We live in a society that is increasingly focused on visual, not verbal. For many people the main source of information and entertainment is the TV. The average viewer looks at, annually, approximately 30,000 commercials. In each of them before him, trying to convey the same idea whatever your problem (dandruff, dirty sink in the kitchen or excessive obesity), you can buy an item which will solve it (Postman & Powers, 1992). Many of the advertising messages intended to persuade the consumer, presented in the form of visual images, accompanied by dialogues, which are of secondary importance.

What is visual argument?

Visual images play an important role in magazines, Newspapers, video games and message boards. Their influence is particularly difficult to assess because it is often very thin. Take the example of cigarette advertising. Smoking is associated with beauty, glamour, youth, health and popularity (Kidd, 1991). In the visual advertising of cigarettes popular subject is horses and nature. Beautiful and happy people smoke and enjoy life.

Horses represent power and unfettered independence they like people who don’t falter the fact that Smoking leads to many diseases. Through careful market research highlighted the market segments of buyers of cigarettes and are developed is addressed to each segment; for example, young women with education above school who wear jeans and have a working profession. The images used in this advertisement to be very different from images.

Pig-like man surrounded by gold, were supposed to represent the capitalist. This image was widely distributed in the years when the Soviet Communists had to support the idea that “capitalism is evil”. American poster wartime (1942) depicts an evil, scheming the Japanese and the Nazis, which close to capture the United States, although the U.S. has never been in danger. Soviet recruiter invites everyone to join the fight for a great cause. He has the same pose and facial expression as the recruiter with the American poster who told us that “we need uncle Sam”.

Effective visual arguments

Intended for more educated women they are portrayed Smoking while talking or reading.

Visual images used in political campaigns. Consider the description of commercials used in the election campaign for Governor of California. The Republican Wilson, who served as the Governor was portrayed visual arguments in advertising as a leader, which is not to be blamed for the problems in California, Democrat brown has presented himself in human form, able to brilliantly solve all the problems of the state of California.

Television commercial brown of California presents black and white scenes, depicting the decline of urban life, and only he shot brown in color. And Wilson, by contrast, shows a scene of constant violence and covert gang of illegal immigrants, and only the sad face of Wilson expresses concern about these serious problems.

Visual arguments examples

Visual images can have a powerful influence on public opinion and policy. Who can forget the faces of starving children from Somalia, which eloquently argued the urgency of the U.S. troops to save them from harm?

And who can forget the picture, as the body of a dead American soldier dragged through the dusty streets of Somali city the movie that made us hurriedly leave Somalia? What if we showed the other pictures? Suppose that instead of a dead peacekeeper, which dragged through the streets, the media would show us how Somalis receive food and clean water these people managed to survive thanks to the peacekeepers. The scenes that we are shown, have a profound effect on our thinking.

Visual arguments ideas

Presents some of the old propaganda posters that were popular in the early and mid XX century note the image of the fat capitalist. The authors specially made his appearance repulsive his pig-like face and bulbous body, a sea of gold around him indicates that he is interested only in material wealth. Compare this poster with the American poster from the Second world war, which depicts the dangerous and comical face of our enemies. Notice how close they are to US. See also the man who urged the to enlist volunteers in the Soviet army, pointing a finger personally to each. Compare it to posters that were popular in the U.S. around the same time, when we all knew that “you need uncle Sam”.