CAPITOLUL III

COCA-COLA IN THE SPOTLIGHT

This chapter begins with a few necessary information for understanding the beginning and evolution of the Coca-Cola Company. For a better organization of the data, I used a chronological periods structure of the material. The second part represents the actual examination of the advertising images promoted by the company, through the course of time. That is to say, especially, gestures of the limbs, combinations and behavioral schemes, describing the actors positions. The final part of the paper includes the drawing of several conclusions that allow for a wide decryption of the companys philosophy.

III.1 Short history of the company

1886-1892 is there anyone, really, who doesnt know the Coca-Cola brand? Probably not, since even one of the companys slogans confirms a hard-to-contest reality:Coca-Cola, friendliest drink on earth!(1939) While in New York workers were building the statue of Liberty, eight hundred miles away, another great symbol was about to be discovered. John Pemberton, a veteran of the civil war and pharmacist in the city of Atlanta, while looking for a quick cure to a headache, had the inspiration of mixing a caramel colored liquid in a bowl. After the alchemy was final, the mixture was taken to a local pharmacy mad blended with seltzer. The recipe is tested by clients who confirm the innovation of taste: this new drink was truly special. For 5 cents a glass, buyers could savor a delicious and refreshing drink. Pembertons accountant, Frank Robinson, named the concoction Coca-Cola and wrote its name in a tome. In its first year, the company sold approximately nine glasses of Coca-Cola per day. A century later, it would produce 10 billion gallons of soda each day. Unfortunately Pemberton was more of an inventor than a business man. He did not hold in his vision that he might create one of the most successful products in the world. He decides to sell the company to an entrepreneur in Atlanta, named Asa Griggs Candler, for a total of $2300. Candler, thus, became the first president of the company, and the first to render a visionary business approach to the company.

1893-1904 An innate salesman, Asa Candler turns Coca-Cola, from an invention, into a prosperous business,

boosting sales by 4000% between 1890 and 1900. He knew the product needed to be promoted, so he got preoccupied with finding innovative means of attracting clients. He distributed coupons for free tastings of the new drink, and clothed his pharmacists in clothes printed with the Coca-Cola logo. The aggressive advertisement worked. Up until 1895, Candler built factories in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Inevitably, the success of the drink led to the improvement of the bottling methods. In 1894 business man Joseph Biedenham (Mississippi), launches a project for putting the drink in bottles. He sends 12 bottles to Asa Candler, but the latter does not share in with the enthusiasm of Joseph. Despite of his being a highly capable salesman, he does not realize that the Coca-Cola company will finally perfect its potential when the soda will have been purchased bottled. Not even five years later did he realize this, when two lawyers, Benjamin F. Thomas and Joseph B. Whitehead, bought the exclusive rights to bottle and sell the drink for the amount of one U.S. dollar.

1905-1918 Imitation can be a form of flattery, but the Coca-Cola Company was everything but flattered by the proliferation of beverages groaning for the success of the original. The product, as well as the brand needed to be protected. Advertisement was based on reality: Coca-Cola is a perfect answer to thirst that no imitation can satisfy. In 1916 the Root Glass Company, in Indiana, began making the famous Coca-Cola bottle. As the new century forwarded, the Coca-Cola Company grew rapidly, expanding its businesses in Cuba, Puerto Rico, France and other countries.

1919-1940 It is likely, that no other person could have had a higher impact on the Coca-Cola Company, than Robert Woodruff. In 1923, five years after his father, Ernest had bought the company off Asa Candler, Woodruff became its president. If Candler presented the USA with the new Coca-Cola beverage, Woodruff presented it to the entire world, throughout the course of his 60 year career, as captain of the ship. Woodruff was a marketing genius, who took advantage of any expansion opportunity. Coca-Cola travelled to Amsterdam with the US Olympic, in 1928, and the logo was imprinted everywhere, even in the bullfighting arenas in Spain. The expansion of its world

domination started the product entering the African market in 1928, along with first bottling factory being built in Johannesburg. The beverage ensures its place on the continent, by 1960, by winning over Mozambique, Ethiopia and Djibouti, one by one.

Woodruff encouraged all the innovations that were helping people enjoy Coca-Cola, turning the company, not only into a huge success, but into an important part of peoples lives.

1941-1959 In 1941 America went into the Second World War. Thousands of people were recruited. Woodruff ordered that every uniformed man receive a Coca-Cola bottle for the price of 5 cents, no matter where they were, or the costs supported by the company. During the war, Europeans had their first taste of Coca-Cola. Between the 1940s and 1960s the number of the countries where Coca-Cola was sold, doubled. Competition, however, was not being neglected. To this extent, in 1942, the company launches an advertising program, entitled The only thing like Coca-Cola is Coca-Cola itself. The slogan is then reused in 1970 for approximately another year. This is, actually, the declaration of authenticity, certifying the brand. When this statement was first made, buyers had positive reactions: Coke is real. Anything else is just an imitation28. The discourse is, naturally, dedicated to their main competitor, Pepsi. Yet, the competition is beneficial to both producers, as it attract the attention of the media, who heightens its interest for the Cola category. Post World War II America was full of optimism and prosperity. This was even reflected in the images used in the Coca-Cola commercials: happy couples, carefree mothers, driving convertibles.

1960-1981 After 75 years of success with the Coca-Cola brand, the company decided to expand its brand number: Sprite was introduced in 1961, TAB in 1963 and Fresca in 1966. The companys presence on the world-wide scene rapidly grew and advertisement, always the more important part of the business, only truly reached grandeur in the 1970s. In 1978 the Coca-Cola Company was chosen to the only company with trading rights in the Republic of China.

1982-1989 The 1980s prooved to be a time for changes and rearrangements, for Coca-Cola. In 1981, Roberto C. Goizueta became president of the board and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company. Goizueta, who escaped from the communist regime of Fidel Castro, completely changes the companys strategy: he organizes all the coca-Cola bottlers in the U.S., into one public company. Coca-Cola Enterprises tries to diversify its range of assortments with Coca-Cola Light. During the same time, preparations
28

Al. Ries, Laura Ries, Cele 22 de legi imuabile ale brandingului, Ed. Curier Marketing, Bucuresti, 2003, pag. 59

are made for a first change in the preparation formula and taste. The results of the tests were positive, but back in the real world, people reacted by asking for the original formula to be brought back. Critics called it the biggest marketing mistake, ever made. The original formula was reinstated and Coca-Cola increased its advantage on its competitors, advantage kept until today.

