In his article, "The Rhetoric of the Image," Roland Barthes restricts his study to the realm of advertising images wherein a specific example is given and investigated. He concentrates on this branch since in advertising, as he clearly states, "the signification of the image is undoubtedly intentional." The message in an advertising image is pre-conceived and is therefore graspable. An advertising image then has a purpose; it is to convey a message. Because in an advertising image, there is a definite message, and intended meaning, Roland Barthes confines his article in this dimension.
             Barthes gives one example of an advertisement of Panzani and looks at the different messages it contains. The advertisement displays a slightly opened string bag, with packets of pasta noodles, a tin can of pasta sauce, tomatoes, peppers, and onions falling out. The contents of the ad are painted with yellow and green in a background of red. The advertisement generates a linguistic message characterized by the words and texts that are scattered throughout the ad. The iconic message is displayed by the pure image, a series of signifiers pertaining to an intended signified. As one example demonstrates, the advertisement suggests that Panzani's products are "everything that is necessary for a carefully balanced dish." The presence of freshly picked vegetables coming from a string bag implies that the product is a complete cooking ingredient.
             The author proceeds to explore the overview of the different types of messages, linguistic, denoted, and connoted. Although the connoted message is touched, Barthes mainly focuses on the denoted message.
             The linguistic message is contained in titles, slogans, captions, and dialogues. Its functions are anchorage and relay. By anchorage, he means that a linguistic message is meant to capture what the image is about in the most literal manner. It tries to answer, "What is it? What is it all about?"
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