Візуальна мова сучасної рекламної графіки: соціокультурні детермінанти та стилістичні тенденції
Visual language of modern advertising graphics: socio-cultural determinants and stylistic trends

Summary/Abstract: The author is applies socio-cultural approach to analyses the visual language of Advertising graphics as the component of mass сulture. Besides, stylistic trends and art-aesthetic problems of modern Advertising in the communicative area are analyzed in this article. Research of cultural-aesthetic component in Advertising has the aim to systematize visual means of information and make a complex definition of their functional and visual specifics in communication area of modern society, which is much wider than ten years ago. At the beginning of the XXI century great changes happened in conception of Design and Advertising because of the processes of Globalization and simultaneous ethno cultural identification, hyper consumerism and parallel lowering of general cultural level of society. In spite of its main commercial function, Advertising was recognized as cultural phenomenon due to visual aids of advertising communication that become logical reflection of socio-cultural state of society in definite periods. Unfortunately, in most cases modern means of ad information don’t contribute to forming outlook, art thinking development, aesthetic perception of reality etc. On the base of the analysis of modern adverts we can clearly separate two main tendencies of visualization: first – ideological orientation of middle class consumers to «life in luxury style», second – orientation towards mass consumer, catching attention, exclusive brightness and diversity of colours in advertisements. Consumerism became an ideology of Post-modernism; mass media popularize hedonistic way of life and consuming type of personality. Visual aids of advertising changed greatly – modern appearance of advertising appeals differs much from advertising of XIX century by graphic means and methods of psychological influence on consumer. Generalization and classification of practical materials of ad appeals in XVIII – XXI centuries allows coming to conclusion that advertising, and, after it, design borrows style features of graphic and, arts and crafts world art. Advertising evolved from illustrative accompanying of commercial information to appearance of new to the appearance of new styles (or pseudostyles) in frames of mass culture of 2-nd part of XX – the beginning of XXI century. In this context a lot of mistakes in advertising graphics were exposed: prevalence of stereotypes, primitivism, vulgarity and the absence of national image of major countries; pop-art, kitsch, eclectics leading in ads. To our mind, the main problem of advertising creativity is finding balance between commerce and aesthetics. Advertising Philosophy is directed to getting profits, which is understood as the most important part of advertising process. But culturological, outlooking and moral-psychological parts are also of great importance. Especially the above mentioned parts of ad process make a base of «platform» of visualization ad idea. Nowadays, orientation of production to regional groups of consumers, significant change of market policy presupposed cardinal change in tasks and character of advertising: socio-psychological, cultural and aesthetical indices become very actual. Definition of imagery as specific means of creating image from the point of view of definite aesthetic ideal is a key to understanding the process of projecting mythological image in advertising design. Many consumers need not advertised goods but their images, symbols of prestige, possibility as means to follow definite style of life. In conditions of socio-cultural dynamics we can observe «washing out» of stylistic trends or, even their absence that is generally defined by term «post-modernism» as presence of typical eclectics in post industrial society and variety of artistic research in the second part of XXth century – beginning of XXIst century. It should be pointed out that boarders of art and arrogance are washed out now more then in other time, so, the most problematic question is on stylistic features, aesthetic parameters, criteria of modern art and advertising products assessment. Post-modernism has its own typological features: the use of any ready forms from art to utility, widespread of photography and computer special effects, deliberate violation of commensurable quantities of visual elements, borrowing the ideas from other types of art, remake, interpretation, combination, fragmentation, epatage, installation, collageness and circulation. Now the frames of Post-modernism are widen; forming of new stylistic trends in architecture, art, design and advertising is made by deliberate synthetic approach in the use of variable elements, wide spread of irony and giving new context to old forms, complexity of the sense of harmony, increasing the variety of genres, reinterpretation of artistic traditions, accepting the coexistence of different cultures and dialogue of cultures. Advertising products of the epoch of Post-modernism are created with the use of stylistic principles of Post-modernism. But, modern consumer is very difficult to attract, so, it is necessary to use creative approaches, to aspire giving additional aesthetic pleasure to consumers, compel to them to definite «decoding» of advertising appeal. So, researching advertising graphics in wide context, paying special attention at artistic-aesthetic problems of advertising activity as form of socio-cultural communications we come to conclusion that the use of artistic means in advertising should be stipulated by orientation to target audience taking into consideration definite aesthetic ideals and ethno-cultural traditions. Advertising products for mass consumer also must have aesthetic level and implement cultural-education function.

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