Balram's Visual Text Analysis

Image

A parked aircraft in a large, showroom-like area with floodlights concentrated on it. The text placed above the aircraft convey the gist of the advertisement, while a short paragraph placed below the aircraft, near the bottom of the poster, provides additional details pertaining to, in this case, the aircraft's commendable commercial success.

Linguistic features

The phrase "The 5000th 737" illustrates the popularity of the aircraft, while phrases such as "it's become the best-selling commercial jet airplane in the history of aviation" and "a resounding vote of confidence from...more than 200 airlines and 12 billion passengers" support this concept.

Textual features

The title phrase is in all-capital letters, to draw attention to that portion of the advertisement, while the longer description is in white, which contrasts with the dark blue background upon which the text is set.

Typographical features 

Near the bottom of the advertisement, the logo of the manufacturer of the aircraft depicted, Boeing, can be found. This gives the advertisement a professional, endorsed and refined appearance, and assures viewers that it is official material.

Layout

An aircraft - or, to be exact, a Boeing 737 - is the subject of the advertisement, and thus, a large image of one on the ground is in the center of the advertisement. A reflection of the aircraft can be found on the surface it is "resting" on, suggesting a showroom floor and hence, a brand-new aircraft. Floodlights provide a sensation of a major event, with the 737 in the limelight. 

Color

Various shades of blue are used extensively, as Boeing's corporate colors are made up of these different shades of blue. The color blue also symbolizes the sky, which is, of course, the primary operating environment of an aircraft. Hints of violet and indigo are reminiscent of the color of the sky at twilight, suggesting that the aircraft is versatile enough to operate at any time of the day. The color also gives the advertisement a sophisticated appearance.

Purpose: The purpose of this poster is to bring the commendable commercial success of the Boeing 737 to the attention of potential customers (i.e. airline executives), as well as the general flying public. By highlighting the aircraft's success, the poster aims to convince airline executives to place orders for the aircraft, as well as to convince the public to fly in the aircraft if possible.

Audience: The audience is the 737's potential customers (i.e. airline executives) as well as the aircraft's potential passengers.

Context: With increasing competition int eh market, Boeing has had to defend its position as the world's most successful commercial aircraft manufacturer, against the likes of Airbus, Embraer and Bombardier Aerospace. This poster was created to provide publicity for, and ultimately increase sales of, the Boeing 737.

Culture: In this day and age, almost everybody travels by air at some point in his or her life. In the developed world, the vast variety of choices, in terms of airlines and aircraft, means that not only airlines, but even aircraft manufacturers have to persuade potential passengers to choose their aircraft over others. The rapidly-expanding airlines of the world must also be persuaded, as only then can large, multi-billion-dollar orders be placed.