1990-Present Now, in its second century of existence, the Coca-Cola Company sells almost 300 brands in 200 countries. Doug Draft, president and CEO, is believes in the efficiency of applying strategies, based on the specificity of each country, thus acting on a local level. Statistics show that today, every 10 seconds, 126,000 people enjoy a Coca-Cola product.

Creation the logo The invention of the logo is due to Frank Robinson, Pembertons accountant. He officially registered the brand on January 31st, 1893. Bottle printing is done for the first time in 1941. Words are easy to pronounce and they combination creates a pleasant, euphonic alliteration (two vowels: a, o and one consonant c). The product gradually and unexpectedly grew in popularity, so that the company was forced to register, in 1945, the second name, Coke, to differentiate CocaCola from other beverages: Fig Cola, Candy cola, Cay Ola, Koca Nola. All these brands were made illegal in 1916. For a brand, color is not easily manipulated. There are, basically, five base colors, and three neutrals: black, white and grey. The choice for the bright red color was an inspired one, because the colors on the red end of the spectre are focused in front on the retina. Because of this physical reaction, the reaction is associated with energy and emotion. It induces a strong focus. Because of its informational value, an organizations logo represents quintessence of the broadcasted message. The direct forefather of brand markings is the coat of arms, a sign that synthetically cumulates several functions: identifies the issuant, issues the essential information about its qualities and speaks of its origins. The logo is part of the stories the organization tells about itself to figure or reconfigure. It does not become an identity figure, except for its narrative interpretation qualities. The Coca-cola logo embodies the brand name iconization phenomenon its translation in several languages is perfectly recognizable by tourists which shows that decodification is not perceived as text but as an image. Concern is, especially, manifested for the guarantee of a visual continuity. When it aimed to expand its range with a new product, Coca-Cola defined the color code of the new beverage, Diet Coke (sugar free drink) by simply inverting the initial color code. The pithiness of

the Coca-Cola codes allows a coherent extension of the brands activities within the temporal and spatial dimension29.

III.2 Advertising image analysis By using the referential calculations through questions (who?, where?, when?, what?) I will try to decipher an ensemble of hand gestures frequently exposed in Coca-Cola prints. This analysis is not meant to be exhaustive and totalitarian, but, rather, a shy step into the world of gesture meanings, permanently enriched by cultural dynamics. I selected prints that frequently appeared on the American market during 1906 and 1970, in magazines such as the National Geographic and Literary Digest. Along with the cross-borders expansion of the Coca cola Company, the advertising message is organized based on the characteristics of each area of action. Starting with the 1950s, more and more differences can be seen in the structure and ideation of the print. This was one of the main causes why the investigation area did not expand into the next immediate periods all the way to the present. I stated in the previous chapter that the advertising discourse orients the reflections of the social space: whether it aims at rendering it, or it absorbes and rebuilds distinctive parts of it. Information shows that the 20th century begins with a representation crisis. Societies feel the urge for an innovation that will offer some theatrics to social purposes. The print themes of the first decades are selfreprezentations of a triumphant capitalism. They exalt adequacy out of local values and the conquest of other spaces. We see men and ladies smiling sheepishly from the enclosures of their cars. The extension of their arm allows for bracing the elbow on the seat, and bending the upper body over the wheel calls on the arms, once again, for setting the balance. Both moves involve bolstering up on the object the car which, in the psychologists opinion, shows the individuals desire to parade his territorial instints. When he touches his property (which by extension may be a chair, couch, abode) it becomes a protraction of the body, clearly marking the owner. When speaking of actors-gesticulators, we can identify three large categories: children, men and women. The domination of the latter is by far a surprise. Women have been used as seual accessories in selling the most varied of products, from domestic appliances, detergents to, different assortments of chocolate. Children appear sporadically, (4 images out of the total of prints selcted) and their gestures espress the age appropiate tendency of cornering any objects in the vicinity. In image no. 36, the cardboard
29

Benoit Heilbrunn, Logo-ul, Ed. Comunicare.ro, Bucureti, 2002,p.33

box covering the 6 soda cans is framed by both arms in a display of the arms not unlike an embrace. The object is held to the chest and enters into the possession of the little girl. Other times, the extension is not wuite as lush: it is enough for the hand to firmly fix the glass by extending the palm and gently clutching the fingers (cupping the hand --- image 41). In the presence of the infamous Santa Claus, movements acquire a freedom of manifestation. Gestures are natural and follow the line of emotional experiences (see images 67 and 76 where the boy tries to imitate the puppys position or shyly brings his hands to his back, untrustful of the discovery made). The advertising message draws on identification mechanism. We distinguish three particularities of this figurativeness in the prints: a)the target - child 30 seen directly as a consumer ; the poster shows him in full progress of his daily activities : he laughs, eats, dresses, plays; b) the prescriptor - child31 takes part in shopping that do not directly concern him and becomes thevoice of the manufacturer, in the mothers ear (the basicprinciple would be: let your children give you ideas); c)the alibi - child32- has the role of accompanying the message. His presence effuses an aura of innocence and simplicity over the product ; Children inhibit aggressive actions by their mere aspect. In Iubire i ur Irnaus Eibesfeldt gives the example of aborigenous peoples who, when wanting to enter into contact with white people, press a small child forward, while placing their hands on his shoulders. The prints present the specimens either facing forward or sideways. For very old ads, up until 1910, the characters avoid the direct contact with the receiver and move their glances either toward an imaginary spot in space or toward another subject performer. Image 1shows the famous opera singer, Lilian Nordica, adopting a somber position, in the 19th century style photographs. The high table and the screening wall, limit the perspective and turn the focus toward the actor. The left hand is holding the fan, while the right arm, bent at the elbow allows for propping. The nakedness of the arms and the liberation of the body fro the onerous corsage are the consequences of overcomming the tapissier style of dress, with an abuse of tssels and garmengts that transform the elegant woman into a jazzily adorned object. The society scenes show ladies in trend with the fasion, always careful to indications of social statu, executing protocol gestures. He showing of nobility will no longer find its rationality in the Coca Cola advertising space. The regression is mainly due to teh dissappearance of a social reality. By the 1915 nibility already has a purely honorary character. Aristocratic families cannot seem to
30 31

