OUDG401 Design Context: Image Analysis and Comparison

• World peace & war 
• An advertisement for an oven 
• Independence day
• Patriotic
• Celebrating
• Exports
• Trades
• Wild west fonts
• Everyone looking at sam
• Slavery
• America saving the world
• Undermining other cultures food
• Aimed at men (women didn't have money to buy an oven.)
  

• Alpha male (farther)
• Girl looking at her farther in admiration
• You couldn't be forced into joining the army
• The farther wanting to be the childs role model
• The font is personal to the readers choice
• 1915 - after ww1
• Very british
• Focussed on the farther
• Propaganda
• Type stands out
• Traditional 
• They look well off higher class
• Serious expression

Two images in comparison

• Patriotic
• Strongly portray the American/British cultures - reflective of cultural differences?
• Aspirational lifestyles

We were then asked to complete a 500 word comparative essay between the 2 images while comparing and contrasting them in relation to:

• The choice and organisation of font and style of illustration
• The purpose and meaning of the image
• The target/potential audience of the image
• The social and historical contexts relevant to the production of the image

Analysis:-

The first, and most obvious feature that these two posters have in common is their purpose. Both posters aim to persuade the audience, but use contrasting techniques to sell their message.

The ‘Uncle Sam’s Range’ poster’s aim is to sell a materialistic item, making the reader believe that the need it to live the rich, free and independent American life style that is so often talked about. The first way in which it does this is through the use of the Uncle Sam, a patriotic and symbolic figure of the greatness of America, the eagle is also a sign of patriotism. An over whelming use of the colours red white and blue hold further connotations of this. Patriotism follows through with a slightly racist and egotistical view that America is the most superior country in the world. Such as the list of food, showing generalisations that all Irish people eat is potatoes, but intern boasting the wide range of dishes that you will be able to cook. Likewise the world war one poster also tries to convey its message through patriotism. The poster denotes a well off looking man, surrounded by his young family. This poster differs from the first as it is using emotion and empathy to sell its message. There are how ever some glaringly obvious signs of patriotism here, such as the rose curtains (roses are the flower of England). The young boy is also playing with toy soldiers, this intern shows his father as a heroic figure that young children look up to. The type at the bottom of the page almost acts as a rhetorical question. The fathers reading the poster will apply the question to their own life and imagine what it would be like if their own children saw them as a heroic and brave soldier.

Both posters in my opinion are targeted at the same audience; Middle class, working men. At the time period of both of these posters men were seen as the providers of the household, women were inferior to the superiority and power that men of the time held. This gender inequality is echoed through the use of imagery in the ‘Uncle Sam’ poster, as it is a woman serving the food and men sitting at the table. At first I thought it was strange to aim a product that would most probably be used solely by women at a male target audience. But then I realised that as women were seen as inferior they probably wouldn’t have been able to make such a purchase, or even suggest it. Again in the world war poster, women would not have been able to join the army, so its only audience would be men.

There is a strong sense of greatness and achievement in both posters. From my research I found out that the world war poster was produced a year in to the war. The fact that the poster is in the future of a man and his young family connotes that the war was triumphant and all soldiers returned home unharmed. I think this was done for a number of reasons. Firstly because it is good to keep positive during times of crisis and secondly because of a slightly arrogant view that England is the greatest country and our men would conquer.

Over all I think there are lots of similarities and difference of each poster. Both aim to sell ideologies and concepts, almost trying to brainwash the audience. However the imagery is very different but works to the same effect.