Blog Post 1

     This Carlsberg Beer ad has a very simplistic and clean look. It does a great job of not overwhelming the viewer with too much information. All the ad consists of are two images, a banana and a Carlsberg Beer, with white text underneath them. The green background matches the color of the beer, which allows for the viewer’s mind to stay focused on the product that is being sold. But with all this simplicity, the advertisers have done enough to get their message across to the viewer. The message is that Carlsberg Beer is “probably the best beer in the world”. This message is displayed under the beer, while the words “probably a banana” are displayed under the banana. The advertisers are using the social code of a banana to get their message across. Nobody will sit and argue that they’re not looking at a banana because that’s what the image clearly is. Different cultures might have different names for it, but at the end of the day, those names will still translate to the word “banana”. By using this blatant statement, the reader is allowed to assume that the statement underneath the beer is also true.

     The advertisers also do a great job of using connotation and denotation in the ad. Connotation is the implied or associated meaning of a word, while denotation is the direct meaning. In this case, the banana and its description represent denotation. The Carlsberg Beer and its description represent connotation. The phrase “probably the best beer in the world” is something that the advertisers are trying to get viewers to automatically associate with the product. 

     Overall, the advertisers do a great job of keeping the ad simple, while getting their message across to the viewers. By using something as simple as a banana, the ad allows for viewers to easily make the assumption that Carlsberg Beer is “probably the best beer in the world”.