Meaning 2: Interactions Between 3 Levels

Advertisement for the Fragrance Series *Lollipop Bling* by Mariah Carey

Representational

As this fragrance series "Lollipop Bling" is by singer Mariah Carey, her representational photo is used as a centerpiece for the advertisement. This photo of her is specially used for the ad as she wears shiny, sparkling "bling." The word bling is a slang term used for sparkling, fancy jewelry. For the viewer, this full and natural colored photo of Carey is the closest thing to actually seeing the singer in direct experience.

Photos of the three fragrance bottles are shown as well. The viewer recognizes the butterfly shape of the bottle caps. However, the general appearance of a butterfly has been abstracted down to its understructure without the details of a representational butterfly. These representational photos of the perfume bottles hold the general and universal shape of a butterfly. Representational butterflies have been translated into the design of bottle caps for functional purposes.

Particularly with the clouds' proportions (scaling from largest to smallest), the viewer recognizes the perspective of clouds in a blue sky.

This advertisement shows a combination of representational photos, symbols, and abstract elements. Put together, they very much overlap, and the viewer perceives and understands the this design is an image of a fantastical dreamland like an illustration the viewer may have experienced from a fairy tale book.


Abstract

The background of the ad is not very detailed. Although the viewer recognizes a butterflies, clouds, lollipops, and sunlight shining through a sky, these features are very structural. The elements are direct and emotional, evoking feelings of bliss especially with the bright colors and outward directions. Carey is the large, representational centerpiece in the composition of this image. The abstract elements around her create impact the viewer's mind, presenting a blissful, fantastical dreamland.

In particular to the largest cloud, there is a concept that expresses softness and comfort. Carey appears to comfortably sit on this cloud just as if she were sitting on a real pillow. This communicates that the representation of a cloud has been abstracted into a soft, comfy pillow. Furthermore, in all the other clouds floating around Carey (sitting atop the largest cloud), the viewer envisions and experiences abstraction toward symbolism of feeling as "light as a cloud." Similarly, the white outlined butterflies and multi-colored bubbles are abstractions used to express yet signify the feeling of lightly floating on air as well.

Symbolic

As stated before, the word "bling" is a slang term used as a synonym for flashy, fancy jewelry. In the ad, Mariah Carey is wearing actual bling (a diamond butterfly ring) and "lollipop bling" (a ring-shaped lollipops) on her fingers to denote the theme behind the fragrance series. Particularly for these symbols, the viewer would need to know some special information about Carey to understand what they signify: Carey has always had a sweet tooth, so knowing she likes candy, her husband had proposed to her by hiding her diamond engagement ring inside a ring lollipop candy wrapper and letting her open it for a very "sweet" surprise. Hence the perfumes are inspired by the flavors of ring pops to symbolize the "sweet" love Carey felt when her husband proposed to her.

Some of the lollipops in the ad are mainly representational, but the lollipops covered with circular diamonds are representations that have been transformed as abstract visual data. This is an advertisement for selling perfumes not lollipops. Interestingly, the connotative appearance of these bejeweled lollipops denote the sentimental meaning of "lollipop bling." In the image, the three of the bejeweled lollipops are exaggerated in size and float right behind the perfume bottles thus perhaps signifying sweetness itself. Hence, the viewer appreciates these lollipops for their symbolic and abstract natures.

Simultaneously, the abstract rays of sunlight pierce outward through the sky in multiple directions. The bubbles, butterflies, and smallest lollipops are positioned in the same directions as the rays, creating a visual spark which perhaps denotes that the fragrances have a burst of sweetness that is as powerful as a burst of sunshine.