De Beers and visual imagery.

The above advertisement from De Beers, found in a magazine, is one of many from the diamond company that have recently used this type of layout and straight-forward messaging. The following critique will use Sonja Foss's rhetorical schema for critiquing visual imagery, and will work to properly identify and evaluate this ad's function. This critique wants to examine what makes this ad for diamonds stand out from other advertisements; how do the presented elements encourage its audience to view the quality of De Beers diamonds differently from diamonds of Zales or Kay Jewelers?

An easily identifiable function of this ad is to sell diamonds, specifically, De Beers diamonds. The sparkly diamond ring centered at the top of the ad draws our attention, and the text below the ring explains why we need to buy De Beers diamonds.

The visible elements of any visual message have the important task of communicating the ads function. The colors of this ad - black and white - create a simple and modern aesthetic, and focus our attention on the ad's image followed by the text. The clean-cut lines maintain our focus, and the thick, black border of the ad directs our attention to inside the border - a big, shiny, beautiful three-stone diamond ring. 

What makes this De Beers advertisement unique, in my opinion, is the placement and visual of the diamond ring. In most jewelry ads, the rings are in a "standing up" posture so one can see the intricate detailing and metal work of the ring, as well as the diamond's position and size. This ad, however, is only about the diamond(s). The ring's band is barely visible, and the large and sparkly diamonds directly face their audience as a small spotlight presents the treasured rocks as stars of the ad. This ad isn't about selling a ring as much as it focuses on selling De Beers diamonds because of their products' beauty, size, and grandeur.

So how do we evaluate the ethics of the function to buy De Beers diamonds because they are like no other? If we were to rely solely on the visual elements, I think this ad would be ethical or fair in carrying out its function. Such luxury items are greatly valued, and De Beers serves that value in the primary function of this ad.

What makes me question the integrity of this ad and how De Beers views the purchasing of such an item for someone is the text of this ad, "She already knows you love her. Now everyone else will too." The text isn't essential to understand what this ad is functioning to do, but it's presence eludes to De Beers purpose for this particular luxury item. Directed towards men and printed in all-caps, the text says a De Beers diamond ring is a must if you want "everyone else" to know how a man feels about the woman he loves. What most would consider true love is not properly represented in this ad; it concerns itself more with what one's peers think and know of the relationship rather than how the two involved in the relationship feel. How much a man loves a woman is reduced to what type of jewelry he buys her and making sure everyone else knows it, too, and De Beers positions itself as the company to trust for a man to accomplish that.