We Are All Witnesses

“We are all witnesses.” Witness to what? The rise of a legend.

 In 2005, Lebron James was in his 3rd season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, quickly making a name for himself, earning several impressive accolades including Rookie of the Year and All-NBA First Team. Not to mention, he was the number one overall pick in the NBA draft back in 2003. Nike’s Witness campaign, released in 2005, was centered on James. He would go on to complete 6 seasons with the Cavaliers then transfer to the Miami Heat for an additional four seasons before returning home to the Cavs in 2014 where he currently plays today. Along the way he would pick up 3 NBA titles, 4 regular season MVPs, 10 All-NBA First Team Honors, and several other awards. Flashback to 2005, before his career really took off. He was on the edge of glory, on the precipice of greatness, and that’s what the Witness campaign is about; James’ ascent had only begun and we are all here to watch.

 Lebron wasn’t just a really good basketball player, he was a hometown hero, growing up in Akron, Ohio just 45 minutes from Cleveland. James was drafted right out of high school with no college ball experience. Regardless, he was still one of the most sought after player in NBA draft history. The Cavalier’s program had been struggling for the past 10 years, and the signing of a number one draft pick sent a breath of life into the team. Especially, when James, a rookie with basically no experience, was able to make an impact so quickly. James was the way to Cavalier success. He was a source of hope for fans and Nike knew it. Lebron’s rise thus far was reminiscent of a fairytale and the rhetoric in the bottom left corner,” Believe at Nikebasketball.com” hints at his Cinderella story. While the slogan mostly functions as a call to action it also plays on the hope Lebron has brought. The word “believe” functions as vehicle to transport Lebron from human to hero.

 Moving on to the ad itself, this specific image is especially dramatic because of the black background and simplistic design. The juxtaposition of the white text also works to draw the viewer in. There is a large amount of negative space that aims to focus the viewer in on the few elements of image that are present. In this case, it’s James’ outstretched arms and the short text, “We are all witnesses.” The viewer is forced to savor and think about the meaning of the image which in this instance is the imminent rise of Lebron James . Additionally, the form of the image is very organic. There is not much engineering that went into the design, it is very natural. Just the short, small piece of text and the picture of Lebron. The upward tilt of James’ arms causes the eye to bounce back and forth between the text and the image itself. The camera angle also positions the viewer below James as if we are looking up towards him, asserting his dominance and his larger than life persona over the audience. Furthermore, this pose of Lebron is a signature. Before every game he plays, James will rub chalk on his hands and throw it up into the air to signify that he is ready to begin the game. This pregame ritual is a staple of James’. Many fans now talk about it as a tether from his rookie days to now. Choosing this pose to represent James was no accident.

 If the law of thirds is applied to this ad, one will see that Lebron’s body and text fit directly in the center and his arms follow along the bottom horizontal line. Having both the image of James and the text are centered draw the viewers eyes straight in. While centering is normally frowned upon it functions well here. Without centering, the ad would lose a lot of its impact. The lack of color is an additional attention grabber. The use of only black and white causes this ad would stand out against almost any background.

 Lebron James’ story is one of storybooks, an ascent from the bottom to the top. He had already proved himself to be one to watch, but this ad put it into words, literally. Not only does this ad work figuratively by using Lebron’s signature pose and the slogan rhetoric, it works technically, with negative space and camera angles, to convince the viewer of the hero that James is and will be.

Ideal and Reality

The picture on the right is the poster for the brand new production of M. Butterfly. It will open on Oct 26, 2017, at a Broadway theater that yet to be announced. It has been almost thirty years since its last production at Broadway in 1988. In this new version, the producer said the author will introduce "new material inspired by the real-life love affair between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Chinese opera singer Shi Pei Pu that has come to light since the play’s 1988 premiere". This fascinating poster obviously announced its revival and it perfectly indicates one of the themes in the play: Men's fantasies on women are always beautiful, but the reality is often cruel.

M. Butterfly is a play written by David Henry Hwang who is a Chinese American playwright. Hwang is really good at blending Chinese elements into Western style plays and M. Butterfly is one of his representative works. It basically tells a story between a French diplomacy, Rene Gallimard and a Chinese opera actor Song Liling. Gallimard fell in love with Song Liling when he first saw him playing on the stage as the character of "Madam Butterfly". He then built romantic relationship with Song regardless his French wife. However, the 20-year relationship turned out to be just a fraud and Gallimard commit suicide after he knew the truth. The play meanly satirizes the unrealistic stereotypes that western people hold in their minds towards oriental women.

