The following is an essay I wrote in college for my Media Literacy class in which we were assigned to compare a pair of ads to one another using various tools of semiotics. The ads in question include posters for two of my favorite films: Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Maximum Overdrive. The second pair of ads are print advertisements for Autocar and Diamond Reo trucks which I will also include in this post. Please enjoy!

It All Ads Up:

by 

Max McPike

        Amidst a sea of stars, the intrepid James T. Kirk and his wise second officer, Spock, gaze out into the forever of space. Looming beneath them, light reflecting across the hull and out of the warp nacelles, is the Enterprise. Below this montage of images, the tagline reads, “There is no comparison.” This poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture demonstrates how advertisements use coded iconic message, omission, and linguistic message. By comparing it to the poster for Maximum Overdrive, I will determine which poster is more effective. In addition, I will be completing a similar analysis with truck ads from Diamond Reo and Autocar using coded iconic message, montage, and linguistic message. With that, let’s venture forth into the final frontier of advertisements.

Looking at the poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, it may appear that not much is going on visually within the poster, but by looking at the coded iconic message we can determine that more is going on than may be immediately visible. In terms of the poster’s denotative message, the presence of stars and the Enterprise allow us to infer that the film is set in space and involves space travel. Surrounding the characters in a rainbow of colors are the beams of light from the ships transporter system, which can imply that the film will transport us 300 years into the future. Connotatively, when we examine each of the character’s faces, we see that Kirk appears to be looking towards the unknown, while Spock looks to be in touch with something and Ilia gazes straight ahead as though she holds the key to something unknown. One could argue that because Kirk and Spock are higher up in the poster than Ilia, it shows them to be the ones in power, sending the message of men overpowering women. However, those familiar with Star Trek know that Kirk is the captain and Spock is the second officer, thus they are higher up in the poster just as they are in the chain of command. Star Trek has always been about human equality, so to have a misogynist Star Trek poster does not seem logical. Not to mention that Ilia appears to be the one who holds the key. While the poster’s design is visually simple, each image has an underlying message that can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

On the other hand, the poster for Maximum Overdrive is very symbolic and visually has much going on within the composition. What stands out most is the symbolic image of Stephen King emerging from a tear in a truck trailer holding a puppeteer’s control bar. As the film’s writer and director, we can infer that King holds all the strings regarding the events within the film. Some may question whether this image of King appears in the film, but audiences are generally literate enough to know what a poster advertises to be in a film versus what is a part of the poster’s design. Attached to King’s puppet strings are the film’s leads, Emilio Estevez and Laura Harrington. We can infer they are the film’s leads for they are centered at the bottom of the poster in the middle of the action. Estevez holds a gun which connects with the spread of bullet holes across the trailer, inferring that the film features guns. Looking at the characters connotatively, Estevez appears to be the one in power, for he holds the gun, while Harrington looks to him from behind with her hands on her hips. This implies that men are the ones who are in power, and are viewed as heroes. Looking at both posters, one is visually lighter than the other, but why? That is the idea behind omission.

As we saw, the poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture contained a few simple images. By omitting images, the film’s poster cultivates a curiosity within the viewer as to what the film is about. We already have a sense that the film is about space travel, but there must be more to the plot than just that. Do they encounter something in their exploration? Are they looking for something? Those familiar with Star Trek know the series is about space exploration, but even so, what new adventure are Kirk and the others off to? By cultivating curiosity, we are in essence on an exploration just like the characters and will discover what they discover. On the other hand, the poster for Maximum Overdrive provides a greater visual context to the film’s story, but we question the role the images play. King’s presence seals the deal that this is likely a horror film, but what kind? Are people being chased by the trucks in the bottom images? Are they driven by maniacs or are they driverless? Though the images cultivate curiosity, they provide a greater context in regards to the plot, making it easier for the viewer to discern what the film is about. The images may be evocative by themselves, but what makes them even more evocative are the linguistic messages that accompany them.