Francois Brune, Fericirea ca obligaie, Ed. Trei, Bucureti, 1996, pag. 238 Idem 32 Ibidem

overcome the pretenses they are subject to and gradually disappear or are absorbed by a more general bourgeois environment. The traditional life style based on labor and frugality, with a mostly local or regional perspective will be demoted, in the second half of the 19th century, by a more luxurious life style. The 20th century shows the entire planet that the USA operates under the design of a completely functional economical device. Increasing the capital allows the banks to offer lower interest loans. salaries are in a continuous increase trend, the extension of the installment sales system, the propagation of multiple branches stores offer the clients a variety of products, that allows for the development of consummership. Under these circumstances, advertising finds a prosperous

landing. Newspaper sections are filled with ads, trying to transform merchandise into maketable products: Vaseline Tonic Hair gives a shine to your hair, creating an image of success; the Miami Chamber of Commerce promotes its travel offers by emphasizing the climate advantages of the area, because sun exposure invigorates your muscle tone. With Sheaffer pens you rediscover the pleasure of writing. Social logic will function based on the preinciple of collectivity: no matter how much you accumulate there will always be one missing part. By conforming to external pressures the Coca Cola company adopts a new type of advertising message. The rhetorics of objectuality is replaced by a rhetoric of ambiguity that combines images, creating a world of possibilities, where the subject frees himself of internal or external coercion. The prince turns work into a calling, a delight and a hobby. The eloquence of the body is emphasized to the detriment of the ever curtained text. In their small numbers, performers are frequently surprised savoring le plaisir de vivre (the pleasure of living). The 1930s and 1940s commercial ads reflect an obsession for images of the young, seductive, self-confident young woman. She renounces the gigot sleeves or the monumental hats, fixed in by a hair style that presented a figure as far away from real life as those of the Rennaiscence woman or even further in time, during Louis the XVIs time. The slender garments, cut close to the body is a much better suit. The skirt falls to the ground in a flaing A line is replaced by the short dress that allows the disrobing of he legand enriches the communication with a special type of gestures. The images she is spotted in present her in a few ttraditional states: the wife-woman, in complete harmony wit her life partner (image 63), the housewife or the symbol maternity guardians (images 18, 41). The gesture she develops recalls nothing of the snobbery of the past era. We should recall that the 19th century set a severe psychiatric discipline. Women in American universities had to minimize their intelligence, abilities and strength of character when in the presence of men. Women allowed their husbands to tell tales of boringthings, they already knew,

hide their mathematical competence from their significant others or lose the fashionable table tennis matches right at the end. We also stray from the insight of the frech literature of the 1800s up to the 1840s that only recognizes two roles: the honest woman, victim of persecution and the callous woman, subject of scandals. The relaxed arm, comfortable position, the natural angle of the body, the decrease in the proxemic distances enforces a liberalization of the communication space, annex to a democratic society. There is nothing excentric in her movements, only a tendency for declaration. They leave to the naked eye, in an offensive arrangement of the subject (images 47, 43) the prototype of the strong woman, unbound by prejudice. Historically speaking, emancipation descends from the liberal feminism elaborated at the dirction of John Stuart Mill. As a natural consequence the universe of representations in the 1940s and 1950s was marked by femme nouvelle and femme fatale. With their short cropped hair and above the knee dresses, they take over cafes and theatres and dance studios in the big cities. In image no. 10 the young lady is in a sitting position. The subject flaunts the entirety of relations with her external world, with her body. The postire was reserved in 7th cebtury Greece only to goddesses. The bent right arm holds the glass, while the inclined left arm blocks the view. She is inwards oriented and indicates a focus on herself. The extended pinky finger reflects a desire for establishing connection. The index finger plays the role on a correspondent that permits the construction of a symmetry. The attention falls on the elbow, in parallel with the ground (non-aggressive), to the spread fingers, whch, throug their position, manage to hot spot the lower limbs. Indirectly, the male-receiver is invited to discover the sexual challenge that is her uncovered leg. As a motor organ, the leg is a symbol of social connection. The metaphorical meanings granted arise from three main acceptations: - The leg as one of the exits for the soul (Achiles heel); - The print left on theground as a metonymy of the power to rule the world (the mythical poetical vision of the profet steps); - The leg as an ithyphallic symbol (the tales where the heroines gain fertility by walking in the giants footsteps; Freuds psychoanalysis); The ritual of stepping on one of the marital couples feet is still practiced today in some regions in Romania, but it has lost its ancient meaning, and is associated with the idea of domination that is about to embark on their newlywed trip. For the southern Slavoians, girls dig out their lovers footprints and plant flowers in the ground so that the desire of the person desired will grow without regression. The foot carries the pettern of the path and involves a sacred ablution ceremony.

In most of the prints analyzed, gestures set off the body in a game of physical attraction that borrows aspects of a courtly ritual. Image 52 shows the two lovers in a fairytale surrounding: the depth level partially dominated by a building resembling medieval structures; the night surrounding their silhouettes in mystery; the moon adding to the romance of the moment. Usually, couples hold hands or arms in public places or parties to demonstrate to others the rights they hold on each other. Palm in palm is tehmost common display of the hand in hand position (the eroticism is accentuatedwehn the fingers are sewn with the partners). The longer the gesture lasta, the more intimate it becomes. The chivalrous gander of the man and the womans arm, not comp letely enclosing on the mans arm, are gestures that give an dextra of information to the receiver. They suggest the relation is in its early stages. Out of the two love archetypes Denis de Rougemont presents in his study, the Trystan myth love, based on affection and passion is best suited for that certain image. If we were to find a correspondent in the American film universe, we wouldnt stray too far by comparing them with Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh (Gone with the wind). As a descendant of Eve, the woman will take over the spiritual nature of Mary. Her morale will find in her, mans kind angel. The means for cofigurating the space, in print 60, is eliminated entirely, and the image only retains the extremities. The gesture of clinking the glasses is doubled by the pcupling of the hands. Generally operating, is the rule according to which the one holding his arms uner the table is not prepared to face the given situation. He is afraid of showing his hands because he is conscious that movement would betray his insecurity, emotion or anxiety. Here, hiding the hands suggests, either shyness of contact or the lovers desire to retract to a more intimate location, away from public inquiry. The pinky, slightly parted from the rest of the hand, is not pulled in to the hook of the hand, but extends to touch the partner, expressing the desire to continue the relationship. The man holds his partners free hand with his right arm. Symbolics show that Gods left hand is traditionally related to justice while his right is connected to his mercy. For Budhists pulling the hand into a fist reflects dissimulation. Budhas palm is never closed because the scholar keeps no secrets to his science. Sexual and colorful, the hand is an indicator for social class and attention, sanctimony or delinquence, mundane or show style events. Placed on the partners knee or arm, it speaks of future intimacies. Toilful, refines, gloved or free it has the uncanny power of suggesting human contact. In several of the prints I studied, the opposites of the masculine gestures are the refined, charming movements of the glove-adorned hand. It fades out the eventual aggressivity of the gesture, by allotting a romantic, vetust or aristocratic, even, visage, to the entire visial construction (prints

