Adbusters: initial responses and front cover analysis

In short: Adbusters is…

• Unconventional!
• Political!
• Anti-capitalist!
• Lacks brand identity! 
• No paid for advertising

Initial reactions to Adbusters

• A creepy and unpleasant mode of address, for example creepy retelian faces, an image of someone pushing guns through his cheeks, and the MES of gasmasks and other war iconography 
• Very political, demonstrating explicitly anti-capitalist ideologies 
• Anti-capitalism
• Capitalism - a socioeconomic system based on the acquisition of capital (wealth). Capitalism is predicated on inequality, ie some people being richer than others. However, it can be argued that capitalism is extremely unfair, and based on a series of falsehoods
• Consumerism - the belief that buying things will make us happy
• Adbusters is highly critical of the so-called western world
• Lacks a consistent masthead, which means that adbusters lacks a brand 
• Lacks a consistent house style 
• Potentially the first product we’ve looked at which actively avoids trying to make profit…
• However… is Adbusters LACKING a brand identity actually their brand identity???????
• Appealing to an unconventional, anticapitalistic activist lifestyle 
• Consumerism - an ideology where one’s worth and value is defined by what one buys. For example, a Cartier bracelet is ‘not just’ a bracelet, but instead is a luxurious status symbol. Specific brands can confer specific statuses. 
• Commodity fetishism - the intense desire and relationship with certain brands as opposed to the product itself

Adbusters and brand identity

• It’s different! Different from Woman and every other magazine
• Explicit, shocking, problematic 
• Poltical focus - far left political bias 
• Anti-capitalist 
• Frequently changes style, format, printing quality etc
• The masthead changes with every issue which means the magazine cannot build a brand identity 
• Challenges the idea that all media products exist to make money 
• Uncommercial 

How does media language combine to create meaning on the front cover of the set edition of Adbusters?

Media language and theories 

• Semiotics - codes
• Proairetics
• Hermeneutics
• Symbolic 
• Myths
• Referential codes
• Binary oppositions
  
  