The poster image is quite simple but attractive: a big red butterfly impaled by a capital M. From the poster, we can actually see multiple messages about the play. First of all, the image clearly indicates the title of the play--M. Butterfly, which is also listed at the bottom. People who have heard about this play before might come up with the name without even look at the text at the bottom. The texture of the image shows some information as well. The ink marks are often associated with Chinese brush drawing, which in a sense implies the Chinese elements (Chinese opera) include in the play.

Moreover, the topic of M. Butterfly is partially revealed by this poster. Even though the image contains a beautiful red butterfly, the overall feeling that the poster provide to people is still uncomfortable and even cruel. The capital letter M impales the wings of the butterfly just like knifes. With the color of bright red, it's very likely for people who are viewing this poster think of the concept of death. In the play, a death scene does appear at the end. The poster clearly indicates that M. Butterfly is a cruel tragedy instead of comedy.

Despite what I mentioned above about the red color, there is even more to discuss on the choice of colors, and they contain further information towards gender issues in the play. There are mainly three colors appear on the poster: red, black, and white. White can be considered as its big background. So what about red and black? Thinking about what each color represents. The color red usually represent female, and by contrast black often represents male. In the play, Song is a Chinese opera actor who shows up as a female character most of the time. However, at the end audiences will know that he is actually a male. Such an unexpected gender transformation of the character becomes the most impressive reversal of the play. The poster, as we can see, implicitly reveals the topic of gender. The character Song Liling, who can be seen as the butterfly, has woman's appearance (red wings) and man's body (black body). The title M. Butterfly was also filled with both red and black which indicates the same meaning.

Overall, this poster is a successful one. It follows most of the principles of design such as emphasis, contrast, and balance. It is also concise enough, yet its striking image can catch people's attentions easily. The idea of unrealistic fantasy and cruel reality are both reflected on this poster, which makes it a more meaningful piece. By providing people with sufficient information while leaving some spaces for open imaginations, this poster can definitely attract audiences to attend to the formal show when it opens in October.

The Weeknd’s Rebirth in Starboy

By: Alexis Carreno

The famous Canadian artist Abel Makkonen Testaye, better known as The Weeknd released his “Starboy” music video this past September. The song was already an appealing song but the video allows us to further understand the meaning behind the lyrics.

The video initiates with The Weeknd getting suffocated by a masked man. After killing him, the masked man takes off the mask only to reveal it is The Weeknd again except his appearance has changed; he no longer has his strange haircut from before. This scene expresses the main theme of the music video and song which is a transformation or change, but what exactly does this mean?

Growing up in the lower social economic class of society, The Weeknd never had it easy. As Wendy Mead explains in her article, he dropped out of high school to pursue his interest in music. After a couple of the years he started to release his first albums such as Trilogy and Kiss Land, and started to get a fan base. However, what many don’t know is that he always tried to hide himself from the public and interviews because he was insecure about how he looked.

With that being said, we start understanding the meaning behind the video and the change that is occurring in his life. As he enters his McLaren P1, we see that he lets a black cat into the passenger seat. Then after he takes off, there is a black panther sitting where the cat should be. These two animals symbolize his pass and present. The black cat is a symbol of bad luck, which demonstrate the rough times he had to go through to get to where he is now. By replacing the cat with a panther, a symbol of death and rebirth, he signifies that he was able to overcome all the negativity in his life and mature as a person.

To further support this idea of rebirth, he enters the closet full of The Weeknd’s old clothes and throws a lighter to burn it all.  Why would he do this? The closet symbolizes a place where people get ready and change into an outfit that reflect who they are therefore, by making that the center origin of the fire, he is telling us that his old identity has disintegrated.   