46A;53;59). Wearing gloves during a catholic lithurgy or white gloves, particularly, during maosnic rituals, is a show of immaculacy, purity. The glove was, especially, reserved for the nobility, who generally wore it on the left hand. The throwing of the glove, practiced by knights, is used today in figurative speech as a sign of contempt. The gesture of taking off a glove, is interpreted based on the context, be it as a sign of homage or an indication of defiance. Protocol rules state that the man must do away with his right hand glove, in order to properly salute acquaintances on the street. For the gentle sex this imperative is only applied in cases of premeditated meetings. The gloves come of in public halls, like restaurants, soffee shops, dans floors, but can be kept during a train trip or driving. According to R. Barthes je taime is only a performative33, a declaration of promise, to be exact, and not the stating of a fact. It is in the power of non-verbal synonymy to give substance to the concept. The kiss, the graceful embrace of the waist, the rapid exchange of glances, peg out the beginning of passion. Bracing your head on your partners is a shorter version of the kiss that allows a delicate exchange of gestures. Touching the heads (the residence of all the sensory organs), means embracing the other person with all zour being (image 70). How do you handle a scary Halloween party? The recipe is simple> all you need is a bottle of Coca Cola for the athmosphere to become friendly. Gestually speaking, relaxation is indicated by the facial expression of the characters. The open arms and slightly bent upper body create the impression of wanting to embrace the partner. In the erotic manifestation language, the embrace is related to the kiss and all its comforting, protective and healing of suffering qualities. At the same time it is known as a protective gesture, also present in the mothers repertoire, ritualized into a calming, soothing gesture. If we use the greek classification, the relation, thus instituted, is defined by storg (tenderness) and agape (affection). The womans hands, touching the chin, form the stylized emblem of two large eyes. The reference, surely, relates to the magical object, characteristic of the celebration. In Jaoa, the fingers, bent in such a way that they form a triangle with the thumb (eye) express emotional focus. In the deaf-mute sign language, this position of the fibgers, is the visual representation of the letter B, which is a sode gesture in the classification system suggested by d. Morris. Image 69 shows a memorable and crucial life event: the wedding. The newlyweds join their hands in an honest, affectionate clasp. As a ritual component, we remind of the status of the engagement ring, which signifies the indissoluble bond and mutual faith. Tradition requires for the girl to wear the ring on her left ring finger, until the day of the ceremony, when it will be replaced by the wedding band. The position of the head, the back bent leg, the wide open wrms, are all indication of
33

Roland Barthes,Fragments dun discours amoreux,Ed.du Seuil,Paris,1977,p.45

a strong, exposive emotional state (pathos - desire, mania passion). The externalization of emotions, the victory over the Victorian Puritanism, contrasts with the ceremony attributed to greek processions: the bride hidden behind a thin veil, was carried by a ceremonial carriage, in front of which various object were throuwn, preferably flower petals (roses, violets); the fire from the torches and the music escorting the cortege were supposed to keep away the evil spirits and curses. Romantic gestures define a love belonging to the 20th century. It followed the gallantry of the 18th century, which, in turn, was only another trend subsequent to the esteem of the 17th century, the platonic love of the 15th century or the 13th century courtly love. This ffreedom of the body language, when not appropriate to context of communication, may either shock or determine a subtle retreat of the interlocutor. Such is the case in image 64. The actors are surprised having a friendly conversation. The man has its back to the onlooker. The position he adopts (partially laying down, bracing on his elbow; his hand holding on to the glass from the top side) sets the contours of a strong, dominating personality violation of the personal space is produced (45 125 centimeters), which is not approved by the retreating partner. The psychic discomfort is transposed into an eloquent non verbal communication. The raised glass and the arm resting on the chair, further confirms, the presence of certain barriers the man is neglecting. The neck is the most threatened part of the body. In case of danger or aggression it must be protected. Only when comfortable do we feel safe to freely show it. In this particular case, only one ghand is used for protecting the neck. If the thumb could be distanced from the trest (drowning gesture), the combination between the hand and and bowing head movements would reflect a potent threat. Anthropological, sociological and psichological communication studies have shown various strategies by which individuals act, on spacial context elements in order to modify their value (intimate, personal, social or public distance). In image 54 (specification is only done to better grasp the position, but examples are numerous in prints 55, 56, 59, 61) the angle in which the two participants position their bodies towards each other represents a silent signal, useful in detecting behavior and in relation to others. In most countries, during normal meetings, peoples bodies form a 90 degree angle. This position also reflects a non verbal calling toward a third person to join into the conversation. The individual wanting to attract the opposite sex reduces the degree of openness, until annulment. Here we slide into the personal area. The olfactory message of the interlocutor is still perceptible and touch is always made possible. Eye contact becomes more intense. Our attention is caught by a highly occurring gesture in Coca Cola ads, namely the ostentaneous exposure of the elbow (images 9, 21, 54, 55). For a man, the hand on the hip is a courting gesture. It is not unlike the bird mating ritual (they fluff up their feathers in hope of appearing to be larger).

