Advertising

A beautiful example of advertising setting up the viewer with a Secret

and for two Surprises is given by Guy Cook in

The Discourse of Advertising, Routledge, 1996:

“The words of a TV ad from the early 90s ran as follows,

with an appropriate noise after each line,

but keeping the subject of

the ad secret:

Lorries go …..

Drills go …….

Lambs go …..

Caterpillars go …..

Cargo

P&O”

The ‘children’s game’ path is seemingly set by the first three.

Then the noise associated with ‘caterpillars’ throws us for a moment,

then we realise that we have been tricked into expecting the noise

of the creature rather than the vehicle.

But as that is dawning on us,

we are already trying to interpret ‘Cargo’, as ‘Cars go’,

and wondering why it is singular.

And the secret is much deeper than we thought.

Especially when we hear the associated noise…

But a moment later all is revealed – P&O doesn’t fit either,

we been had, three times in as many seconds, and the ferry company’s name

sticks in our minds as we reinterpret all we heard.

Give ambiguous clues, send off down a series of wrong paths,

then surprise the observer with the truth.

Guy also offers another nice one:

“A sophisticated young woman

is seen in a café in France, a moment after confidently sending

back her order – the waiter can be seen departing in the background.

The copy reads:

What gave her the nerve to send back her espresso?

Was it her underwear?

And underneath

Be bold in Fever. A sultry range of lingerie.

Try it on.

With Charnos.”

Inset in the corner is a photograph of the same woman

reclining with a self-contemplative air in a black lace bra and pants.

In this ad, what is traditionally important in the sexual sphere

suddenly becomes important in that of the public service encounter,

although it remains unseen… the punning ‘try it on’ enables the copy to refer to both spheres at once.”

[This is an intriguing counterpoint to Barthes’ delay

in the revealing of an enigma, (see below), in that the secret –

‘what gave her the nerve…’

is revealed first by an answer we initially don’t believe

(compare the analysis of the joke below),

and then confirmed by a picture of it.

And then, the pathway –‘try it on’ – suddenly reveals itself

to be not one, but two pathways - success in private, success in public.

A surprise by excess.

And as with the unexpected removal of the trousers above,

the revelation of the secret is a Portal…

(Charnos hope)

to going out to buy the lingerie, and being able to have this confidence oneself.

Wouldn’t work for me, though.

(Sigh.)

As an aside, while we are talking about underwear –

the reason young black guys in the States walk around

with their underwear showing at the top of their unbuttoned,

and apparently-about-to-fall-off jeans, is not primarily to reveal the words Calvin Klein

(…or Charnos, in case you think you know where I’m headed),

but as an insult to the police.

Many officers, under the guise of seeking drugs,

in fact get their buzz by seeking other treasures in the hidden

depths of these garments.

Young blacks,

tired of having their family jewels revealed and groped in public,

are bringing this secret craving out into the open

by saying

‘come and get it’.

Most, doubtless, in contempt.

A few, doubtless, in eager anticipation.

But that is the wonder of ambiguity…