An LG Dare-ing Identity

At 3am Monday night, I realized that I was not going to sleep. I had spent the last four hours lying awake in bed trying to convince myself that sleep was inevitable, but I was wrong. Finally, I decided to give in and get up to read. The closest thing to me in the dark room was an old copy of Allure magazine. As I flipped through the pages absent mindedly, I began to notice an abundance of advertisements for various products: Gucci, OPI, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, and Coke-a-cola. Half asleep, yet brutally aware of my consciousness, I stumbled upon this advertisement.

At first glance, it seems completely mundane due to the lack of color. Perhaps, it was my glazed over senses from a profound lack of sleep, but after awhile I became aware of a deeper meaning within this ad. It was not simply promoting a cell phone, but also an identity. At this point it may be confusing how an advertisement for a cell phone can possibly be selling a new identity. In the following post, I intend to clarify how Verizon Wireless can effectively do just this. This purchasable identity is hidden beneath numerous representations.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, identity is a complicated ideology. New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society defines it as “the autobiographical self…organized around a range of…cultural attributes, such as character, personality, experience, social position, or lifestyle” (172). However, more recently, identity has been extended to encompass what is called a “collective identity”, or “particular ways of imagining …group belonging.” As anyone who has been to high school knows, fitting into a certain group requires a particular representation of oneself. Many character traits are idealized by society and are therefore widely accepted. A sense of adventure and a disregard for danger are among them, and are repeatedly praised in action movies such as Mission Impossible, Indiana Jones, and James Bond thrillers. Well, lucky for us, anyone who does not posses these qualities can purchase them simply by buying the new LG Dare.

In comparison to the LG Dare, the advertisement for iPhone is very different. While the LG Dare is a black faced phone surrounded by darkness, the iPhone is surrounded by whiteness. Both ads have a rather large amount of space encircling the phone itself, yet each fills this space differently. The iPhone, for example, is bordered by a large, open blank space, but the LG ad contains an image of a snake coiled around the phone. Both the snake and the LG phone share the same color scheme and contain a metallic sheen. The color red appears in the LG advertisement, while the iPhone ad keeps things simple and only displays a purely white background. In addition, iPhone has no catch-phrase, no slogan, and no writing.

While these differences are seemingly mundane, they are, in fact, very important. IPhone was LG Dare’s wildly successful predecessor. In an attempt to compete with the new technology, LG not only needed to offer equivalent features, but also attract its audience more effectively. As opposed to iPhone, LG created an advertising campaign that makes an effort to sell an adventurous identity along with a phone.

Advertising is a language in itself where every detail is calculated and deliberate. Almost everything that you encounter in this particular advertisement is a representation that must be deciphered to uncover its intended meaning. A representation is “partially synonymous with sign” and “understood as ‘speaking for’” something else (New Keywords, 306). The semiotic analysis of this ad begins with the breakdown of color and objects because they represent the new identity being sold.

Colors function in American society as specific representations. Even though the meaning behind colors is overlooked by many, advertisers use them to their advantage. Each object and color combines to construct a dangerous environment. The lack of color, which initially causes this ad to appear dull, is actually a conscious decision. In fact, it is likely that the color black was explicitly selected due to its ties to morbidity, emptiness, and death. This color is very prevalent throughout the advertisement, and therefore elicits an emotional response from the audience. They are left with a sense of foreboding and coldness all from a simple glance at this ad. The snake that is pictured also adds to these thoughts. Snakes often represent evil and instill fear within many. The reflection of similar characteristics in the phone and the snake implies that they are the same not only in appearance, but also in what they represent: fear. The audience is lead to believe that the phone, by itself, is also dangerous. These two representations effectively set up an atmosphere of trepidation and danger. In a stark contrast, the iPhone is neatly settled in the center of the page surrounded by only white space. White is representative of tranquility and cleanliness. There is no sense of fear or danger as in the LG advertisement. Since Apple was the first company to produce such an advanced phone, their advertising objective is to simply promote the technology. The blank, white background ensures that the audience will not be distracted and can focus on the wonders of the phone itself. LG, on the other hand, is simply emulating this technology. To be successful, they must additionally promote a lifestyle; one that promises to make the individual feel accepted. Another color used by LG Dare is red. This color appears in the phrase: “Dare you to touch one.” Red is often associated with traffic signs and used to alert a driver of potential hazards. Not only does the red word “dare” bring attention to the name of the phone, it also reinforces the presence of danger.

Additionally, the slogan itself (“Dare you to touch one.”) provides a kind of incentive. Once the danger had been established, the advertisement dares its audience to become active. The word “you” hails the audience and asks them to participate. “Dare you to touch one” provokes, and almost demands, that you face the present danger (the snake). The entirety of this ad functions to appeal to the desire to be adventurous. It is making the statement that the LG Dare phone is, in itself, dangerous and that by purchasing one (i.e. “touching one”) you can become fearless.

This new identity, full of action and danger, can be yours for only $199.99!