Ad Analysis Early Draft

The message of this advertisement can be viewed in many different ways. Dolce and Gabbana is an Italian clothing company. The thesis of the image is very male dominating, portraying very fit and  similar looking men glaring and eyeing a woman lying on the ground. There are four men in the image, and one of them is pinning the woman on the ground, staring at her in a dominating way. The images theme has an overall dominating undertone.

The three men bystanding in the scene are staring down at the women pinned on the ground. This represents how the men are looking down at this woman, and how they are not only physically above her, but how they believe they are superior. The man pinning her down is controlling her. She is on the ground with her shoulders, however the rest of her body is off of the ground as her legs are propped up holding her body up.The female in the image is not giving up, and from her facial expression it is very clear that she is uncomfortable with the situation. Her head is turned away from all of the men and the scene, and her focus is away from anything in the frame.

The male pinning the woman down in the ad has sunglasses on, unlike any other man in the image, and has his attention locked on the female he is holding down. This position that he is poised in on top of her is very forceful and controlling, portraying that he is in charge. The sunglasses that he wears, however, can be interpreted in a few different ways. The sunglasses provide a barrier between eye contact of the male and female, making them even less connected. They also can be seen as making even more of a point of superiority for the man, due to the fact that he won’t even look at her with his bare eyes.

The men in the image all have differing facial expressions. The man standing the furthest away in the top left corner of the scene is adjusting his jacket and looking towards the scene, however he definitely does not have his focus on the woman on the ground or what is exactly going on in the central part of the ad. His facial expression emotes a look of uncertainty, and inattentiveness. The man to the left of him, closer to the woman is looking directly at the woman and her face. His hands are at his sides and his expression is very focussed and determined. His stance differs from the previous man, who’s hip pops out in a more relaxed pose. This man’s stance is more still and upright. However, he is a bit leaned back and his thumbs hang in his pockets, so there is a sense of relaxation there. The man all the way to the right is completely shirtless. His hands are on his hips as he stands in a much more upright and alert pose than the others. His gaze is locked in on the woman facing the opposite direction of him. Finally, the man over top of the woman is pinning her down by the wrists as he stares at the side of her face through his sunglasses. He is very clearly and directly dominating her and the situation. Although this control is clear, the other men surrounding the women are towering above her as well. Their superiority is made clear with their gaze and their stance.

All of the men stand very tall, and very fit. Two out of the four are shirtless, flexing their oiled muscles to emphasize their power and masculinity. The other male in the far left corner is wearing a button down shirt, half buttoned with their abs showing as well. The man to the left of him is wearing a button down, with much less of his skin exposed. Their clothing features their sophistication and professionalism, even in such a non traditional and unprofessional situation.  

The women in the picture portrays a very different feel of the scene. Her feet and knees hold most of her body off of the ground, except for her head and shoulders that support her. Her pose shows how she is not complacent with the situation, and seems as though she would want to get up. Her face is turned towards the camera and away from any of the men, and her focus is on something out of frame. The audience is immediately drawn to her red lipstick, being the brightest and most contrasting color of the entire scene, since most of it consists of blues, whites and other lighter and more subtle colors. The red on her lips is drawing attention to the prize and can even assume what is to happen next in the scenario.