The tagline for Star Trek: The Motion Picture reads, “There Is No Comparison.” This anchors and implies the idea that the film is epic, and that no other space film or show rivals in its comparison. What helps support this is the omission of images which leads us to the idea that we are in store for something spectacular. While the text complements the images, I would argue that the images are evocative by themselves, but that the tagline contributes to the ad’s effectiveness. The tagline for Maximum Overdrive, “Stephen King’s Masterpiece Of Terror Directed By The Master Himself,” anchors and implies a variety of messages such as that the film is Stephen King’s masterpiece of terror (I agree but many may refute this). The second, obviously being that the film is directed by Stephen King and the third that King is the master of horror. Some may refute this, but it was at one point the common consensus. The poster’s many images in connection with the films tagline are evocative of chaos, and as the master of horror, King is going to frighten us. Even the title, Maximum Overdrive, in connection with the images, is evocative of vehicles running rampant at high speeds. Without the tagline to complement the image of King, the poster loses part of its meaning, in that the audience would have to look at the credits to know this is a Stephen King film. Those not familiar with him will have a harder time determining whether that is him on the poster. Whether Star Trek: The Motion Picture is the incomparable space epic, and Maximum Overdrive is the ultimate nightmare from Stephen King, who are the ads targeted towards?

By the time Star Trek: The Motion Picture had been made, Star Trek had already become a cultural phenomenon with a huge fan base. It is arguable that the poster didn’t need many images, for the film already had a guaranteed audience, and the poster was designed as a teaser. In addition, after years of waiting, the Trekkies would have been up for anything. Having said that, it is obvious that the poster is targeted towards Trekkies first and foremost, followed by the curious moviegoer, whose curiosity will be cultivated by the poster’s mysterious allure. Stephen King himself already had a built in audience that read and watched everything related to his work, but there were those who felt that the film adaptations were inferior to his writing. This gave King the idea, who better to adapt King for the screen than King himself? This in itself is a sure way of guaranteeing an audience who can finally see a Stephen King movie done right. Which leads us to the question of which ad is more effective?

While each of the posters demonstrates an effective flair for advertising, ultimately, I believe the poster for Star Trek: The Motion Picture is more effective. The poster I believe does a better job at cultivating curiosity, in that we are left in the dark as to the specifics of what the film is about, while the tagline implies that it is something epic. Star Trek as I said had already become a cultural phenomenon, and had an established audience who waited a long time for Star Trek to return, whereas Maximum Overdrive was another in a series of King movie adaptations, but this time with King at the helm. It can also be said that while horror is an equally valid film genre, science-fiction seems to cater to a broader audience, and the poster isn’t evocative of things scary or chaotic like the Maximum Overdrive poster. If Maximum Overdrive and its blood and big rigs were too much, we can do with just the rigs when we analyze the next pair of ads consisting of trucks by Diamond Reo and Autocar.

Set against a futuristic backdrop rests a beautiful Diamond Reo Raider semi tractor. By assessing the coded iconic message, I will determine the advertisements denotative message. Denotatively, it is not difficult to discern that the ad is presenting a luxury vehicle. The truck is shiny, with a blue paint job reminiscent of the ocean, as well as stripes ranging from white to dark blue that start at the hood and then wrap around to the back. The sleeper cab offers a place to rest after many long hours on the road and many of the parts appear to be chrome. The ad is targeted towards truckers, for these are expensive vehicles that one doesn’t just go out and buy, unless you are a truck lover with a lot of money. Specifically, the ad is trying to appeal to drivers with status who are not just looking for a truck that will suit their needs, but will look good driving down the road. The ad presents the truck shining in a parked position, showing that this is a truck to marvel at. Status is also implied by the size of the truck, and if luxury wasn’t enough, the size implies that it can also haul large trailers. What also helps sell the ad is its use of a montage and linguistic message.

