Case Study: The Commodification of Human Relations Response

I found this case study to be very interesting. I had never really looked so far into any specific ad before reading this however I found myself fascinated with all the different elements. First off there is the two different meanings being portrayed in one single ad, the denoted and the connoted. The denoted being the literal reality and the connoted being the symbolic aspect. In this ad, as with every ad, we see both represented. Ali Zafar, who is a pop star, is seemingly placed into this exciting wilderness scene. He is presumably zipping through the desert with natives of that area on some kind of vehicle. Zafar however seems much more interested in his cell phone which he is assumed to be watching TV on. This is all obvious to us because we see this. What we don't particularly see is the meaning behind all this. Zafar is in fact the only person with a face that can be made out. He also seems to be the only person that does not belong. These have deeper meanings. Zafar, this wealthy, iconic pop star is able to do what he wants, where he wants. He can go out into the middle of no where and still watch TV from his cellular device. In the case study we read that mobile phones act as a symbol of wealth and we definitely see that here. The blue lines that sweep and curve through the image suggest more than just movement. That suggest a security from the odds. No matter where one goes they are always connected to the mobile network. This is all very interesting how this much meaning can be conveyed from one single image – much more meaning that one originally sees.