Introduction to Adbusters

Woman magazine is conventional of the time and sexist, Adbusters is very unconventional.

Adbusters is polysemic. Polysemic is where a media product is interpreted in multiple, sometimes contradictory, ways.

For Adbusters, the following extracts will be studied:

• front cover of the magazine
• spoof advert of Christian Louboutin (double page features)
• extracts from feature of impact climate change, four pages in total:
• the page featuring a quote from Normal Gall together within the Zuchetti 'HIM' advert on the opposite page
• the following page on the double page spread that features a quote from Justin Gillis alongside an image of a woman on the street and fashion model
• Save the Planet, Kill Yourself. Three page feature article by David Joez Villaverde
• Chapter 2: 'All of humanity's problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone'. First four pages including illustration and quotes from Sherry Turkle and Bruce Schneier
• Letters pages including letter and photo sent in by Sarah Flint and letter sent in by Jennifer Jamieson

Detournement- hijacking or re-routing, AKA culture jamming

Culture jamming- the practice of criticising and subverting advertising and consumerism in the mass media, by methods such as producing advertisements parodying those of global brands

Consumerism- an ideology where one's worth and value is defined by what one buys. For example, a Cartier bracelet is 'not just' a bracelet, but instead is a luxurious status symbol. Specific brands can confer specific statuses

Commodity fetishism- the intense desire and relationship with certain brands as opposed to the product itself

Adbusters and Brand Identity

• its different! From woman and every other magazine
• explicit, shocking and problematic
• covers political issues → far left political bias
• anti-capitalist
• frequently changes style, format, printing quality, etc
• masthead changes with every issue which means the magazine cannot build a brand identity
• challenges the idea that all media products exist to make money
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