One of the elements that ultimately drives the ad home is its use of a montage. The fact that the truck is set against a futuristic background connotatively implies that it is innovative and ahead of its time. It is streamlined, smooth, and shiny just as the buildings in the background. Some may question why the background is in different shades of yellow, but this is likely to keep the truck in focus and set it apart from the background. In terms of linguistic message, the tagline reads, “Raider—Well ahead of its time.” We can infer two things from this, the first being that the model of the truck is a Raider. The second claim of the truck being ahead of its time in combination with the image and background is metaphorical in that it implies that the truck is futuristic in its innovation. Together with the Diamond Reo logo down in the corner, the ad relays to us that they are manufacturers of innovative trucks. Without the logo, the ad would be useless, for it advertises a truck whose manufacturer is unknown to us. While the image of the truck against the background by itself is evocative of innovation, the text helps to confirm this idea. Based on my analyzation, it would seem that Diamond Reo is appealing to luxury over practicality, the complete opposite of what the Autocar ad does.

The Autocar ad differs from the Diamond Reo ad in that instead of depicting a still image of a luxury truck, the ad features several images of trucks hard at work. Denotatively, the images suggest that these trucks aren’t intended for luxury use, but are designed for use in construction, refuse, and municipal duties. The trucks themselves also differ in design compared to the Diamond Reo Raider, in that they have sharply sloped fenders, a square-shaped appearance, and on most of them a cow-catcher. The ad is geared towards companies and drivers looking for heavy-duty trucks capable of plowing snow, hauling dirt, trash, and over-sized loads. These trucks are built and designed for practical use versus luxury, so the look of the truck will likely be a secondary consideration in the customer’s mind. It should be noted that some may find a heavy duty truck more aesthetically pleasing than a shiny, streamlined truck. While these trucks are also expensive, they aren’t trying to appeal to class, but rather drivers looking for a truck that can simply get the job done. Also aiding in the ads message is its use of a montage and linguistic message.

Unlike the Diamond Reo ad which employed a conceptual montage of the truck set against a futuristic background, the Autocar ad utilizes a generalization montage depicting eight images of trucks hard at work. The various functions in which the trucks are depicted demonstrate that Autocar’s vehicles can be implemented for a variety of purposes such as construction and refuse versus the Diamond Reo ad, which depicts a semi-tractor capable of one function. Unlike Diamond Reo’s metaphorical tagline, Autocar’s is very straightforward:

Whatever the job, Autocar meets the challenge. Time tested durability and stamina make AUTOCAR a legendary performer in heavy construction, refuse, and multi-purpose municipal duty. For these and other tough jobs such as logging or work in the coal and oil fields, get the truck built with extra endurance, AUTOCAR.

There are many claims being made in this description, the first being that Autocar trucks can handle any challenging job. The second claim is that because Autocar trucks are durable and built to last, they have gained legendary status within various fields. The third being that Autocar trucks are built with extra endurance, implying that they put extra effort into the manufacturing of their trucks, and that this makes Autocar perfect for all the tasks the ad lists. Giving credence to this is the fact that most of the images depict what is being said in the ad description. Whether the Diamond Reo Raider is ahead of its time, and Autocar trucks are built with extra endurance, which ad is more effective?

While both ads are effective in depicting two different kinds of trucks, I believe the Autocar ad is more effective, because it demonstrates the practicality and ruggedness of their trucks, and all the different tasks they can be implemented towards, versus the Diamond Reo Raider which can only haul one trailer. The ad offers a truck that is supposedly built to last, implying that their trucks can take on many rough tasks not suited for such a truck as the Diamond Reo Raider. The ad is straight and to the point, and more honest in that it provides the viewer information about their trucks, versus the Diamond Reo ad which implies its information through a clever tagline.

By using coded iconic message, omission, and linguistic message, I was able to determine which of the movie posters between Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Maximum Overdrive was most effective. And by using coded iconic message, montage, and linguistic message, we were able to determine which of the ads between Diamond Reo and Autocar was most effective. One could make the argument that both the advertisements for Diamond Reo and Autocar are equally effective, in that Maximum Overdrive featured trucks by both Diamond Reo and Autocar.

Works Cited

Autocar by Volvo White Truck Corporation. n.d. Hankstruckpictures.com. Web. 15 Feb. 2012

Maximum Overdrive. 1986. moviegoods.com. Web. 15 Feb. 2012

Raider by Diamond Reo. n.d. flickr. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture. 1979. Moviegoods.com. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.