Aside from his personality change, another change that can be seen is his position in the music industry. He wields a cross and uses it to destroy his most successful record up to this point, Beauty Behind the Madness, along with the awards he received. It was this album that made him very popular and wealthy because like Andrew Ryce stated in his article, it played like a victory lap with The Weeknd revisiting past glories and embellishing them. So, if it was successful why would he destroy it? It’s because of these revisits and continuation to use the same themes as his previous album that he wanted to get rid of it. He wanted to change himself but as the same time change his music style as well. In Christianity, the cross is symbol of conquering death and resurrection therefore, by using a weapon in the shape of a cross, The Weeknd was giving the message that his previous album and awards are in the past now and it is time for a new start, in other words a resurrection.

Although he is expressing a rebirth, he cannot start from scratch because he has generated all this fame and fans that cannot be erased so easily. Which means he is entering this new chapter as the title of the music video, a “start boy” a word used to describe a person who has a lot of wealth, possession and girls which is a good description of him. He makes his wealth clear when he enters his garage and passes through his three very expensive cars: Lamborghini, Bentley, and McLaren P1. More noticeable he establishes his image as a “star boy” with his lyrics saying:

"P1 cleaner than your church shoes,

 milli point 2 just to hurt you,

all red lamb just to tease you,

none of these toys on lease too,

 made your whole year in a week too".

Not only does he brag about what he has now but he also reassures nobody is close to his level. Then the chorus further supports this claim saying “Look what you done, I’m a mothef****** star boy!”. This title and fame was thanks to his audience and fans and as he drives into the darkness with his McLaren, a representation of his wealth, we see that he is not done yet. Instead he is ready for the next chapter in his career but this time entering as a Star boy!

The Strength of Nike

Nike is a fitness brand that has become very popular over the 50 years that it has been around. Nike brags about its good quality and reasonable prices. Their signature swoosh and slogan, “just do it,” can often be seen in gyms or on fashionably workout clothing donned by fitness gurus and newbies alike. People buy Nike products because not only are they fashionable, but they are good quality as well. 

This advertisement is made by someone who supports Nike and wants people to buy their products. While there are some negative qualities about it, this ad is successful in getting its message across - Nike’s products are very good quality and will endure years of use, lasting the owner a long time. 

In this advertisement, there is a crocodile biting down on a bright pink Nike shoe. The crocodile appears to be unable to close its jaws and crush the shoe, showing that the shoe is very strong. 

The message presented in this ad, the message the creator hopes will urge more people to buy Nike’s products, is one of the quality of Nike products. Not only is the shoe well designed, drawing the attention of a younger audience, but it is also very sturdy and well constructed. The shoe in this picture may not actually be able to withstand the strength of a crocodile’s jaws, but it is well made and will not fall apart quickly. The creator of this ad wants their viewers to know that they can wear Nike’s products many times without them wearing out and falling apart. Along with the shoe being sturdy, it is also fashionable. Not all clothing companies can boast that their products are both fashionable and sturdy, so this Nike fan is proud that their products contain both qualities. 

I would also argue that there is a subtle hint of feminism in this message. Instead of using a shoe with a neutral color, the designer of this ad chose a bright pink shoe, a color that is often associated with women. This gives off the message that women are strong. At the least, it shows that they can be strong with Nike’s products. This ad and its message would resonate well with people of feminist tendencies, or at least people who think women are strong. 

Even though it is flawed, I like this ad. The crocodile in it is facing the words, which directs the eye flow toward the words. The focal point of it is the bright pink shoe, which fits with the commonly used rule of thirds design technique. The shoe’s color also brings attention to it as the bright pink contrasts with the neutral, dull browns and greens behind it. 

That being said, the shoe in the crocodile’s mouth is not very well edited, and the word “really” is misspelled. It is apparent that this is not a professional ad, however I like the manner in which its message is given. The crocodile being unable to bite down on the shoe and destroy it is a creative way to produce a message of its strength.

Milano: One Smart Cookie

Pepperidge Farms’ Milano cookies have always been Chips Ahoy’s hot cousin. Their tall and slender shape offers a sharp contrast to traditional fat, round cookies. The sophisticated sweet’s advertising follows suit with a simple yet elegant design containing just a hint of seduction; the perfect way to depict the cookie you just can’t resist.

The advertisement employs various elements of design that emphasize an overall sexual connotation. Visually, the advertisement is aesthetically pleasing. It follows the rule of thirds, as its primary design components are split between the upper, middle and lower thirds of the page. The focal point of the advertisement is two, actual-size Milano cookies resting on top of a white wrapper.

