Benetton / Coca Cola

This essay is an analysis of two advertising posters, one of being a modern piece of media, the other being aimed at the previous generation. I will be reviewing posters from Coca Cola and Benetton, the latter being the modern piece of media in this comparison. Firstly, I think it is important to highlight the background of the corporations. Coca Cola is a household brand name that is the world's biggest soft drink company. As well as the flagship drink, forms of merchandise such as posters, clocks, stationery and are a another way that the Coca Cola diversifies to increase profits. Coca Cola sells in virtually every country around the world, and is one of the most recognised brands in history. And then there is Benetton. An Italian Company specialising in the clothing sector of the economy. Only a few years ago they expanded into a merger with American store SEARS, which eventually fell through on the account of protests against the controversial Death Row Campaign by Oliviero Toscani. Toscani's vision of advertising did not include any gimmicks such as soft sell; his prime intent was to produce images that would shock anyone who saw them. His image of 'reality-advertising' caused many of his posters to be banned. The multi

Another point about the Benetton poster is that the white hand looks to be making a fist, which could suggest how white men stereotypically have anger against black people. The initial thought is that the white hand is that of the police man, but the truth is that the black hand is a Policeman's, arresting a white man. Maybe if Toscani had not Juxtapositioned the handcuff poster there would have been a better understanding of the meaning that the poster was supposed to bring. Benetton for their logo uses a dark green box, with the words 'THE UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON' in white text inside. The dimensions of the Benetton poster make it landscape, and this works best with the eyes because it will be seen more. The shape of the Coke poster means that you have look at it from a skewed perspective to see it at its best. Using red symbolises love and loyalty, something that the corporation obviously wants in order for people to buy the product again and again. In the coca cola advert the hand is white presumably to target the mainstream audience where the majority of people of white. The Black Hand is not making a fist, and this could be a view of Toscani's that black people aren't as violent as people think. Brand recognition is important for both companies. In the case of the Benetton poster, the images shows one white and one Black Hand linked by handcuffs. -racial theme was one of the big talking points, and the fortunes of Benetton increased drastically. In the handcuff poster, the logo is in the top-right corner, and in terms of narrative flow, would be seen second after seeing the handcuffs and the linked hands. Coca Cola uses white text on a red background, with the font being classical and the wording being quite bold.