RIVER ISLAND (MEDIA LANGAUGE) Flashcards
Slogan “Smooth Moves Only”
- Denotation of bold, capital letters connotes assertiveness suggesting buying their clothes will allow audiences to access this assertive persona.
- Wordplay (smooth)- referencing fashion style, physical movement, Jordan’s suave, debonair persona typical of high-fashion models - subtly challenging stereotypes (desirability)
Aspirational consumption, star power, and mimetic desire- Audiences may mimic their desire for self-expression and inclusivity by purchasing the brand’s clothes/ believe buying the clothes will bring them closer to embodying confidence, inclusivity etc
Typography?
- Sans-serif font= Clean, modern, minimalistic.
- Effect= Reinforces the idea of a fresh, progressive, contemporary brand.
Facial expression/ body language (non-verbal codes)
- Wide-smile and relaxed posture- encodes charisma, confidence.
- Lean forward- makes him seem more engaged and approachable rather than distant/objectifed.
Mid-level shot- effect?
- Camera angle is straight, placing him on the same level as the audience.
- Connotes equality, similarity, promotes identification by avoiding a patronising high-angle shot which connotes weakness.
- (Low angle shot may overcomensate and may make him appear excessively dominant/ inaccessible)
equalising quality
Colour scheme- red background (mise-en-scene)
- Red backdrop connotes power, passion, sensuality, fashionablity reinforces Jordan’s seductive presence (alligs with RI’s description of Jordan as ‘super romantic’.
- Red also culturally signifies challenge and change (alligns with wider campaign message of dismantling sterotypes)
Anchorage- #LABELSAREFORCLOTHES
- Hashtag anchors the campaign’s message as clear/shareable.
- Connotation- Rejects social lables reinforcing the idea of fluid identity in contemporary culture.
- Invites online engagement- allowing users to discuss/share campaign (facilitating a participatory culture/appeals to the digital native)
interaction with the message- inc the brand’s visbility as well as the issue of disabled representation
FRAMING-Rule of thirds
- His jacket is positioned at the focal point of the rule of thirds (cropped out at the bottom- visually the last thing audiences see)
- Reinforcing that his wheelchair is not the most important aspect of his identity- his defining characteristic is his stylishness.
- Subversive- his wheelchair is NOT a symbol of limitation but normalised within the image as part of the fashion aesthetic.
His clothes are the focus- audiences are pushed to discuss/label is clothes as stylish rather than label his identity.
Golden Bomber jacket
- Symbolic code- connoting royalty, wealth, high-fashion, which emphasises the clothes as high-quality (just as the model is high-quality)
- Effect- disabled individuals are just as fashionable/dynamic as able-bodied models (aspirational vs pitiable)
Mode of adress- breaking 4th wall (non-verbal codes)
- Direct address- engaging, empowering presence (aspirational rather than vulnerable).
- His gaze is challenging and active- he does the looking rather than being looked at/objectified (bell hooks and the oppositional gaze)
bell hooks’ oppositional gaze challenges dominant ways of looking, especially in terms of race and gender.