The outward oriented elbow, amplifies the force and stamina we give off. Sometimes, the movement is accompanied by spreading the legs, to offer more support. This position is provocative and defines a more decisive indiciduals that shoot straight for the target and are ready to fight in order to meet their objectives. For the ladies, a hand on the hip reflects regal origins (such as Elisabeth the 1st of England), but the use of this position in the middle classes is completely inappropriate. Models use these groups of gestures to create the impression of elegant, dynamic modern thinking women. After analyzing this attitude during the Renaissance, Joaneth Spicer concludes that she comes close to the status of national attribute as an integrated aspect of a proud leading class. This is typical for a millionaire, as it oozes self containment and control. In Albert Drera portraits, the forearm and the elbow seen to show a spatial line, a fencing between the model and the onlooker. In his 1532 treaty, De civilitate morum puerilum, Erasmus blackballs the gesture, which, could be interpreted as concern, but lacks any modesty34 . Generally speaking, this type of behavior was attributed to the flag carrier. In Evert von Der Maes paintings, the elbow is exposed as a sign of bravado, fearlessness; the eyes are avertes towards the esterioe, marking the en garde position. 17th century Dutch portraits, often illustrate a pater familias in the front and center, sitting or standing up with his hand on his hip, expressing his senior territoriality. It is said of people who raise their elbows above shoulder level that they saw the air. The movement is considered a symptom of excessive emotivity. Societies develop a body conduct etiquette that varies depending on the sex of the speaker, his status, eage or the context of the relationship. Any behavior that eludes its social definition is susceptible of indiscretion. The rule, however, is not maintained in the advertising space. The vastness of everyday life offer an, almost, infinite inventory of fortuities, which, undertaken through twists, are transferred under the service of advertisement concepts. Image 71 refuses the mythical or ironic discourse in favor of the referential. This type of discourse plausibility is base in this case in discourse strategies of narrative nature. We are called upon to mentally manufacture the succession of events that the presented image was plucked from: the meeting of the characters, their decision to go shopping, and to relax while small talking. The setting is transformed from a public, ridgid place (coffee shop, restaurant), into a familiar, permissive environment, where rules are abolished. Etiquette dos not recomend the exagerated display of elbows and arms on the table. When properly relaxed, the arms are beside the body and the wrists are braced on the rim of the furniture. This
34 Jan Bremmer,Herman Roodenburg,O istorie cultural a gesturilor:din Antichitate i pn n zilele noastre,ed. Polimark,Bucureti,2000,p.91

analysis can be extended to several well defined gestures. We might observe, in the case of two of the characters, a behavior characteristic of persons manifesting an interest for the person or subject of the conversation: the palm is against the cheek (and not used for support), the body is slightly bent forward, the eyes make contact with the third actor. When the listener transforms the hand into an instrument for resting his head, it is clear that boredom has interjected. Sometimes the gesture might be associated with rubbing the ears, the individuals attempt to prevent himself from hearing no evil, by trying block his perception of the auditive flow by positioning the hand around or above the ears. Th eorientation of the crossed knees toward another person is a sign of acceptance or agreement to the ideas rendered. The gesture of crossing the legs, refused to women by the institution of the church itself, reflects the heroines open declaration of rebellion against cannon law, defiance of protocol: for women it is preffered to cross the lower part of the legs, in such a way that the dress may cover as much of the leg as possible35. The image opens the scene with a strong message: Love the new look of Coke!. It is supported non verbally by a dymanic gestuality. Raquel Weltch, CBSs brand new broadcaster, assumes a dynamic, and aggressive even, posture, if we are to consider the position of her hand or legs: the forearm emphasizes the elbow, that wraps around the knee; her right leg blocks our view. It is not limited to take a fixed form, but is completely bare, free of the uncomfortable footwear: the shoe. In the Islamic culture, a stranger may only cross his hosts threshold barefoot, whis waz showing that he has no thoughts of laying claims. The shoe is the travellers symbol but also the proff of ones identity (Cinderellas shoe). Low heels footwear allows for a better balance for the body, which is absolutely necessary to maintain a vertical position. The characters in commercial ads are presented either sitting or standing. Even if these positions alternate, we can observe a constant, favoring the man-woman relation. When the two elements are in a seducer-seduced interaction, the dominant position is standing. In the time of the Greek Gods, the standing position was the only one that truly favored the hero in all his splendor. Customs change after the adoption of the Oriental custom of eating from a semilaying down position. Usually, actors are surpised in their daily, non coercive environments, which alow the display of anatural gesture complex. On the other hand, the waiters body does not stop buckling under the professional gestures learned (images 21, 32, 50). The position is strict: the hands are up, torso level, the legs are close together, the body is ridgid. The impression made by a

35

N. Frncu.V.Dragomir,Reguli de protocol i comportare n societate,Ed.tiinific,Bucureti,1973,p.132

person keeping his/her legs close together, is that of controlled propriety. There were only two images where the actor was surprised walking (images 46A, 42). The movement reassembled by the audience suggests an optimistic spirit (with a normal, unaffected walk). In the of the Greek culture, Jan Bremmer, notes that references to walking are not completely absent in the ancient world. Homers work is full of such mentions. When Hector challenges the Greek, he must confront the frightening Ajax who flounces towards him taking long steps and threatening him with a heavy lance36. Homer insists on the fact that long strides in walking were characteristic for leaders wanting to gain a certain distinction on the battlefield. After the last part of the 6th century, it was observed that other than increase g control over their own emotions, Athenians also refined their etiquette. While discussing about this type of slow stride, in his Ethica Nichomachea, Aristotel associated it with the negative concept of megalomania. An orderly walk is idealized in pagan as well as Christian cultures by their way of walking, the upper social class of Greece would set itself off from peoples considered to be effeminate, such as Persians or Lydians. Small steps were characteristic for the opposite sex. When Hera and Athena presented themselves in front of the Trojans to help the Greek their steps were similar to those of a frightful dove37. In 1927, the Coca Cola Company began sponsoring its first ever, radiu programme: Vivian, the Coca Cola girl. In parallel the advertising design would launch an explosion of seductive feminine characters. The McCann production agency chooses celebrities for the promoting the ads, such as the McGuire sisters, Connie Francis, Emmet Kelly or Anita Bryant. The image are marked by beautiful, charming faces. The woman lost that bucolic, arcadian something about her. She got detached from the country environment in an attempt to elude stereotypes. She is no longer the angel of the house or guardian of virtue and may be surprised in various positions (diva, woman in love). The partner, caught in the flames of the love game is easily guided through by his teammate. He is an elegant, delightful, available, partially unaware of the charm he possesses, individual (the seducer type, like Cary Grant image 52, 54, 55). Unaccompanied by his partner, he tries to dominate the entire space. He is upbeat, relaxed, self confident. His gestuality shows the confident balance of the small bourgeois industrial at the beginning of the 20th century. Venerarea afacerii produsese implicit o valorizare pozitiv a figurii patronului.Aceasta o izgonete pe cea a preedintelui,preotului sau filozofului.The man who builds a factory builds a temple38 afirma preedintele Calvin Coolidge. S revenim la tipul de relaie pe care cei doi parteneri o
36

