I chose the Whole foods Market campaign shot by Charles Schiller. In this campaign the purpose is to show potential customers that the food being sold at Whole Foods is held to a high standard and healthy. I think the photos and text are very straightforward using clever text and clean photography. The shots taken by Charles make it feel as if these meals were at your home. I think anyone can relate to these images with the various food selections shown it can relate to all cultures. Not using people in the photos was very key in this ad campaign.
Charles shot all of the meals with an over the top view; I think this was done to make it seem first person. Every shot taken is very color but not because of the text used but the food colors make the shots very interesting to look at. I think this campaign is very simple but works anything over the top may have taken away from the message Whole Foods wants to give. The photos are cropped very nicely, everything is tight and nothing in the shot feels like it’s missing.
The photos in this campaign are both windows and mirrors. Almost everyone can relate to these images if they’ve ever eaten a meal. Although everyone’s meal may not look like this Whole Foods is trying to show you the possibility. Whole Foods is all about holding their products to the highest standard, what really brings the campaign together are the text overlay. Nothing in the campaign is unrealistic for anyone to achieve so that’s why I think it is both a mirror and window.
These are highly art directed photos. The color palette is very controlled with the same overall tonality in each photo. The backgrounds are carefully selected to emphasize the main message. The squash has a wood background with a natural straw basket. These natural materials add to the photograph’s message that the squash are natural too.
While it is to some extent true that very photo has something of a window and a mirror, there is nothing realistic about these images. They are entirely constructed by the photographer. They would be considered mirrors in Szarkowski’s use of the term, reflecting back to the consumer an idea of a natural and healthy life style that is also upscale.