Roland Barthes’ “Rhetoric of the Image“ essay from Image – Music – Text, Translated by Stephen Heath. Hill and Wang, 1977. (excerpt)
Questions/Prompts
- How do images hold and convey meaning?
- What are they trying to say?
- How do they persuade and influence us?
Response
Images hold and convey meaning because our brain is meant to learn, process, and retain information. This can work for a plethora of images such as photographs, posters, banners, etc. However, within this image of what appears to be an Italian advertisement for spaghetti, we can immediately start processing the elements that we see being upheld within it. For me, I first noticed the amount of reds being utilized throughout the advertisement. This shows one of the most traditional methods incorporated alongside spaghetti, tomato sauce. We can also see creamy white dominating within this advert in which can represent the cheese as well. I believe this advert is trying to say that their brand of spaghetti is the better option out of their competitors in Italy. Although, I can’t read Italian, you can sort of understand that this is what they’re trying to promote. Knowing that everything within this advert is carefully placed shows that to make a great meal, like that of spaghetti, everything from the tomatoes, cheese and pasta all signifies a great italian meal. By doing so, they persuade us by grabbing our attention by showcasing the ingredients used to make Italian spaghetti. The purpose of this ad is also trying to sway people into buying their products, which encompasses that of their Panzani spaghetti and cheese.
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