Unseen Text: It’s Easy With Emba Mink

Text Type: Print Advert

Guiding Question: How do different elements of this advert combine to make a persuasive appeal?

You wouldn’t see an ad like this nowadays! While fur trading is now illegal in many countries, in 1959 mink was all the rage, as this vintage advertisement shows. Notwithstanding the ethics of the fur trade, this text is perfect example of a visual narrative, designed to hook viewers into a story of confidence and independence that can be gained by buying a new coat. The response you can read below was written by Anna Huang after she studied the visual language of advertising. I hope you’ll agree that she’s done a fantastic job at unpicking the appeals to prominence and autonomy that the ad taps in to. The structure of her response is completely effective: Anna focuses on the meaning-making image of the woman first, then analyses selected compositional features, before explaining how the slogan ties the ad together. How would you approach this text? You may have an alternative that is just as effective:

Sample Response:

The given text is a classic advert for an Emba coat. The ad appeals to female viewers by telling a simple story of women’s empowerment: because of the coat she is wearing, the woman attracts the attention of a man riding a motorbike who’s stopped in the road to stare at her. However, the ad implies that by wearing an Emba coat women are not only the center of attention – they also gain the confidence and independence to ignore the attention of others and go their own way.

The advertisement focuses on the figure of a woman wearing an Emba coat in order to position the product as a symbol of confidence and independence. The visual narrative centres on the figure of a woman walking forward with a controlled, self-assured stride, while a man on a motorbike turns his gaze in her direction. This contrast immediately elevates her presence in the scene and appeals to the viewer’s need for prominence, as she is clearly the figure who commands attention. At the same time, her forward movement and her extra-digetic gaze, ignoring the man behind her, connotes her sense of autonomy, suggesting the product enables individuals to take control of their own direction, regardless of the attention she may be getting. Her white outfit contrasts sharply with the man’s black clothes and the darker tones behind her, reinforcing her clarity of purpose and portraying her as someone who acts decisively rather than following expectations of those around her. Therefore, through her representation, the advert encourages the viewer to associate her coat with personal agency and elevated status.

Furthermore, the advert employs supporting compositional techniques to strengthen the message of woman’s empowerment. According to the rule of thirds, her face is placed in the top right third of the frame, which draws the viewer’s attention to her forward movement and confident posture. The gaze of the man behind her forms a visual line that also leads to her figure, and she is also framed by the lines of the streets, trees and buildings around her. Her white coat and red headscarf stand out with greater clarity from the deliberately faded colours of the background, forming a visual hierarchy from which she emerges as the narrative center. Her direction of travel – opposite the direction of cars parked in the street – reinforces the idea that the wearer of the Emba coat stands apart from the crowd. Together, these compositional choices reinforce the advert’s message: that the product elevates the wearer by granting visibility, agency, and distinction.

These messages are anchored by the slogan underneath the image: “Make things happen. It’s easy with Emba mink.” These words bridge the emotional divide between the woman’s image and the ad’s persuasive aim. The imperative ‘make’ aligns with the woman’s forward stride and suggests the viewer too is someone capable of decisive action, appealing to the autonomy of the viewer. The vague word ‘things’ allows viewers to project their own ideas onto the coat, depending on what they want to achieve in their lives. The description “When you wear Emba, you are what’s happening” reassures that the product itself is the catalyst for confidence, simplifying the path to success and amplifying the viewer’s need for prominence by linking achievement with appearance. By underlining the word ‘are’, the advert suggests how a person’s identity can be completely transformed simply by wearing the coat. All in all, the slogan strengthens the messages of the ad by reinforcing the transformative power of the product and implying that achievement, prominence, and confidence can be easily granted by wearing the coat.

In conclusion, through the combined effect of body language, composition, and lexical reinforcement, the advertisement persuades the viewer to view Emba as a source of independence, authority, and social distinction.