This is a BMW advertisement from 2006, called “The Ultimate Attraction.” The image shows a young man and a young woman in bed together, seemingly in the midst of, or about to have intercourse. The man is unclothed from the waist up, and the woman wears only a skimpy black lace bra. The woman has a magazine on her face, opened to a centerfold of a red, shiny BMW.
Clearly, the ad creates a sort of visual pun. The man gazes longingly at the photo of the bright red BMW that hides his partner’s face, and it is easy for viewers to interpret this longing, intense gaze as a sign of romantic love. In fact, it’s precisely the way we expect a man to react to his lover (except, of course, in this case, the love/lust-object is an image of an automobile). However, in a primary source analysis, I would also question the other “signs” for attractiveness in this BMW ad. The ad speaks about our social constructions of romance more generally. The people in this ad are young, seemingly able-bodied, thin, heterosexual, and Caucasian. What does it mean that “the ultimate attraction” relationship is embodied by this particular societal standard of attractiveness? Would the ad still work if it showed people with disabilities, or a homosexual couple?
0 comments:
Post a Comment