My advertisement comes from 1971. The author is unknown, however it was most likely someone sponsored by The Edrington Group, owners of Cutty Sark, the famed whisky brand and Gordh household favorite. The advertisement was displayed in a 1971 issue of Ebony Magazine.
The Text shows a well dressed African American man offering a stemmed manhattan glass to a well dressed African American woman. The glass is presumably full of Cutty Sark whisky. Below the glass are the words "Take a sip 'n give it back." followed by "Cutty Sark right on time." Next to the aforementioned statement is a picture of a bottle and a glass filled with Cutty Sark. The images are placed on a white and light gray background. The font used in the advertisement is a bastardized Goudy Heavyface sans serif.
This ad portrays two of the Seven Deadly Sins. One of the first is the promotion of Whisky, which goes contrary to the values of temperance and moderation. The whisky is the center of attention in the image, and the eye is immediately drawn to it. The glass portrayed in the picture is rather full, which connotes liquid gluttony. The second deadly sin is the avaricious statement of "Give it back". The implication is that the man offering the drink only wants to share a small bit (further reinforced by "take a sip"), presumably so that he can keep the remainder of the precious dew for himself.
The intended audience is most likely the African American community. This is because the ad was featured in Ebony Magazine, a historically black magazine, popular amongst the African American community. The diction of the ad connects to colloquial Black language, as evidenced by the usage of " 'n " , as opposed to spelling out "and". The typography of the ad also helps the ad relate to the African American community. By using Goudy Heavyface, a font used on other consumer goods, as well as on many "Blaxploitation" movie posters, the ad looks more comforting and familiar, than if they had used more mainstream fonts, popular among white audiences. The image then plays upon the contemporary stereotype that Black people enjoy drinking a great deal. By using an ad that expressed power and control, coupled with physical comfort and pleasure, the fine folks at The Edrington Group were able to market a high strength alcohol to disgruntled black men during the Vietnam War era. By showing a well dressed black man with a glass of Cutty Sark, the marketers are able to equate prosperity and luxury with their whisky, encouraging the audience to buy it. This combination was especially potent during a time when the African American community was wracked by poverty, and slowly emerging from the turbulent years of the struggle for Civil Rights.
This is such an interesting ad to choose and such a neat analysis. I sort of think the two deadly sins you listed could both be gluttony though - he doesn't want to share it -> he wants if not all, at least most of it back. Maybe you could also add lust to this? Maybe the inclusion of the girl in the ad is a subtle reference to a one-night stand? Drinking? "Take a sip and give it back"? No? Okay. I think your analysis is really good and interesting and goes beyond surface level stuff and this was nice and easy to read.
ReplyDeleteFor me, this ad makes me think that elite people drink this drink. Do you think that that is important? African american people were starting a civil rights movement and so this idea of being elite(Better than white?) would be appealing to an African American audience.
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