The automotive industry has transformed most people's sense of a car to become part of their identity.  People desire cars that fit their personality and tastes.  This visual text of an advertisement for a Dodge automobile tries to quickly and effectively help the viewer identify with the car, and therefor gain interest in purchasing the car.  Elements of the design of the advertisement were chosen to highlight and efficiently display the personality of the car and draw the reader to the car.

In this visual text, the car is clearly dominant. The creator of this visual uses scale to make the car bigger than everything else. By the car being larger than everything else, it immediately draws the viewer's eyes to the vehicle. The automobile contrasts from everything else in the picture by being brighter and shinier than its surroundings. The car features and bright red and shiny bumper, while it's surroundings feature darker and duller colors. The combination of scale and contrast work to create a hierarchy. The hierarchy sets the car as the primary subject of the picture by attracting the human eye through the use of its size, brightness and shine. The creators of this advertisement clearly display the product they are trying to promote by giving the viewer the sense that the car is the most important object in the advertisement.  The sense of importance the creators give to the car could appeal to the viewer by making them feel as though they will be important if they drive this vehicle, or they are already important and need a vehicle to match their dominance.

The Dodge features a popping red color and a smooth finish. The car in the ad was particularly chosen to be red. The color red is associated with passion and energy and has an association with racing, which are positive associations the authors attach to the product. Also, the current color of Dodge's logo is red, which is an association with Dodge's deep heritage in racing. The lines on the car and straight, clean and sharp. These lines work to highlight the car's attractive clean look, and draw attention to its long and smooth body. The automobile has a glossy, smooth and clean texture. The glossy, smooth and clean texture gives the car a luxurious and fancy look. The color, lines and texture work to give the viewer the impression that the motor vehicle is lively, sharp and luxurious.

All the subjects in the picture fall under the same category.  Everyone in the picture is white.  All the people in the picture appear to be dressed very nicely, with men dressed up in suits with coats and top hats, ladies in dresses with their hair done and coats on, and even children dressed in the same fashion.  The author is implying that this product is high class, by showing it being sought after by rich white people.  This makes people desire the car, as they associate it with being high class, and luxurious.

The use of the characters draws the reader to the car and elevates its importance.  All the visible faces in the picture are looking directly at the vehicle.  When the reader sees all the eyes of the people in the picture looking at the car, it draws the reader to look at the car also.  Those in the picture have excited expressions and body language where they are shifting their body to get a better look at the Dodge.  Other people in the picture appear to be in conversation, with their eyes planted on the car, while others point.  Everyone's attention is completely revolving around the car.  The body language, excited expressions and visual of people conversing over the car is used to convey the enthusiasm the people feel for the car, and works toward the artist's intention of getting the consumer to think the car is something new, exciting and a big deal.

The artists chose to have shadows casting from the car and the cars salesman, but not the people peering into the window.  The car and the Dodge salesman are the key subjects of the picture, while the people peering into the window are secondary.  The use of shadowing emphasizes that the car is the important and dominant figure in the painting.  This is another tactic to draw the reader's attention to the car, and to highlight how big and magnificent it is.

Topography is used to stimulate the reader's mind.  The ad features "Glam newcomer" and "Dodge for 58'" in a large font with greenish blue colors.  This greenish blue was chosen to contrast from the red color of the car pictured, as green and blue are opposite to red on the color wheel.  Throughout the advertisement colors are used on text to contrast the red of the car.  All the colors of the text are traditionally more masculine colors, chosen to appeal to males, who were the primary purchasers of cars at this time.  The ad features the word "Big" in a blue font.  Blue was chosen for this word because blue is associated with stability and power, just as a big car would be stable and powerful.  A black font is used for the word "Bold".  The color black is associated with boldness, elegance and strength.  "Beautiful" is in the color green.  Green is natural, restful and soothing; all characteristics of beauty.  Orange is used for "... and low priced too!".  Orange is associated with standing out, wealth and happiness.  Orange was chosen for "... and low priced too!" because the authors want the reader to feel like the car will save the consumer money because of its low price, therefor making the consumer feel wealthier.  Also, the color orange makes the tag "... and low priced too!" stand out because the authors want the car to stand out to the reader by saying such a big, bold and beautiful car is also low priced, because typically a car of such a caliber would be expensive.  These colors were chosen to help the reader to more easily absorb what the advertisers are trying to get across.  The color of the words help the reader more quickly and easily absorb the meaning of the words.

The artists strategically used elements of design to attract reader's eyes to the car, and highlight the cars personality.  These elements work toward creating a connection between consumers and the vehicle, and a desire for the vehicle by the consumers.  

