Deconstruction of an Advertisement

Deconstructing an ad was interesting exercise. I chose to deconstruct a print ad for a protein powder.  At first glance I was taken by the ad, my initial thoughts were positive, I felt informed, and almost committed to the ad’s “good for you” vibe.  My initial notes had positive adjectives to describe various parts of the ad such as glowing, sun-kissed, and healthy. 

Shape Magazine, Purely Inspired Organic Protein

As a started to write the observation portion of my final deconstruction, I had a change of heart. I realized that even if I didn’t believe all of the product’s messaging, it was easy to be swayed by the fonts and size of typeface.  Although Varnelis was talking about reality games, he states in Networked Publics, “thoroughly blurs the boundaries of reality and fiction”.(Varnelis, 2008)(Kindle Location 2122). Kindle Edition. As I looked closer to the ad, I found myself questioning the if the grass and trees were real.  I was getting angry.  If I had just glanced at the page in the magazine, as I normally would have, I would have been sold without question, that this is a product that I would be willing to try. 

Once I reached the purpose portion of the ad, I found my anger dissipate and I started to review the product with a clearer mind and in a positive light.  As I look at the picture in the ad, I realized that the company needed to sell a product with one page, how else were they going to do it? This particular company was careful to be socially responsible, they created an ad appropriate for the women’s health and fitness magazine in which it was located. 

This exercise made me realize how little I look at ads.  I do try products based on the ads I see and I sometimes buy according to the way a product looks.  Sometimes it works, most times I am disappointed.  The deconstruction assignment made me realize I needed to know what was good for me and although the ad may help me understand what’s outs there, I still had to rely on my research and knowledge to truly make the best choices.

Varnelis, K. (2008). Networked Publics (Kindle). Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press. Kindle Edition

Purely Inspired [Advertisement]. (2016, march). Shape Magazine 53(6), 109.