The Gaze

The basic unconscious desire to observe. To watch others: their actions, their movements, their existence played out before you. This desire goes by the name of Scopophilia, and despite sounding like a something you would go to jail for, it is in fact within us all.
 Scopophilia is also known as Voyeurism. The definition, as stated by The Oxford Dictionary, is as follows:

Voyeur: A person who gains sexual gratification from watching others when naked, or engaged in sexual activity. 

The making and viewing of film have been acknowledged as voyeuristic for a long time. The viewer, sat in a darkened room, observing the acts before them through the window-like display of the screen. The acts of course, by men and women who appear to be oblivious to the viewers observations. This essence of voyeurism is captured particularly well within films in the horror genre, in which the viewer is typically identified with the perspective of the monster.
   However, the role of women within cinema has been questioned and confronted, as it is believed by many that men take a priority role in film. Women often accompany the men as an alluring and attractive object to gaze upon. The objectification of women through cinema is just one example of the power that this drive possesses, and how subconsciously, we all succumb.


  This subconscious drive for looking is a huge influence on advertising. It goes by the title of The Gaze, and differs within advertising, as seen below.

David Beckham - Emporio Armani Underwear Ad

To the left, David Beckham poses in one of the most memorable ads of his modelling career.

His posture implies confidence, and we are immediately met with the feeling that we have been given his permission to view his body. His legs are held open, his posture relaxed and somewhat lazy.

He meets our gaze, which is very common for a male model to do. His expression and the feeling of eye-contact brings forth a dominant air about him. The intensity of his expression is amplified of course, by lighting and the image being in black and white. The contrast of his relaxed posture and his intense gaze back to the audience is a subtle reminder that he is allowing this, he is in control. This ad still brings out the Voyeuristic tendencies in us all, as we cannot help but observe his body that has been displayed before us.

Christy Turlington - Calvin Klein Underwear 

In this underwear ad for Calvin Klein we see Christy Turlington modelling a bra and underwear set.
Her hair is wet and slicked back. This gives a very casual look to her; the idea that she has not dried or styled her hair intensifies the notion that we are currently observing a private moment that she has not prepared for.
Her posture is vulnerable. She clutches herself, crosses her legs, and looks away. This drives forth the feeling that one should not be looking at this time; her body is sending signals that her privacy has been invaded. This is, however, observed in a very sexual manner by those viewing the ad. The vulnerable posture of the model and her being unaware of observers is what drives the voyeur in us all.

The contrast of postures between this model and David Beckham is typical, as men and women play very different roles when it comes to The Gaze. Christy Turlington looks away from the camera, which indicates she is unaware - or perhaps ignoring - the presence of an audience. David stares right into the lens, he is aware, he is proud, he is dominant, like most men within ads. Christy, like most women, is unaware. She has fallen victim to the voyeur - what a lot of people would consider an objectification of her being.

Art Deco Advertising - Cruise Lines and other Transportation

Art Deco Advertising containing ocean liners and large vessels often had a very similar colour scheme - placid blues, warm and inviting reds, and the inevitable clean and crisp whites. These colours helped give a raw elements feel to the posters, as well as giving them an inviting presence due to the colours not coming off as so intense.

Illustration styles often
took two angles: the angle seen in the image to the left, which depicts the ship to have a faster presence, with the flowing of the flag and steam representing a 'wind-in-the-sails' effect that had been lost to the steam power that had taken over wind power alone many years previous. The angle gives the boat a triumphant, somewhat powerful stance within the poster, which helps appeal to the audience through drawing out feelings of awe and amazement that accompanied the world surrounding them. This era was the era of technological advancements in transportation in terms of both speed and visual appeal - everything was streamlined, which entailed the long and sleek bodies of vehicles and the trimmings of chrome to help enhance aerodynamics and overall performance. People were both fascinated and a little taken back by such structures, which matches the desired reaction that Disney awaits from each customer that experiences anything related to the brand. Disney wants the customer to feel the magic, the awe, the sparkle in their eye as they witness something amazing. The surrounding examples of ads capture this well, even if it's not in the context of Disney.