Jan Bremmer,Herman Roodenburg,op.cit.,p.200

37
38

idem,p.205
Joseph Seldin,The Golden Fleece,ed.Marzani&Mnsell,New York,1965,p.23

contracteaz pentru c ea va constitui de fapt punctul de pornire spre o nou investigaie. Atenia se orienteaz ctre surprinderea indicilor gestuli pe care femeia n ipostaz de iniiatoare a flirtului i propag spre brbatul-interlocutor. Printul 42 semnaleaz o prezen feminin suav care pare s se ndrepte ncet (mers de felin) spre planul privitorului. Pirea lent i legnarea oldurilor era valorizat negativ n Antichitate, fiind permis doar curtezanelor i nsoitoarelor lui Dionysos.Culoarea care inund spaiul este extrem de sugestiv. Europenii asociaz galbenul cu sentimentul geloziei, laitii; pentru americani este culoarea intelectualitii; la asiatici simbolizeaz puritatea. Lumina ce invadeaz cadrul din partea dreapt se proiecteaz puternic asupra eroinei genernd impresia unei figuri n cea, un fel de fata morgana perceptiv. Mna funcioneaz ca un fel de piedic vizual care redreseaz focalizarea spre genunchiul piciorului ndoit. Ochiul trebuie s descopere glezna subire, ele ment cu un grad ridicat de erotism. Antropologul David B. Givens (The Nonverbal Basis of Attraction:Flirtation, Courtship and Seduction) a studiat flirtul att la animale ct i la oameni. n cazul mamiferelor ,femelele trebuiau s conving masculul c sunt inofensive,c nu au intenia s atace i n consecin adoptau un comportament de supunere. La specia uman reaciile sunt mult mai complicate. Dintre gesturile cu o mare ncrctur sexual amintim:micarea usoar a umrului urmat de tragerea braului spre centrul corpului, atingerea propriului trup, privirea peste umr sau zmbetul languros. Acestor invitaii indirecte li se poate suprapune dorina manifestat nemijlocit de a-l atrage pe receptor n spaiul intim (printul 40). Aluzia este nlocuit cu invitaia direct de a ocupa scaunul din apropiere. Mna descrie o micare deictic n timp ce ncruciarea picioarelor la nivelul genunchiului poteneaz feeria sexual. Prin nclinarea capului ntr-o parte femeile i manifest interesul pentru un brbat seductor.Se etaleaz o senzualitate aprent incontient care investigat la un nivel de adncime semnaleaz o naivitate contrafcut i perfid. Cum s-ar desfura oare dialogul verbal dintre actani dac,preschimbai n meteri ai magiei,am reui s dinamizm staticul?Probabil c metamofoza s-ar opri la interciunea specific pieselor de teatru cu o intrig captivant.Putem utiliza schema tranzacional pentru a reconstitui dinamica relaiilor de rol.Dar orict de interesant ar fi experimentul nu trebuie s neglijm faptul c n relaia erotic ne folosim mai puin de comunicarea verbal.Procedm astfel ntruct exist reineri de a discuta deschis despre problemele afectiv-sexuale(subiect tabu).Ne este mult mai uor s ne folosim de semnalizri non-verbale. n plana 42 femeia i privete ipoteticul partener cu ochii pe jumtate nchii.Gestul,extrem de incitant,strnete senzaia de a fi pndit.Mna stng sprijinit de sptarul scaunului antreneaz tragerea umrului napoi,gest interpretat de psihologi ca semn al puterii, echilibrului i deplinei

stpniri de sine.Cellalt bra semi-dezgolit, lsat s atrne liber, capteaz atenia receptorului. Genunchiul direcionat spre interlocutor sugereaz disponibilitatea de a contracta un schimb comunicativ cu acesta. Tabloul red ipostaza femeii-ispit (la femme fatale) care se apropie foarte mult de imaginea ademenitoare a curtezanelor. Trupul sugestiv excit un apetit,o dorin de el.Fenomenul psihologic al dorinei i al faptului de a fi fermecat au un semn invers i nu trebuie confundate.n cel dinti tindem sa absoarbem obiectul,n cel de-al doilea fiina noastr este cea absorbit.Cuvntul farmec,att de banalizat,este totui cel care exprim mai bine tipul de acionare pe care cel iubit l practic asupra celui ce iubete. Reclamele selectate pentru investigare n aceast ultim parte a analizei(printurile 35;3744;47;48;73;74) ocolesc iubirea de tip Romeo i Julieta(dragoste profund,arztoare) i se opresc asupra unui aspect mult mai evident n societatea american:flirtul,jocul libertin,cochetria. Gesturile cheam, dezvluie, invit la participare, suscit curiozitatea i incit simurile. Scap de sub tutela coerciiilor sociale atta vreme ct interaciunea privete libertatea afectiv a individului. Tipul de ndrgostit care se circumscrie cel mai bine atmosferei este ludicul. El ipostaziaz genul de partener/() cu libido poligam orientat ce prefer mai multe relaii paralele. Are o bun imagine de sine hrnit emoional de contacte multiple care, pe de o parte l securizeaz iar pe de alt parte l face s se simt admirat. Se autodezvluie superficial i dispune de arta seduciei . Dou printuri ne-au atras atenia prin modul identic de dispunere a personejelor (plaele 28; 29). Corpul este uor lsat pe spate, n extensie, i caut sprijin n mna stng. Braul ntins are rolul unui obiect de susinere prelund funcia sptarului de la scaun. Faptul c minile nu sunt libere(una pstrez echilibrul, cealalt cuprinde sticla) poate sugera receptorului imposibilitatea unui contact fizic. Printul nsumeaz caracteritisticile unei expuneri n sens artistic , modelul trebuie privit nu atins. Prohibiia atingerii a funcionat cu succes,cel puin pe plan mental, pe toat perioada iubirii curteneti. Descoperit i cultivat nc din secolul al XII-lea,ea se prezint ca o form extrem de erotism spiritual. n secolul al XIV-lea Dante rezum un veac ntreg de cortezia dorind de la Beatrice numai gestul( se ndrgostete de sursul ei,aceldisiato riso). Amorul de curte impune distana. Pe Beatrice o cunoatem doar cnd se ndeprteaz n nemurire:i vedem faa ntoars pentru a-i dedica poetuluiil suo mirabile saluto39. Saltul n timp a dovedit perisabilitatea acestui tipar. Democratizarea relaiilor sociale nu mai accept astzi manifestri de tipul celor dezvoltate n Italia secolului XVI (avem n vedere categoria
39

