Alison Gathman-Dreamy Santa #23

 

 Sex sells. This ad is selling the dreams of cigarettes and sex to the consumer. If Santa, Saint Nicolas, a saint, smokes and dreams about a nude body, it can’t be that bad. It also looks as if Santa is “shsshing” you to keep his naughty secret. Or that middle finger flicking someone off, saying “F-you! I’m Santa and I’ll do what I want!” Why is Santa making that facial expression? The image shows Santa with his mouth open, a sheepish grin, blushing cheeks, eyes wide, brows raised with an intense gaze. Did Mrs. Claus just catch him doing something to put him on the naughty list? What is he doing with his unidentified left hand that is creating that “O-face”?  The visions of “sugar plums” dancing in his head suggest highly sexual connotations, as a cigarette is typically smoked after sex by smokers.

 

 

 

 

 

Table:

D	Implied Distance	Close-up	The subject matter is only one face, Santa’s face. Santa is in your face! This implied distance creates a sexual intensity that is revealed through his gaze. The fact that you do not see below the waist also has sexual implications.
	Figures	Representationality Abstraction Self-referentiality	Santa in his red and white suit is a figure identified with Christmas. He represents an icon identified with bringing the consumer what we want A basic want of the consumer is sex and “making all your dreams come true…,” even the “naughty” dreams. The smoky image of the nude body is abstract to, again, create a dreamy effect and to suggest that Santa and a Marlboro cigarette can make your dreams a reality. The brushstrokes of Santa’s white beard and suit are blurred to call attention to the smoke from the cigarette and cloudiness of the dream.
	Genre	Style Icons	The image of Santa is identified with consumerism particularly in the Western culture. In this ad Santa is selling Marlboro cigarettes and sex.  The association between sex and cigarettes is that after sex (“your dreams coming true”) smokers enjoy a nice cigarette. Santa’s key phrase is “were you naughty or nice?” The icon is telling the consumer that they can receive the satisfaction and pleasure of being “naughty” by indulging in their “naughty” dreams and habits. Santa can make dreams come true at Christmas time. He brings the consumer what they want: sex and cigarettes.
Type: E	Stroke-height ratio		The slogan in the ad has medium height to width ratio to create a comforting, smooth, and sensual effect. The logo and warning label at the bottom has a compressed height to width ratio sending a more direct message to the consumer.