 Below the image, the advertisement reads “You’re an expert in the art of compromise. Except when it comes to your cookies,” and sentences are stacked on top of one another. A small picture of a Milano cookie bag appears under the words. The final piece of text on the advertisement is the sentence “Save Something for Yourself,” the product’s slogan.

The cookies have a strong sexual subtext. In order to effectively communicate a sense of desire towards the cookies, advertisers must first call attention to them. The audience’s eye is primarily drawn to the cookies due to the advertisement's use of contrast. The predominant contrast is between the color of the cookies and the color of the background. To make the cookies stand out even more, they are delicately placed on a pure white wrapper instead of directly on the off-white background.

 In addition to the background's color schemes, the color of the wafers and the chocolate in between them illustrates contrast. The advertisement also exercises contrast between the sizes of its images. The cookies are significantly larger than the bag, which signals that the cookies are meant to be the focal point of the advertisement.

The Milanos are strategically placed so that they resemble a multitude of things. From a technical standpoint, they come to a point similar to that of an arrow and direct the reader’s attention to the text underneath the advertisement, creating a sense of movement. This downward motion helps the overall flow of the advertisement, and directs the audience to the sentences. The shape of the cookies also draws a parallel to the curves on a human body, highlighting the sexual subtext of the image. Finally, the wrapper that the cookies rest upon resembles a pillow or a bed, further emphasizing its sexual connotation.

In addition to the image, the two sentences also carry sexual subtexts, and explore the idea that people should indulge themselves and give into temptation. The phrase “Except when it comes to your cookies” implies to the audience that Milano cookies are harder to resist than other forms of dessert. In fact, they are so delicious that one will be unable to make any form of personal compromise, whether it’s sharing your cookies or limiting yourself to just one. This subtext is important because it comments on recent societal trends.

Dessert often carries a stigma of being an indulgent experience. This reputation has been amplified as the health conciseness movement continues to make ground and new “clean-eating” diets gain popularity. Pepperidge Farms comments on these trends, specifically with the text “Save Something for Yourself,” which implies that one should treat themselves to dessert and satisfy cravings that society might repress.

The sexual connotation is impactful in this advertisement for a multitude of reasons. First, it instills a sense of desire in the audience. Research has shown that sexual elements in advertisements elicit more of a response from audiences, particularly among females. The concept of indulgence that the sexual subtext signifies is targeted towards women, since they are typically more health conscious than men. Therefore, this advertisement appeals to women by sending the message that although they are “experts in compromise” in other areas of their lives, perhaps even regarding other food choices, Milano cookies should be assessed differently.

As evident by elements of design, the advertisement alludes to a sexual undertone while capitalizing on the fact that desserts are seen as a guilty pleasure by society. Theoretically, eating a Milano cookie is “wrong,” because it goes against social health standards and trends. However, they are so delicious that they should be an exception to society’s rules.