Analysis

• The lexis of the cover line ‘post - west’ anchors the image and suggests what would happen if western society dominated the world. This themes of conflict reinforces the radical ideology of the magazine
• The masthead is rundown, grubby and unpleasant. It resembles something from a warzone. It can be argued that it is a referential code, making reference to the ongoing conflict in the middle east 
• The MES of what appears to be ‘mud’ covering the masthead is a deliberate attempt to obscure the brand identity of the magazine. From a symbolic perspective, this identifies Adbusters as an anti-capitalist magazine, as this this symbolic gesture clearly informs the audience that this producers of ti magazine do not care for profit
• The damaged ink effect on the front resembles a poorly printed page. It has deliberately low production values, and therefore presents an anti-capitalist ideology, which challenges the audience to buy it anyway. 
• The faded, distorted picture may be symbolic of a life fading away, and the fading dominance of western capitalist ideologies. For Adbusters, the world is going to end, and it’s up to us to stop it? 
• The cover also resembles analogue film that has been exposed to radiation, and connotes a post apocalyptic vision of the world.
• The unconventional model on the front cover is by himself. There is no representation of anybody but him, including women, queer people, or white people. This is a highly unconventional representation for a western magazine
• In many ways a stereotypical representation of a ‘terrorist’ is constructed through the model’s ethnicity (Middle Eastern??), the MES of his camo jacket, the MES of his screaming face and his beard. The construction of this stereotype is deliberately designed to make the target audience uneasy and upset. This constructs a nihilistic mode of address that suggests that nothing matters, and we are all doomed :( 
• There is a complete lack of a visible bar code, which may suggest an independent ideology that sets Adbusters apart from other media sources. It is an explicit declaration of their anticapitalistic ideology 
• The lexis ‘the year of living dangerously’ refers to a range of different horrible situations that exist around the world, including war, conflict, terrorism and environmental catastrophe. This constructs a terrifying and upsetting mode of address for the target audience, and challenges the audience to change the world… by buying the magazine 
• The MES of the model’s costume anchors themes of war, conflict and hatred. This unconventional and challenging mode of address reinforces the anti-capitalist ideology of the magazine 
• The model’s clenched fist functions as a proairetic code, and is symbolic of violence and aggression. The models fist is situated near the word ‘west’, which anchors themes of aggression again the western world
• The MES of the dark colour choices creates a depressing mode of address, and indicates to the target audience the depressing, adult themes f the magazine 
• The model’s facial expression is determined and aggressive, and reflects a desire to win a conflict. The model’s fist reinforces and anchors these themes of aggression
• The binary opposition between the dark and black setting and the bone white masthead creates an exciting and interesting mode of address. It also constructs a binary opposition between between hope and despair. It could also symbolise a clash between two opposing forces, for example, east and west 
• A hihgly polysemic front cover with no clear interpretations positions te audience in a confused and bewildering mode of address. This approach is highly unconventional, as this is generally not an acceptable way to sell a magazine
• The magazine is clearly encouraging the audience to come up with their own interpretation rather than simply consuming information. This cover encourages a variety of different receptions and negotiated readings for the audience.
• Lack of cover price may be intimidating to the target audience
• Is the front cover racist? It features a frankly stereotypical representation of an angry bearded middle eastern man. The audience must come to their own conclusions. Is it a criticism of stereotypes? We don’t know!! There is no anchorage!
• The preferred reading is to be confused, angry, and upset!
• A binary opposition is constructed between the Masthead and the cover line. While the masthead is covered with the MES of what appears to be mud or dirt, the cover line is clean and highly contrasting. This binary opposition symbolises the conflict between innocence and war, and demonstrates that we live in complicated and unstable times. 
• A mid shot of the model emphasises the MES of the costume of the model. The model is wearing a camo vest, which is symbolic of war and conflict, and positions the audience in a manner where they must be judgemental, and must come to their own conclusion. This deliberately uncomfortable mode of address positions the audience from a guilty perspective.
• The model’s facial expression ambiguous, and presents a polysemic mode of address to the target audience. We must come to a conclusion as to whether the model is extremely happy or extremely angry. Without anchorage, we may assume the model is cheering at a football match, though his costume seems to suggest otherwise. The model’s facial expression therefore functions as an hermeneutic code, and creates a mysterious mode of address for the target audience
• The texture of the paper is rough and unfinished, and has connotations of messiness and confusion. Clearly the producers of Adbusters are informing the audience we live in a confusing world 
• The grain effect over the masthead resembles spray-paint and is connotative of vandalism. This confirms that the ideology of Adbusters is not perfect and pristine, but instead is instead authentic and ‘real’
• The model’s fist functions as a clear proairetic code, and suggests that he is ready to fight. This symbolises that we live in a violent and fearful world, which is a highly confrontational and unconventional mode of address 
• The front cover uses shock shock value and upsetting imagery to sell the magazine to an activist audience. Adbusters encourages the audience to construct their own opinion, and to see the problems that exist in the world without explicitly spelling this out to the audience
• The magazine is clearly appealing to a middle class, university educated audience. We know this as the magazine lacks any form of context or anchorage,and makes many assumptions about subject knowledge. On the left of the magazine, the lexis ‘The Year Of Living Dangerously’ is a reference to a quote from an italian politician as cited in an Australian piece of journalism from the 1970s that describes a conflict in Indonesia. This mode of address makes a massive assumption about the knowledge and understanding of the target audience, with no attempt to explain its deeper meaning. In doing so Adbusters is encouraging its audience to do their own research. 
• The coverline ‘post-west’ is ambiguous and has no clear meaning. However, the audience are encouraged to work out their own meaning. The model’s camo vest provides anchorage suggesting war, and gives clues as to how to interpret it/ Literally, post west west means ‘after the western world’. The term West here is symbolic of power, authority, independence, capitalism, establishment, and freedom. This egemonica ideological perspective is that the Western world is ‘good’ and innocent, while everybody else is clearly an enemy. This binary opposition constructs a simplistic and racist ideology, that suggests that any different ideology is wrong
• The world is extremely complicated and scary 
• By focussing on a single fighter, Adbusters is guilty of stereotyping. By constructing a deliberately stereotypical representation of a ‘terrorist’ Adbusters are forcing the audience to question the Western bias presented by the mainstream media
• The producer is also forcing the audience to confront their own prejudices, and clearly is trying to exclude racist audiences from buying the magazine. At eteroist is determined by perspective. The magazine is drawing attention to the complexity of the world.