VISUAL LANGUAGE IN ADVERTISEMENTS CONCEPTS AND IMPACTS
Visual language is the use of the visualizations to deliver a certain message. In communication terminology, visual communication is described as the delivery of messages through visualization techniques used as the subject. This means that the message, of any kind, is first converted or designed in the form of visuals and then transmitted through any suitable medium. If we now try to define visual communication in advertising terminology, the concept is clearly defined as any advertising message that is communicated to the audience through visual objects (movable or immovable). Advertising focuses on visual language to influence the audience through just letting them view the message. There is no verbal interpretation of the message. No sounds or any other medium plays a part in a pure visual language advertisement. In a very strict view, the visual language advocates even prohibit the use of written message to interpret the message, define it or influence the audience. There should be particular images focusing towards a certain theme of the advertisement.
Now let us consider some of the theories given by various scholars that help us to determine the significance of visual language in todays advertising world. Visual language was initially considered to be a medium, and thus had little significance than the content of the ad. Marshall McLuhan, one of the key pioneers of the electronic age, was one of the first to understand the importance of the medium. He gave the slogan medium is the message. It basically said that the medium of the ad also plays a vital role in influencing the message. As each kind of medium enables the receivers of the message to observe it through different sensors and see it in different contexts, thus the medium plays a huge role in itself. It is very much associated with the concept of visual language in the sense that it makes the visual language not only the content deliverer but also a portion of the content itself. Through visual language, the viewers are better able to understand the message, even with low content.
Now let us consider the impact of visual language on advertisements. It is understood from studies of the human mind and memory that visual images last longer on our minds and memory than any other kinds of senses. From this it is clear to understand that visual images last longer on the viewers minds, thus can be a potential factor for advertisements developers for securing that the viewers of their advertisements remember their advertisements, or at least the key features of their advertisements for a longer time than usual.
After some years, many studies were undertaken to find the potential impact different advertising techniques made on the users. As advertisements became a more important aspect of marketing, with the potential boom in television media, more and more studies were under taken on different kinds of advertisements. It was realized to a certain extent that audience remember the visual aspect of advertisements longer than the verbal and other content of the advertisements. Also visual language meant more to them. This was consistent with the concepts given by John Berger in his book Ways of Seeing in which he described the art and other visual objects in terms of their understanding by the viewers. Individuals act and respond differently to same set of images, outlining their different mind frames. Thus with visual advertisements, viewers tend to extract different meanings as per their perceptions. This proved to be a benefit for ads with only visual language as it left a huge margin for the viewers to relate to the advertisement in different ways, thus getting more influenced. The visual ads can thus be used to gain more positive responses.
Furthermore, it was also slightly established that audience tend to be more influenced with those aspects of advertisements that they remember for a longer time. This concept was also discussed by Paul Pines in his book Dancing with the Borg where he discussed how the media can influence the mind. Particularly with visual language, it is not difficult to influence the customers. Especially at the time of purchase of the products, the visual language of the advertisements becomes more important as the consumers seem to remember more of the visual aspects of their advertisements.
Visual language has proved so far to contain enormous potential to make advertising better and more efficient in delivering their message to the consumer and influencing the consumer towards the product. Let us consider how a visual language advertisement strengthens an advertisement through an example.
If we consider the example of car advertisements we will find that visual language plays a huge role in the planning and implementation of these advertisements. Today we see many different models of cars that are being produced, both of top brands and smaller brands. Almost all the cars that are being manufactured have nearly the same characteristics. Thus the marketing has to be purely based on how attractive are the features portrayed to the audience or how the brand of the car is displayed to the audience, in the case for a car with a well established brand. Let us discuss these two aspects in detail. As in the car advertisements there are rarely some major innovations in the product, mostly the newly manufactured cars are line extensions of the previous ones, with modifications tended to make the processes better. Thus in the advertisements, it becomes very difficult to influence the customers about the product. Thats where the concept of visual language advertising applies. Through visual language, the focus of the consumer is diverted towards the experience of driving a car wit a certain quality. The consumer is influenced by the car itself, with the impact being on the functioning of the object. No other message is required. Also this is an agreement with the concept of medium is the message given by McLuhan, that the visual language here becomes the content itself, letting the customers gauge the unique points of the product and thus making any additional content irrelevant.
We have seen so many car advertisements where only visual language concept is applied. Mercedes, Toyota and Nissan are frequent users of such concepts. There was once even an advertisement developed that was so expensive that it was declared to be one of the most expensive advertisements ever made. It simply portrayed an image of a tire in the beginning which was shown running as different parts linked itself, thus after certain modifications along the way the design developed into a car. This advertisement, one of the most expensive kinds, had no other medium except visual language. The purpose was to show the consumers the pats of the car as they integrated to make a superior model. Such as advertisement entices the consumers as they know perfectly well the unique selling point of the product without even being told once in the advertisement, i.e. their total focus was on the development of the car as it went through each step. No other impact was needed for this advertisement. Each customer was free to perceive it in its own way, which has more influence, as discussed by John Berger.
Another kind of advertisements that was developed for automobiles that also used visual language was the one used by many companies. It showed the actual functioning of the automobile. The focus here was to display to the potential consumers what kind of functioning they can achieve with this kind of product. This was mostly done by showing the car moving along a road. The customers could see clearly the level of speed attained by the car, its smooth running and the level of braking and acceleration of the car. Thus they were easily able to determine the advantages the car offered in a way very much similar to a test drive and allowing each customer to attach to different features as per their perceptions and likings.
Lastly, another kind of advertisement that is used by automobile manufacturing companies is to display the physical designs of the car. In these kinds of advertisements visual language yet again plays a major role. These advertisements focus on displaying the car, either moving or stationary, through various angles, so that the potential customers are able to view the car and its design from all angles and are able to determine whether the design suits them. Again, only visual language can create the proper influence, letting its mark and its design to attach on the minds of the consumer.
Visual language can also focus on influencing the customer. For instance, lets again observe the example of car advertisements. Here influence is created through displaying various people gawking and praising the car as it passes by. The concept applied here is using media to control the audiences mind. Visual language makes the product look popular and attractive to the perceptions of the customer, a concept given by Paul Pines. For automobile manufacturers with huge brand names, such as Mercedes, the advertisements also focus on the trademark displayed on the cars, thus linking the brand name of the company with the actual product, so that the customers are able to attach the brand value with the car itself.
These are only some of the ways through which visual language plays a vital role in advertisements. Through visual language, a simple ad is created that focuses only on the unique features of the product. This creates a simple message in the minds of the customers. Also through visualization, the customers are able to retain the message more clearly and longer. The impact of the advertisement is also much more visible through this method. The customer attach more genuinely to the product, thus verifying the old idiom Seeing is believing. They can attach the value of the product more clearly and are able to easily determine whether the product suits them or not. Thus the advertisement is able to perform its job in a more efficient manner, thanks to visual language methods.
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