Federici Advertisement Analysis

Okay, I know what you are all thinking when you first see this Federici gelato advertisement... How could you eat ice cream without a shirt?  To take on such a cold task requires audacity, which clearly, this desperately hungry man does not lack.  However, he does not differ from all the other Federici customers, as they are all courageous.  After all, the ad clearly says "submit to temptation," daring us to  eat that spoonful of gelato.  The entire ad is rather dark and serious.  In fact, the brightest colors in the whole picture are the pale skin of the two characters and the colors on the ice cream box itself.  This is a useful tool in order to focus the viewers attention on certain aspects of advertisements.  Our eyes naturally see the skin first and the ice cream box because they grab our attention the most.

As you can see, there is another character in this advertisement.  A beautiful, black haired women is besides this man, wearing sunglasses indoors (yet another bold act.)  Both of them are in very good physical shape.  This is a classic example of the media portraying what their average customers should look like, making them seem flawless, bold, and in perfect physical shape. This is a strategy that  ultimately causes the real customer to crave their product, while really craving the look.  

In this ad, the man is eating the ice cream and the women appears to be asking for some, with her hand on his shoulder.  The man aggressively blocks her away using his elbow and gives her a fierce look in the eyes.  "NO" he says.  What?!  So the women isn't allowed to have any ice cream but the man can eat it in bed?  It was also pointed out to me that the mans spoon is purposely or non-purposely made to look like a knife.  Now, if that spoon is really a knife, then there are MANY more possibilites as to what is really going on in this ad.  Well, weather its a spoon or a knife, it is evident in this advertisement that this man has to choose between two of mens greatest temptations; Food and sex.  It appears that he has made his decision to eat the ice cream.   This advertisement is playing on the gender roles our society has formed.  In the media, the men are allowed to grub on whatever they want, while women are prohibited from snacking.  And if they are caught , it is considered to be "cheating" or a "secret." And why is the women wearing glasses in doors?  Is she not allowed to stare back into the man's eyes directly?  I believe that this ad is condescending to women and is quite controversial... However, it fits right in to contemporary media.