Critical Studies Image Analysis Exercise

These two images have similar messages but they communicate these messages in very different ways.  Firstly The Uncle Sam Range is blatantly very patriotic as it is covered in red, white and blue and there is an American eagle and Uncle Sam at the centre of the image. However the poster by Savile Lumley embeds patriotic thoughts into the viewer by suggestion and personally communicating with the individual.

            The purpose of The Uncle Sam Range poster is to sell an oven by associating  it with the mass celebration and pride of the 100^th anniversary of Independence day. It incorporates a lot of imagery which showcases how developed, industrial and evolved America is. The children that are eating at the table represent parts of America that are growing and becoming stronger and important states. Everybody is looking down on the rest of the world who is reading a list of food which sounds unappealing compared to the culinary delights of America.

The choice of font for ‘the Uncle Sam Range’ is very robust, powerful and well made which suggest the cooker is reliable and a great achievement for engineering and for America.

            On the other hand, the war poster designed by Lumley is attempting to convince young men to join the army and help in ‘the Great war’. It doesn’t do this with lots of Union Jacks and patriotism but by making the viewer think about what he would tell his children if he were not to fight. The image makes a personal connection with the viewer, it does this by underlining and capitalising the word ‘YOU’ and the man on the chair is making eye contact with the viewer. The font used is quite childish and timid which would make the target audience image their own children’s/ hypothetical children’s voices in their heads which provokes a sense of responsibility. This poster was designed in the middle of the war but it is written in the past tense which suggests that the war is over and England have won and everything is better, this will encourage men who aren’t sure about enlisting because they are afraid, it will make them feel braver and think that the war is already in the bag.

            The target market for the propaganda is any man that is old enough to serve in the war, more specifically men who don’t feel particularly enthusiastic about fighting because they already have a good life and don’t see how it would help them. Similarly the advertisement is targeted at relatively wealthy men who aspire to be as pompous as Uncle Sam and his posh dinner party, it promotes this by having Uncle Sam in the very centre of the image, the first thing a man would see while he’s feeling very proud and patriotic about his country.

            In conclusion these two posters are trying to persuade the viewer into contributing and taking pride in their country but they both do this by using very different ideas and techniques.