Doe 1
John Doe
Professor T. Woodard
ENC 1101/8:30
15 January 2005
Essay 1 Advertisement
Socks and Sex
The phonetics of the words socks and sex are very similar. Both have the initial “s” sound and the “ks” at the end. The only difference is the vowel in the middle. However, these words obviously have very different meanings. Socks are pieces of clothing meant to protect and keep the feet warm. And sex---well, that’s warm in a different way. It appears that a Calvin Klein ad has gotten those two words mixed up somewhat. The ad for socks uses image, ideals, and irony to market socks with its phonetic friend sex.
The ad features a young man standing, head cocked to the side, hands in pockets. He has blonde hair to his shoulders, a thin necklace around his neck, and cut off jean shorts. He is the epitome of relaxation, suggesting the laid back attitude of surfers from California. Looking closer, we see that the model has well-toned muscles and is rather tan. In today’s society he is a physical example of the ideal man. He is the man that men are supposed to want to be and women are supposed to want.
A cut out of the background surrounds him. In contrast to his relaxed and fluid body the outline is angular and rough. All of this is done in the characteristic black and white of Calvin Klein ads. The gray tones give it a sexy feeling, highlighting certain parts and downplaying others. For example, the background is darker gray in the upper portion of the ad, thus allowing the torso of the man to stand out and be observed in all of its perfection. Cutting into the background and crossing over his body are thin, angular white lines. One points out his “six-pack” of abs and the other stops as the waistband of his shorts. They may be leading the viewer’s eye to the letters of the word socks which look as though they’ve been painted by an old paint brush.
The irony of the ad, however, is apparent when the viewer actually goes looking for the evidence of what the ad is selling: socks. Down at the bottom of the ad the model has popped up his heel, showing off the sock on his foot. The sock is large and looks like one that would be worn in the winter. But the model is wearing summer time clothes. The juxtaposition of those elements of clothing help the sock to stand out and cause the viewer to furrow her brow. And yes, the model is only wearing one sock---one sock in an ad to sell socks. It seems rather backwards to promote a product that way.
This ad has twisted appeals. Automatically it appeals to pathos: that pang of “I wish I could look that good” or “I wish I could have someone like him.” Humans often want what we cannot have and it becomes emotional eventually. It appeals to logos when the viewer observes the irony of the lone sock and its relevance to the rest of the ad. The sock obviously does not fit into the surfer style wardrobe of the model. But ethos is the strongest appeal. The character of Calvin Klein, the brand, is in question because they have so blatantly advertised their once harmless product as something sexual. Some might say that this ad exemplifies the lewd downfall of our society.
It is the ironic approach to the appeal of ethos that makes this ad successful. An intelligent observer recognizes that the ad is selling a whole lot more sex than socks. However, it is also interesting to note that Calvin Klein may be making a bit of a joke on itself. They know that we know what they are doing. There is some intelligence to it. By making appeals to something as basic as sexual instinct, the ad embodies much of what is wrong with society, but there is a sly smile somewhere behind it hinting at greater wit. They know they are selling sex, and they will get away with it. By simply messing with a few phonetics Calvin Klein manages to make millions.
Work Cited
Calvin Klein Socks. Advertisement. No date. 17 Feb. 2004 < cfm?Ad_ID=19>.