Jose Ortega y Gasset,Studii despre iubire,ed.Humanitas,Bucureti,1995,p.100

faimoilor chevaliere servante,cavaleri italieni ce ndeplineau rolul de cluze personale ele femeilor cstorite). Publicitatea Coca-Cola se folosete iterativ de plasarea trunchiat a unui agent extern (consumatorul sau alt persoan de identificare) n imagine. Mna care apare n print (planele 11,12,19,23,24,51,66,72) declaneaz o confundare a planurilor cu urmri concrete asupra privitorului. Decupajul l ndeamn pe spectator fie s se plaseze n ipostaza agentului fie s se detaeze de acesta. n ambele cazuri imaginaia trebuie s suplineasc lipsurile. Se recurge implicit la o reconstrucie de tip sinecdotic. Nu vedem dact pri din ntreg dar putem desemna totul prin contiguitate. Gestul mnii care invadeaz spaiul personal a fost preluat i n campania romneasc de lansare a produsului Coca-Cola Vanilla.Deoarece spotul a recurs la prestana carismaticului Chazz Palminteri ntruchipnd genul mafiotului pe care nu te poi abine s nu-l ndrgeti,muli au asociat prin extensie mna din afi cu cea a starului hollywoodian.Aceste conotaii mbogesc gestul strict funcional de apucare i manevrare a sticlei.Apucarea nu se face doar prin utilizarea cuplului degetul arttor-degetul mare ci i prin cuprinderea cu toat mna a sticlei. Reinem din clasificarea lui Ekman i Friesen categoria ilustratorilor, definii ca gesturi ce ndeplinesc deopotriv funcia de nsoire i completare a comunicrii verbale.Cu ajutorul micrilor deictice ne putem referi la lucruri sau persoane. n plana 45 degetul arttor direcioneaz percepia spre partea dreapt a planului. ndreptarea lui pe o linie uor oblic i acendent contribuie la refacerea armoniei. Privirea se focalizeaz pe globul pmntesc cuprins de minile celor doi actani ca ntr-o mbriare.Interpretrile sunt multiple:Privii ce mic este lumea! Toat omenirea savureaz Coca-Cola!,Srbtorii noul an n stil american alturi de Coca-Cola!,Daca esti american trebuie s descoperi savoarea unei buturi unice! (continentul american este dispus pe glob aproape central). n printul 58 degetul arttor, cu o expunere ostentativ,se asociaz simbolic cu o sgeat lansat asupra unei inte. Dac este curbat devine un semnal,o provocare de a urma treptele vrjite ale basmului (imaginea 57 red gestul chemrii ademenitoare performat de un spiridu). Recurgerea la micri deictice este limitat de reguli de politee. Tabuul gestual nu funcioneaz in mediul familial,n timpul discuiilor cordiale cu prietenii( a se vedea afiul 56). Gesturile care descriu micarea abstract a gndului apar foarte rar in reclame(prin nsi menirea lui discursul publicitar nu face apel la reflecia ndelungat ,la raionamentul tiinific). Plana 18 ne prezint ipostaza gospodinei(a consumatorului) care face o trecere n revist a produselor achiziionate. Surprindem n aceste micri ideografice o reminicen a procesului de nvare a socotitului n varianta numratului pe degete.C nd un italian numr de la unu la cinci

se folosete de degetul mare pentru a indica cifra unu n timp ce majoritatea australienilor sau englezilor indic aceeai cifr cu degetul arttor. Simbolistica degetelor este pasibil de multiple decriptri. Horst Ruckle este impresionat n iconografia greceasc de revenirea obsedant a unui gest n care degetul arttor i inelarul se ating.O posibil semnificaie religioas s-ar traduce prin fraza:Isus ctig!40.Inelarul se suprapune peste degetul arttor marcnd o dominare nu prin supunere ci prin iubire. Gestul binecuvntarii ,att de bine cunoscut credincioilor ,nu se realizeaz aleatoriu:arttorul este ntins pentru a forma literaI;degetul mijlociu este ndoit sub form de C;degetul mare i inelarul sunt ncruciate nX astfel nct s avem C;X;C,adic literele iniiale i finale ale numelui grec al lui Hristos.Atunci cnd emitorul nu vrea s-i srceasc discursul rmnnd la nivelul cuvintelor , face apel la puterea arsenalului non-verbal. Soldatul din printul 49 descrie copilului (i impicit ntregii audiene) manevrelele de lupt ale avioanelor americane. Utilizarea ambelor mini n construirea aparatului de zbor sporete veridicitatea i dinamismul relatrii. Kinetograma devine indicatorul unei stri interioare amplificate. Mrturisirea la care suntem prtai ndreapt cotiina spre surprinderea unei realiti a anului 45 . Printurile nu insist pe dezvoltarea subiectului( cel de-al doilea rzboi mondial),imaginile de pe front lipsesc cu desvrire. Publicitatea nu este interesat de corpul mutilat sau contorsionat.Trupul liber,tipic publicitii este curat, tnr,seductor,sportiv.Despovrat de orice imperfeciune el devine copilul rsfat al societii de consum.

