It's the hat

Print ad: Hut Weber hats

Denotation:

In this ad we see two silhouetted hair and mustaches. The one on the right has a hat while the one on the left does not. Under the right one, there is text that say, “It’s the hat.”. In the top right corner is the company’s logo/brand. This is all placed on top of a paper texture background.

Connotation:

In this ad, we understand that the person on the left is Hitler while although the one on the right has the same hair and mustache, because it is wearing a hat it is actually Charlie Chaplin. This serves to illustrate the text. The ad suggests that you should wear a hat because that is what makes the difference between a Nazi leader and a comedy actor.

TV Ad: Big Lots

Denotation:

 This ad opens with a women sitting on a couch when another woman who is actually the first woman is sitting on the couch next to her. She remarks that it is future her. The future her tells her to buy the couch because even after checking out other places, that is the best deal and the best couch. She says she came back to Big Lots to get the couch because you “never forget your first” and raises her eyebrows. The commercial then cuts to them telling all the deals they have going on right now.

Connotation:

The women in this ad are saying that Big Lots has the best deals and that you don’t even need to look at any other stores because they will not compare with Big Lots. The “future you” woman makes a joke about not forgetting your first meaning you will not forget your first sexual partner/love.

Outdoor ad: Frontline

Denotation:

This ad features a dog scratching himself with the text next to it saying “Get them off your dog” along with the Frontline logo. This ad is placed on the floor in a shopping mall and people are walking on it.

Connotation:

The people walking on the dog look like fleas or bugs when viewed from the top. You don’t want your dog to have fleas so you will give them Frontline. When you are on the ground walking on it, you don’t realize that you are a part of the ad but when it is view from up high you see that the ad uses the people in the all as part of the ad.