Tag Body Spray

Article Analysis In the article I have chosen to analyze, it is promoting “Tag Body Spray” for men in ESPN magazine. It is set up with a man on the ground, his shirt ripped and his belt is undone, and five women, in short-skirts and low-cut shirts with an open lab coat over them. The scene seems to take place in a laboratory where the five women appear as researchers with their lab coats and clipboards. The researchers are over the man, pinning him down with their feet in a somewhat sexual pose. In the lower right-hand corner of the image, there is a want ad that says “Wanted: Testees”, “Can you hang? Looking for replacement testees to trail Tag product. Must be willing to work under the hottest conditions.” This article perpetuates the American myth that if you buy and wear a certain product, women will want you. There are three ways to analyze an article; seeing the big picture or understanding what the advertiser is saying, observing the characteristics of the image to understand all aspect of the ad, and interpreting the meaning of the image to realize what the advertiser is really promoting.
When looking for the big picture, there are a number of things to consider such as the source of the image, the prominent element, and the focal point of the image. The source in this image is the man in the center of the five women because the product is for him, the male. The purpose of the image is to attract to you the ad so you will see what has happened to the man to convince you to buy the product so women will want you. The audience of this image would be teenage and men in their twenties. By looking at the want ad, the viewer can tell that the ad is directed toward men by the comment the want ad says, “Wanted: Testees”. Most men who read ESPN magazine are in their late teens and twenties. The prominent element that immediately may attract the viewers attention is the five women in the center of the picture. They are all standing in a sexual pose over the man