JAZZTX: The Thrill of the Moment

A combination of both history and modernity, this advertisement is marketed towards both the younger and older generations. The newly-renovated historic Pearl district (where this Jazz club is located) as well as the black and white photo add to its nostalgic quality while the red neon sign signals excitement. The ad is designed for the middle to upper socioeconomic class and ultimately, the advertisement re-affirms the power of money which begets indulgence: attendance at this club guarantees an elegant atmosphere paired with the exhilaration of live jazz music—not the atmosphere of a symphony nor a pop concert. As a result, the person is re-asserted of their economic status, and they are empowered; they can make a sound decision (pun intended).Its minimal design is extremely streamlined; the ad takes up half a page and is organized vertically following the rule of thirds. According to the Elements of Design, the space in the ad is used sparingly, with a well-balanced combination of positive and negative space.
The instruments in the center, especially the rounded edges of the drums, direct your gaze to the hands playing which then guides your gaze downward to the “JAZZTX” neon sign followed by the address beneath. Since the image is near the top, it is a kind of focal point; however, the neon “JAZZTX” sign is the only text in color near the bottom of the page. I would argue that there are two focal points—the image and the text which, however, do not compete for attention, rather they complement each other because of their opposing elements: black and white vs color; top vs. bottom; image vs. text; enigma vs. clarity. In fact, much of this advertisement is geared towards the unity of binary parts, but without sacrificing one for the other. Instead, traditional classic and contemporary styles are bridged. The red jazz sign does not merge beside or within the picture; it is below, establishing greater awareness to the excitement and energy of jazz at this particular location. Because of the “TX,” one might also consider that Texas, specifically San Antonio, reinvigorates the essence of jazz in a modern environment. In that way, our attention “dances” rhythmically back and forth from these two focal points, and amongst the remaining elements, mimicking the unique rhythm of jazz music. In the image, the musicians’ hands and instruments are lit up the most with a presumable spotlight as to emphasize the sound of the music and the club atmosphere. Only one of the musicians is glaring in the spotlight, but he is sitting with his back facing the camera. Because there is so much left unsaid—no specific dates, times—mystery and curiosity are evoked, also insinuated by the black background. From the absence of these particularities, therein lies the unknown. Since jazz relies heavily on improvisation, the unknown specifics enhance the effect of jazz music which can only be experienced during a live show.
Listening to jazz music live is a priority in this ad (which again appeals to mid to upper class because of a higher potential for leisure time and money) because the sign is the only part of it that is lit up with bright, neon red. The red is a direct symbol for the immediacy of music played live, also imparting exclusivity to those who attend this unique show. The website states: “JAZZTX is San Antonio’s newest hot spot for live music,” portrayed by the red color—the thrill of the moment.
The meaning of the advertisement is a claim to power and exclusivity that can be more easily accessed by those with a higher income level. Because of this, it is also somewhat of a status symbol to be able to afford both time and money, as well as a new experience.

Breaking Boundaries

Close your eyes. Imagine a typical Nike advertisement. What do you see? A woman who is beautifully toned with perfect hair and makeup? Or a tall, broad shouldered man with defined muscles? Now open your eyes and take a look that this Nike advertisement, which is none of the things that describe a typical Nike advertisement.

This image is of an obviously overweight boy, who appears to be in his early teens, running down a long, isolated road. His facial expression tells it all. He is exhausted and tired of struggle of exercising. 

This is definitely not a typical Nike advertisement, because usually Nike commercials and advertisements consist of very athletic and fit looking fitness models, which have been edited and touched up with the use of computers and technology. Choosing someone who appears to be struggling with their weight was a very deliberate choice to show that Nike is concerned with realistic body images and weight loss issues rather than just portraying the idea of a perfect body.

The text of this advertisement would be considered the things that can be seen just by looking at it. Some of those things include the sunset; the road, the boy, the caption, “find your greatness”, and the Nike swoosh. On the other hand, the subtext would include things that could be interpreted by someone looking into the deeper message of the advertisement.

By choosing to send a message to people that struggling with weight loss and body image is more common than we think. Even with this societal struggle, Nike wants the viewer to know that it is okay not to have the perfect body shape.

This advertisement is very visually appealing to the eye because there is only one major focal point, which is the boy in the middle of the page. Since the focal point is in the center of the page, it aligns with the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is when the focal point is at the intersection of the gridlines, if the page was split up into a three by three grid. The main focus of the advertisement jumps out at you, and you know exactly what is being advertised because of the iconic Nike check on his t-shirt.

This advertisement also works because there are not too many words or fonts. The simple statement, “Find your greatness” is written in all caps in one font, so it is it very easy to read. Although this message is simple and brief, it has the capability, paired with this photo, to inspire someone to purchase Nike clothing to exercise and “find their greatness”.  This boy perfectly portrays the struggle of weight loss and body image acceptance.

The color scheme also does a good job complementing each other to make this advertisement visually appearing. Since this boy is outside, the colors of nature always seem to work together. The blues, purples, and pinks in the sunset and the shades of green in the field meet perfectly together at the horizon. Since the road and field lead to the horizon, it automatically guides your eyes to the Nike logo, by using the line element of design.

This can also be categorized as movement, which is a principle of good design. The movement controls the eye flow to the important part of the advertisement. Another principle that this advertisement abides by is unity. Unity is when everything comes together and belongs to one design.    

I would categorize this advertisement as a success because it stepped outside of the lines of what would usually be expected from a company or brand like Nike, which in my opinion was very refreshing. This was a deliberate attempt to try to erase the stigma that only people in phenomenal physical shape are happy or that regular, everyday people do not struggle with weight loss.