Another angle taken to represent a large ocean vessel in this era was front-facing. This, I feel, is what gives the ship a very triumphant, powerful presence within the ad. The vessel looks tall, strong, and sturdy. Though I do appreciate this representation, I feel that it holds too much of a masculine, intimidating atmosphere. To represent the brand in a positive manner, the angle of which the ship is presented is crucial; the brand must be represented in the correct way in order to appeal to a particular target audience. This angle however, appears too industrialised and less appealing in comparison to the previous vessel in the above image.

Art Deco and relating it to Walt Disney

I found there were many ways I could have connected the era and brand together to help make for a more successful advertisement, though if I were to reference Disney as a company from the 30's/40's I felt it would not capture the true Art Deco feeling. I wanted to bring an asset of Disney today, back to the heart of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne. My research provided me with disappointing finds, as in the 20's Disney worked for the Kansas City Film Ad Comapny, due to the struggle and lack of money generating from the short-lived company formed by himself and Iwerks in 1920. This left me to research into illustration styles associated with Streamline Moderne and Art Deco, as most print ads back then contained little photography, and I didn't want to stray away from the animated and somewhat unrealistically animated, magical and cartoon-like image that Disney holds.

I thought more about the magic associated with Disney as a company, and it lead me to consider the technological advancements that were made during the Streamline Moderne era. The air of fascination and amazements surrounds both the company of Walt Disney, as well as Streamline Moderne. In the 30's, people were fascinated and amazed by the new sleek-looking and rather technological modes of transportation that Streamline Moderne seemed to produce.

Once I began to consider modes of transportation, I was brought to an enlightening find - Disney Cruise Line. 

Disney Cruise Line 

Disney Cruise Line currently operates four ships: Disney Magic, Disney Wonder, Disney Dream, and Disney Fantasy.^[5] Disney Cruise Line also owns Castaway Cay, a private island in the Bahamas designed as an exclusive port of call for Disney's ships.^[6] Disney Cruise Line operates theDisney Cruise Line Terminal, which homeports Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. Disney Magic is homeported in Galveston, Texas, Barcelona, Spain, and Miami, Florida, while Disney Wonder is homeported in Vancouver, and Miami, Florida. In 2012, it is estimated Disney Cruise Lines will own nearly 3% share of the worldwide cruise market.^[7]

The Disney Cruise Line offers a variety of destinations including; Europe, Panama Canal, Caribbean, Alaska & Pacific Coast, Bahamas, and Transatlantic destinations.^[8]

The Brand - Walt Disney

Where It Began 

Walter Elias Disney, more popularly known as Walt Disney, was born December 5th, 1901. He dies December 15th 1966, having established himself as a major influential figure within American Animation, and eventually going on to establish himself throughout the world as an international icon regarding his influence and contributions within the 20th century as an Animator, Cartoonist, Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Entrepreneur, and Voice Actor.
 Alongside Walt stood his brother Roy O. Disney, who assisted in co-founding Walt Disney Productions with his brother. Walt Disney Productions later gained infamy as, and still is, one of the most widely known and successful motion picture production companies in the world today. Today, the company is known as The Walt Disney Company, accumulating an annual revenue of nearly $45 billion in 2013.  

What They Do

The Walt Disney Company is widely recognised by it's mascot and iconic character, Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse is a comical cartoon character, created by Walt himself and Ub Iwerks in 1928 at the Walt Disney Studios in Hollywood. Mickey typically wear bright red shorts, yellow shoes and bright white gloves - which would later become iconic to many of the Disney characters - and has become one of the most recognisable, famous cartoon characters in the world. During the single test screening of Plane Crazy, Mickey Mouse made his first appearance, though his first official debut was in a short film called Steamboat Willie in 1928 - which, coincidentally, was one of the first cartoons that also provided audio along with the visual animation. Mickey Mouse has starred in over 130 films to date, though many of the first films he starred in were short films, he would occasionally be found in feature-length films. Ten of the films that Mickey starred in were nominated for Academy Awards, all being for Best Animated Short Film.  One of these films won; in 1942, Lend a Paw won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. In 1978, Mickey was the first ever animated cartoon character to have his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's that famous. 

