makeup is 'natural' and unobtrusive, which draws attention to her eyelashes
• Gesture: slightly open mouth functions a hermeneutic code, forcing the audience to answer the question "what is she about to say?"
• Slightly open lips may also function as a proairetic code, suggesting that she is about to kiss someone. Suggests to audience that putting on maybelline makeup will make them more sexually attractive
• Use of city as mise-en-scene suggests the mascara is everyday, normal use product. Highly polysemic advert
• Mise-en-scene of other woman walking creates contrast between 'normal' looking woman in the background and the 'beautiful' Denise Richards, again suggests the makeup will make the audience beautiful
• Emphasis on model's eyes reinforces the importance of having beautiful eyes
• Unnatural setting and strange place to put on makeup (a busy street!) gives the audience some fantasy elements
• Contrasting colours reinforce the notion of a "boldly thickened look", further emphasising through anchorage
• Model's face takes up approx 50% of image, (close up) demonstrates importance of the model
• Enigma code of "maybe she's born with it"

• Blue background forms a stark contrast with the model's red lips, suggesting her bold personality. Functions as a symbolic code
• New York is symbolic of wealth and luxury, suggesting that this is a luxurious product for a wealthy audience
• Hermeneutic code: model gazes out of the advert, directly at the audience, creating a sense of mystery
• Flower is symbolic of passion of love, which is further anchored by the lexis of the word 'passion' 
• Mise-en-scene of model's pale face suggests that she is stereotypically beautiful
• Layout of range of shades helps the advert to target as large an audience as possible
• Slogan 'Make it happen': connotations of opportunity and excitement, much like new york!
• Lexis of 'passion and passionate' link to flowers, love and kissing
• Blue and red create a juxtaposition, creating a symbolic message of two opposing ideals
• New York: connotations of 'dreams coming true', the american dream 
• Use of bold colours, reference to Marilyn monroe and other famous women? Referential code
• Word it ∫is highlighted in red, meaning it functions as an hermeneutic code, creating a sense of mystery for the audience
• Use of block capital, sans serif font constructs a bold message for the target audience 

R block

• Use of colour beige reflects a calm, toned down atmosphere, promoting Mabeline as a 'natural' beauty product
• Proairetic code of mid shot of model on the roof of an exclusive building suggests that she is about to go out and to go clubbing
• Model looks out into distance, forming an hermeneutic code for the audience. Who is she looking at?
• Slogan: make it happen. It functions as a hermeneutic code. Sexual connotations? open to audience polysemic (many meanings)
• Use of high key lighting symbolises happiness, excitement and life
• Close up shot of model emphasises her beauty, including the mise-en-scene of her clear skin
• Mise-en-scene of studio lighting symbolises confidence and a high class luxury lifestyle
• Compact layout: two shots of woman, information, product. Working class audience? 
• Lexis: the brightest side of flawless: demonstrates the product is superior to its rivals
• Natural makeup references the individual of the model, and potentially the individuality of the audience
• Font: black, capital letters, sans serif: simple and easy to read
• @new super cushion" - hyperbole
• Direct mode of address - talks directly to a young, heteroseusl female audience
• Seductive icongography - looking direction, smirking...
• Lexis: NEW YORK: busy lifestyle! Glamourous!
• Use of "two in one" suggests audience is getting better value for money
• Red top and shoes demonstrates sexualised and confident ideology: selling a sexy and confident life 
• Shiny undertones, use of gold and silver: connotations of luxury
• Body posture demonstrates model is confident yet relaxed, and carefree
• Repetition of image demonstrates that the model is the singular and most important aspect of the image