Imaging in Advertising

Fern L. Johnson is Professor of English and participating faculty member in the interdisciplinary Communication and Culture Program at Clark University. She is author of Speaking Culturally: Language Diversity in the United States.

"An illuminating examination of how the verbal and visual combine to create the language of advertising. A welcome and important contribution to the field."--Jean Kilbourne, author of Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel"Although we are bombarded by images on a daily basis, there are a surprisingly few number of books that really get under the skin of how advertisements work to sell products. Luckily, we now have Fern Johnson’s insightful analysis to aid us in developing critical media literacy as a way to resist the allure of these seductive and manipulative images that are a key part of our visual landscape."--Gail Dines, Wheelock College"Emphasizing the interplay of the verbal with the imagistic Johnson’s adroitly applies linguistic and sociological constructs to the reading of advertising. Her critical sensitivity recognizes the tension between postmodern fragmentation and ideological coherence played out in campaigns which exploit the categories of race, gender, and age. Linking discursive practices with broad social meaning systems each chapter is rich with detailed readings, contextualizing information, and critical analysis. Imaging in Advertising is a rich addition to the critical literature on contemporary advertising."--Stephen Papson, co-author of Sign Wars and Nike Culture.

• 1. Advertising Images and Discourse 2. Smoke and Mirrors: Circulating Racial Images in Cigarette Advertising3. Keeping Race in Place: Multicultural Visions and Voices in Teen Advertising4. Different Tropes for Different Folks: Advertising and Face-Fixing5. Madison Avenue Meets Silicon Valley: Technology Imprints on Advertising6. From Barbie to BudTV: Advertising in the Fifth Frame