III.3 Concluzii Trasarea unor observaii generale,de ansamblu, necesitat efortul de a urmri n paralel cele dou domenii circumscrise studiului:publicitatea i gestualitatea.Comunicarea persuasiv nu este o descoperire a secolului XX.Oratoria Antichitii o fructific din plin. Grecia i Egiptul apeleaz la ea pentru a populariza evenimentele notabile ale vieii. Evul Mediu i asociaz strigtul puternic,hrmlaia care trebuia s adune privirile curioilor n jurul execuiilor publice(era o publicitate fcut unui spectacol gratuit).Secolul XX se las sedus de discursul publicitar. Urmrirea sincronic a fenomenului este dificil deoarece evoluiei lineare i se suprapune o gam larg de intercondiionri socio-psihologice.Dar cum inexactitile nu pot fi niciodat abolite vom ncerca s surprindem n cele ce urmeaz cteva caractetistici ale domeniului. Dup 1905 textul publicitar expune motivele pentru care trebuia achiziionat respectivul produs.Metodele de abordare foloseau fie argumente concrete cuantificabile(Bei Coca-Cola pentru a v potoli setea! )fie
40

Horst Ruckle,Limbajul corpului pentru manageri,ed.Tehnic,Bucureti,2000,p.27

atribute imateriale ale produselor (prestigiu,ncredere de sine,reuit profesional).Corpul ocup un spaiu redus textul umplnd pagina pn la saturaie. Gesturile au o micare controlat. Nu se cuvine ca mna s se ndeprtez prea mult de restul trupului sau ca privirea s fie insistent.inuta este impecabil cci ordinea,conformismul sunt adnc interiorizate de actani. Dup primul rzboi mondial i dup apariia unei oferte mult superioar cererii,a fost introdus noiunea de marc.Compania ncepe s-i construiasc un discurs din ce n ce mai coerent prin permanenta raportare la publicul int.Grija se ndreapt spre cldirea unei comunicri care s faciliteze implementarea conceptului de corporate image. Revoluia industrial nu avea cum s nu imprime un accent puternic la nivel uman..Mutaiile sunt majore iar gesturile expliciteaz non-verbal starea de complacere a individului n mediul capitalist.Mna,altdat cuprinznd timid trena rochiilor din salon (print 3), se aaz firesc pe volanul automobilului, ntr-o ncercare de prelungire a corpului fizic nspre obiectul nensufleit. Coatele se ntind pe parbrizul mainii decapotabile ca o afirmare fireasc a instinctului de posesiune. Picioarele i dezvluie ntreaga capacitate comunicaional. Se produce o liberalizare a gesturilor ca urmare fireasc a unei evoluii sociale ce tinde spre democratizare. Statul picior peste picior, ncruciarea braelor la piept, expunerea ostentativ a cotului, privirea languroas, dezvelirea ncheieturii minii sunt doar cteva exemple ce vin s susin teoria. Din punct de vedere al actancilor ce dezvolt aceste micri observm c majoritatea covritoare aparin elementului feminin. Modelul rebel, romantic sau distins-elitist eman prin gesturile sale o senzualitate puternic, captivant. Jocul iubirii inocente, candide va deschide calea iubirii ispititoare n stilul firtului modern. Gesturile brbatului denot virilitate, dominare (mna n old), tandree (braele care ocrotesc) sau erotism (braul ce atinge ncheietura minii consoartei). n relaie cu partenerul se produce uneori contaminarea gestual (planele 41;47) ce reliefeaz reuita comunicrii interpersonale.Apelul la identificare este un procedeu frecvent pe care mizeaz publicitatea secolului XX. Explozia acestor mecanisme de identificare se produce n anii 50 cnd centrul de greutate se mut pe noiunile de lux ,stil de via i acceptabilitate social .Apare necesitatea individului de a-i satisface nevoi superioare ca:statut social,respect de sine sau integrare ntr-un anumit nucleu social. W.Leiss afirm n Social Communication In Advertising cmetafora este forma de comunicare de baz folosit n publicitatea modern41.Pornind de la acceai viziune, Kaplan distinge trei tipuri de
41

W.Leiss apud S.Kaplan,,A Conceptual Analysis of Form and Context in Visual Metaphores,n Communication,vol.13,nr.3,1992,p.205

metafore. Prima categorie combin dou elemente n mod explicit fr a cere privitorului s fac o fuziune ntre ele. Tehnica este aceea a juxtapunerii:de exemplu, un automobil Nissan este poziionat lng o oper de art ,o sticl de Coca-Cola lng o prezen feminin. Mult mai expresive sunt combinaiile de metafore n cadrul crora o metafor devine premis pentru o alta. Kaplan folosete pentru aceste construcii termenul de referin de gradul II42.Privit astfel,comportamentul nonverbal este susceptibil de noi interpretri.Denotaiei gestuale (sensului prim, evident )i se asociaz o serie larg de conotaii (sensuri derivative,dependente de cadru,timp,performator). Mna cu degetul arttor ntins spre obiect nu mai descrie un gest de impolitee sau o conduit indecent. Simbolic, ea reuete s canalizeze atenia spre alte sectoare ale cadrului facilitnd totodat refocalizarea. Drumul parcurs de practica publicitar a Companiei Coca-Cola surprinde foarte bine cumulul modificrilor psiho-sociale de ordin individual sau colectiv. Corpul,ascuns n trecut de pliurile grele ale vemntului excesiv nu mai face obiectul proscrierilor vehemente ale bisericii cretine.Sacerdotium i-a restrns aria de dominaie sub presiunea Regnum-ului. Eliberarea de constrngeri a avut ca rezultant renunarea explicit la stereotipie,conformism. Gesturile devin libere,degajate,afirmative.Sunt atributul unor indivizi relaxai care beneficiaz de reuit social.Se ncadreaz uor n grupuri sociale,contracteaz multiple relaii interpersonale Nu se sfiesc s trezeasc colocutorului dorina de identificare printr-o invitaie deschis,sugestiv, n stilul propriu al companiei.Totul ncepe cuHow about a Coke?care reluat iterativ devinethe sign of good taste.

42

S.Kaplan,op.cit.,p.236