The automotive industry, with the help of advertising, 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 notice its features, and therefore gain interest in purchasing the car.  Elements of the design of the advertisement were chosen to highlight and 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 a 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 this use of 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 and by attracting the viewer to it.  The sense of importance given to the car attracts consumers to the product who desire attention, or the feeling of importance; and feel they can gain this through purchasing the car.  The dominance of the vehicle is clearly translated to the vehicle, as is attractiveness through the look.

The Dodge features a popping red color and a smooth finish. The car in the ad was strategically chosen to be red. The color red is related to passion and energy and has an association with racing, which are positive connections authors attach to the product. Also, the current color of Dodge's logo is red, which is a coupling to Dodge's deep heritage in racing.  The horizontal lines draw attention to the car's long body and make the car look as though it is always in motion.  This gives the car an aggressive and fast look, giving consumers the impression that the car has good performance.  Other lines on the body of the car work to highlight the car's attractive, clean look. The automobile has a glossy and clean texture. This 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 attractive by creating the appeal that it is quick, sexy and elegant and therefore attracts onlookers.

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 also draws the reader to look at the car.  Those in the picture have excited expressions and 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 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.  This gets the consumer to think the car is new and exciting, and is something they desire to experience, which works toward motivating them to purchase the car.  In addition, all the people looking at the car appear to be dressed very nicely and in a high end manor.  Men are dressed up in suits with coats and top hats, ladies in dresses with their hair done and coats on, and children the same.  The similarities between all the subject's fashion and race show that the car is sought after by rich white people, who were the target of this ad.  At the time of the sale of this car in 1958, it is less likely for an African American to be able to afford this car.  This will attract people to the car as they associate it with being for the wealthy and exclusive to own.  The same time the car is affordable, but gives off an expensive impression.  The people surrounding the car work to display the cars popularity and aspects of luxury.

Typography is used to stimulate the reader's mind.  The ad features "Glamorous newcomer" and "Dodge for 58'" in a large font with green-blue colors.  This green-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 it 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".  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 this piece of text because the authors want to create the connection between the car and saving money.  Also, the popping color orange was chosen because the authors want the car to stand out to the reader because such a big, bold and beautiful car is also low priced, and 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 highlight the features of the car that intrigue consumers, drawing them toward purchasing the vehicle.

The artists strategically used elements of design to attract reader's eyes to the car, and highlight the cars personality.  The author displayed the car in a way that shows many of its aspects, in hopes that the car will appeal to the broadest audience possible, and therefore sell to the most consumers as possible.  These elements work toward creating a connection between consumers and the vehicle, and a desire for the vehicle by the consumers.  The methods used in this visual text are the same used since the beginning of modern consumerism and are still used today.  Consumers must be careful that products they choose to buy truly fit with their identity and needs, and aren't just appealing because of the way they are manipulated to be portrayed in advertisements.