These days, Disney has many assets. Few of which include Disney Consumer Products, Disney Resorts, Disney Theatrical Group, and even a growing list of Media Networks such as ABC Entertainment Group and ESPN. 

The Natural Progression - Streamline Moderne

From the movement of Art Deco in the 20’s/30’s, a sub-genre emerged in the form of Streamline Moderne. In the midst of the Wall Street crash in 1929, the companies that found themselves still left standing felt a rise in competition amongst other companies. The market was undoubtedly saturated, and manufacturers were left with no choice but to make their product all the more distinguishable from the next in line. At this time, though seeking a sense of distinction and individuality, manufacturers recruited designers who were all travelling down the same design pathway: Streamline Moderne. It is said that this form of architecture was sourced from the Bauhaus movement in Germany. Bauhaus is an expression in German, which translates to House for Building. In the year 1919, the German economy was in the midst of collapsing as a result of the First World War. Walter Gropius, an architect, was selected to head a new institution whose aim was to aid in rebuilding Germany and to help form a new social order. Named Bauhaus, the institution decided on the building of new social housing for workers. The housing was to be “rational”, with the Bauhaus architects rejecting ornamentation and architectural details such as eaves, cornices, and decoration. As seen above to the right, the architects aimed for classical architecture, taking buildings back to their purest form. The building shapes orientated largely around the use of curves and cones, keeping architecture simple, clean, and fit for purpose. This style, understandably, spread in popularity on a global scale, soon hitting America and Britain.

The Bauhaus movement provided a foundation for Streamline Moderne to build upon - no pun intended. 

 Streamline Moderne altered slightly from the Bauhaus movement, as it took a more aerodynamic approach to the structure of each object it touched. Objects influenced by this movement stood out hugely at this time, through characteristics such as horizontal orientation, rounded edges to the structure, the use of chrome, notably smooth exterior wall surfaces were found within architecture, which were often formed by a smooth plaster finish called Stucco. The use of contrasting colours within the architecture was also a contributing factor towards how boldly Streamline Moderne buildings stood out; base colours used on the buildings were often very light, earth-like tones. Crisp, luminous whites were no longer seen, as the base colour of the buildings was often very subdued and calm. The trim colours of the buildings were often darker and sometimes even bright, reflective chrome was used in order to contrast against the placid base.

Art Deco - How to get a smokin' body.

During the 1920’s, the well-being of American citizens steadily increased. Due to this, more attention was paid by the consumer to their own physical attraction. At this time, advertisers such as J. Walter Thompson began to use sex, emulation appeals, and more broadly fear as a method of selling hygiene products such as mouth wash, soap, and shaving cream to both men and women. The method of inducing fear amongst consumers mainly developed into a form of anxiety throughout women, making them conscious and worrisome of their abilities to sustain a relationship with a man, friends, and even maintaining a job.

Cigarette ads in particular at the time promoted health and well-being amongst women. To the right, Lucky Strike Cigarettes are seen to be promoting cigarettes as a replacement for sweets and other fattening foods. 
People socialised frequently; entering what were originally considered to be Men’s Clubs, Flappers represented the extravagance and level of perfection that women of that era could reach. At this time, women thought of it as a must to look perfect, which was a driving motivation to banish unsightly hygiene issues such as body odour, unappealing dental work, bad breath, and clothing that was not considered to be pristine. Once this method of advertising had made its impact, consumers felt the need to take care of themselves due to the fear of alienation; the compulsion of presenting one’s self perfectly was engraved on society. Once this happened, the advertising industry persuaded the consumers into buying dreams.
A popular example of this is the packaging of cigarettes at the time. These packets often featured ladies considered to be beautiful or even romantic scenes featuring both a man and a woman. Cigarettes were often sold on the ground that they promoted weight loss, and a slim, toned body shape could be achieved through consumption. Appealing voices were also promoted to women, who were convinced that the voice of a smoker would be considered alluring and desirable by men.This was undoubtedly used to the advertising industry's advantage, as seen in the ad to the above: Lucky Strike promoted their cigarettes to be cleaner and fresher, which was undoubtedly a false claim. This however boosted appeal to the target audience of women at the time.