Messages

Ludwig Hohlwein based in Munich began as an architect but made his career on the back of his astonishing and vibrant poster work creating over 3000 images for commercial and literate publications. His work shows an uncanny combination of painterly richness and restraint. His unique and definitive style displays how he really understood how tone works and his push of bold contrast boosts the image and makes it an ideal medium for advertisements. His ability to paint well but sparingly works for the medium. Uncomplicated yet striking images that subtly influences the observer to think a certain way.

David Klein is an American artist who is synonymous for his work in advertising.

Famous for his travel posters for company Trans World Airlines his images were colourful, fun and bold and emblematic of the period. His images were far more illustratively playful then that of Hohlwein.

Agenda Setting Theory

Agenda Setting Theory by definition is basically that ‘we’ as a consumer or voter or generally ‘decision maker’ are being subtly influenced by the media and the masses. That we are drip fed images to influence us in our decision making. It dictates that governments and media bodies can control the way that we define a notion by the image that accompanies that very issue.

“Gate keeping controls over the selection of content discussed in the media” (Maxwell McCombs and Donald L. Shaw)

Mass communication plays a vital role in our society. Visual language pre-dates linguistics and it is the fastest way to convey an idea quickly and successfully.

“ This impact of the mass media- the ability to effect cognitive change among individuals, to structure their thinking- has been labeled the agenda-setting function of mass communication. Here may lie the most important effect of mass communication, its ability to mentally order and organize our world for us. In short, the mass media may not be successful in telling us what to think, but they are stunningly successful in telling us what to think about.”(Maxwell McCombs and Donald L. Shaw)

Marshall McLuhans wrote The Medium is the Message, outlining his theory that we are completely under the influence of media influx. His thesis and catalogue of work is extreme, it is almost impossible to summarize his point without writing at great length but majorly he devoted much of his time in understanding the link between technological advances and its relation to popular culture and henceforth how this in turn affected our species and how we would interact with each other.

“The concern of the advertiser is to make an effect. Any painter, any artist, any musician, sets out to create an effect. He sets a trap to catch somebodies attention. That is the nature of art”

Herbert Marshall Mcluhan (*1911 - +1979) lecture recorded by ABC Radio National Network on 27 June 1979 in Australia.