“I’ll know it when I see it.” Often this is what we say when we really aren’t sure about what we’re looking for, something that we believe we understand but is hard to explain. Something like textual analysis. A text in this case being a visual representation of how someone else makes sense of the world, a “vehicle for the production of cultural meaning”. We use textual analysis to describe, compare, contrast, evaluate, assess and to understand. Humans analyse everything in daily life, like meaning behind a text message or why Miranda Kerr is the model currently advertising Swarovski. But to look deeper into the complexity of the text is the key to analysis.

This is where semiotics come into motion. The world of the sign, signifier and signified, connotations and denotations, codes and ideology, as discussed in this weeks reading; “Approaching Media Texts”. Discussing an advertisement as a media text, each component has been thoroughly developed to create an overall image with implicit and explicit messages. The class activity – the analysis of a Brooks Brothers advertisement in a magazine explored this in action. The overall message was that Brooks Brothers clothing is liveable and enjoyable to own, clothing you can feel is well produced, as audiences see a grown man joyously watching a young boy jump into a swimming pool. This represents the factors of comfortability along with luxury, as the duo are surrounded by a somewhat lavish holiday location, making it the perfect place for relaxation. Thus, looking at an advertisement at face value is simply not enough if you are wanting to analyse it. The construction of said advertisement is crucial in communicating a specific intended message. Analysis as a whole allows an individual to truly explore and delve into the intended messages communicated via a text itself.

This weeks reading sourced from : https://equella.rmit.edu.au/rmit/file/7190141c-5b05-9619-28d3-653076d1ef95/1/31259009996872.pdf

(Brooks Brothers Advertisement sourced from Brian’s powerpoint :  http://www.mediafactory.org.au/2015-media-one/files/2015/04/Week-7_Brian_Texts_LQ-10rq375.pdf)