Principles of media design
Find and upload an image of a billboard, an advertisement, a web page, or a political ad. (Provide source citation!) Having read chapters 57 and 58 in NFG, take the principles of media design and utilize them in your analysis. Your focus is not just the words but the entire design of the media: shape, font, color, archetypes, spatial arrangement, size, juxtaposition, etc. Examine all the components and then focus on those that are integral to the message. Review the example analysis in Content/Essay Directions folder.
In 200-250 words, provide an analysis of the image using some of the visual rhetoric tools learned. You must post first and an edited post will not receive credit. Then comment in 4-5 sentences on the posts of 2 of your classmates.
The sky and mountains presented in white and blue occupy the top one third of the image with the word DASANI boldly centered in the sky holding equal attention with the bottle of DASANI that appears to rise out of the hot sand of the desert. The purpose of the advertisement is immediately clear: drink Dasani to quench your thirst. The word Dasani appears twice, immediately catching the attention of the audience along with the phrase “Find your Oasis.” Just above those words is the image of an inviting oasis with pale blue water and a towering palm at its edge. The palm sits parallel with the bottle; just like the palm that is nurtured by the desert oasis, the refreshing bottle of Dasani becomes a portable oasis for the consumer. Presented in the same colors as the sky and mountains, the bottle evokes refreshing sensations as its slight opaqueness suggests the cool refreshment ready in this chilled bottle. Behind the bottle, past the desert, lie snow capped mountains clearly pointing to the fresh, cool, and pure source of the water while the white coloring of the letters also emphasizes the pure, clean, untouched quality of the water. Noteworthy, the bottle is the tallest of the images with its blue cap joining the peaks of the distant snowy mountains. The overall simplicity of color choice (white, blue, light brown, and green) pairs with the simplicity of the message to “Find Your Oasis.” Finally, the message becomes personal with its use of “Your” and the font that resembles personal handwriting creating a subtle connection between the product and the consumer. As a side note, Dasani is produced by the Coca Cola Company which uses filtered tap water for this product.
