Statement of intent :
My project emerged from living in a metropolis saturated with advertisements, a constant barrage that citizens encounter daily. This relentless exposure, especially to ads featuring female faces, motivated me to document the overwhelming visual landscape of urban advertising through photography. These advertisements, omnipresent and dominating public spaces, are not just visual noise but are carefully crafted messages designed to resonate on a subconscious level.
Subliminal messaging in advertising is a well-documented phenomenon, particularly effective in bustling urban environments. Advertisers employ psychological techniques like classical conditioning, social proof, and scarcity to craft messages that subtly influence consumer behaviour.[1-2] These methods often operate beneath the level of conscious awareness, making products more appealing and desirable without overt persuasion. This subliminal influence is amplified in cities, where ads are not only frequent but are integrated into the very fabric of the urban experience. Despite the increasing prevalence of targeted advertising on mobile devices, physical city ads maintain a significant impact due to their sheer presence and repetitive exposure. While mobile ads can be personalized, urban advertisements cast a broader net, influencing a diverse audience through their omnipresence. The physical and visual dominance of these ads in the cityscape ensures they remain a powerful tool for shaping public perception and behaviour, particularly as they saturate the environment and become part of the daily urban experience.[3-4]
The central theme of my work is the saturation of advertisements in city life and their subliminal influence on consumers. In urban environments, especially at night, the cityscape transforms into a vibrant, chaotic tapestry of lights, colours and distractions, all vying for attention. This nocturnal setting, filled with dynamic billboards, ever-changing LEDs and neon signs, serves as the backdrop for my project, emphasizing the relentless nature of commercial messaging. The use of multi-exposure photography allows me to layer these elements, creating a visual metaphor for the chaotic state of urban advertising. By combining lights, urban objects and female faces, my images reflect the saturation and intrusive presence of ads in our daily lives, capturing the sensory overload experienced by city dwellers.
A significant aspect of my project is the predominance of female faces in advertisements. Research indicates that the advertising industry heavily relies on female imagery to attract and manipulate consumer attention. This saturation of female imagery contributes to the subliminal messages that subtly influence consumer behaviour, perpetuating societal stereotypes and expectations.
To minimize my environmental impact, I chose to present my work in a virtual gallery on my website, avoiding the carbon footprint associated with physical exhibitions. Instead of printing a traditional book, I created a zine book in A1 format for each of the 12 images in my project, which can be used for pop-up exhibitions if needed. Although my project began in Shanghai, I have continued to develop it in Taipei, focusing on the environment I currently live in. By integrating animations into my photographs, I enhance the experience and impact of the project, drawing attention to the constantly repeating colours and patterns that characterize urban advertising. [5]
References
1. MEDIATOOL. Subliminal Advertising: Unveiling the Invisible Influence in Marketing. Available at: https://mediatool.com/blog/subliminal-advertising – Accessed 23-12-2023
2. DESIGNINDC. Unraveling the Art of Subliminal Marketing: Exploring Tactics and Influence. Available at: https://designindc.com/blog/unraveling-the-art-of-subliminal-marketing-exploring-tactics-and-influence/ – Accessed 19-04-2023
3. MEDIUM. The Power of Outdoor Advertising: Why It Still Matters in the Digital Age. Available at: https://medium.com/@5staradvertising937/the-power-of-outdoor-advertising-why-it-still-matters-in-the-digital-age-79a9f3720b29 – Accessed 03-10-2023
4. MARKETINGWEEK. How outdoor’s digital transformation is winning over advertisers. Available at: https://www.marketingweek.com/outdoor-advertising-digital-transformation/ – Accessed 03-10-2023
5. NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC. Light Pollution. Available at: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/7th-grade/ – Accessed 07-08-2024
EXTERNAL LINK
WIPP ON WEBSITE: https://www.pietroansaldi.com/wipp/
ONLINE GALLERY: https://artspaces.kunstmatrix.com/node/13414044
DOCUMENTARY VIDEO: https://vimeo.com/997402319?share=copy
