ANALYZING MASS MEDIA

Ashlee Amparan

SOC 213

January 19, 2014

CHARACTERISTICS OF

ADVERTISEMENTS

Plain backgrounds

Expensive brand-name jewelry, perfume, handbags, makeup, and

clothing from

• Tiffany & Co.

• Dior

• Burberry

• Chanel

• Michael Kors

• Louis Vuitton

Exclusive brands only offered in certain places, particularly in cities

that are reputable in “high-end” fashion

• Milan

• Beverly Hills

• New York

• Miami

• Paris

• London

Characteristics continued…

Features famous actresses

• Julia Roberts

• Katie Holmes

• Blake Lively

Characteristics continued…

Old fashion

Vintage

Characteristics continued…

ADVERTISEMENT ANALYSIS

Longines Saint- Imier Collection

Kentucky Derby imagery

• “Millionaire’s row”

• Black and white

SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Role: the set of behaviors expected of someone because of

his/her status (Ferris and Stein, 114)

• People of higher socioeconomic status are expected to dress formally

when attending the Kentucky Derby

• “Elegance is an attitude”

• The way one is elegant is wearing Longines accessories

Stereotyping: judging others based on preconceived generalizations

about groups or categories of people (Ferris and Stein, 114).

• Not used negatively, in this case

• People will assume someone who is wearing Longines to be rich

Sociological Analysis continued…

In-group: A group that one identifies with and feels loyalty

towards (Ferris and Stein, 132).

• United by elegance , shown through sitting in the Millionaire’s club

and wearing Longines

Out-group: Any group an individual feels opposition, rivalry, or

hostility toward (Ferris and Stein, 133).

• “us” vs. “them” mentality

• Sense of superiority over out-group

Sociological Analysis continued…

Reference Group: A group that one aspires to belong but of which

they are not yet members (Ferris and Stein, 133).

• Consumers of Longines are elegant, and become apart of upper

crust

• Looked at respectively by Elite if one owns Longines

Sociological Analysis continued…

ARTICLES

Audrey Hepburn spread by Luca Dotti

• The epitome of elegance in American society

“A Holiday for the Jet Set” by Michael Callahan

• Luxurious travelling

Houghton Hall by James Reginato

• History

• English royalty

“Steak- America’s Contribution to World Cuisine” by A. A. Gill

• Emphasis on Western Capitalism as a positive force

• People of upper class America typically agree

Articles continued…

MESSAGES

Vanity Fair aimed at elite, upper crust of society

• Classy

• Elegance

• Exclusivity

• Worldly/cultured

People of this social class need the products being advertised

REFERENCES

Ferris, K. and Stein, J. The Real World: An Introduction to

Sociology. Norton: New York, 2012.

Callahan, M, Dotti, L,Gill, AA, and Reginato, J. Vanity Fair. May

2013.