The Taste of Hennessy

Turning the front cover of the January/February 2009 edition of Lakers Magazine, a publication dedicated to news and information concerning the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, reveals on the back of this cover an advertisement for Hennessy, a French cognac. This advertisement presents the idea that this product and its consumers are both contemporary and classic, merging a portrayal of a modern black man with symbols of old world money and luxury. It projects the notion of empowerment with an image of a man free to shape his future with Hennessy by his side.

To understand how this advertisement conveys its meaning it is helpful to look at ideas Roland Barthes articulates in his seminal essay Rhetoric of the Image. In this work Barthes discusses how advertizing images are marked by emphatic signs, allowing for an optimum transmission of their signifieds. Barthes describes the “three messages” found in print advertisements and how they form meaning. These are linguistic, coded iconic, and non-coded iconic messages. Following this analytical system it is possible to examine how this Hennessey advertisement conveys its particular signification.

The linguistic message in the form of a caption below the large photographic image at the top of the ad, and a label within the image itself provides an anchor guiding the viewer to interpret this advertisement in a particular way. The caption reads:

“Hennessey
FLAUNT YOUR TASTE”

The idea of Hennessy as a measure of good taste that this caption promotes is reinforced by the Hennessy label on the bottle of cognac within the picture. It is a direct link between the slogan at the bottom of the page and the image above, supporting a read of the image as one depicting good taste with Hennessy as a sign of tastefulness.

Before further examining the signifieds found in this Hennessy advertisement it would be valuable to examine the structure of the ad, how it is designed to fit the page as well as the signifiers it employs to create meaning. This ad is composed of a photographic image that fills approximately the top seventy percent of the page while a black rectangle, within which the caption is situated, covers the lower thirty percent of the advertisement. The photographic image is monochromatic with shades of brown mixed with black and white. The only break in this monochrome color scheme occurs on the bottom portion of the ad with the caption and Hennessy logo appearing in gold. The layout and color scheme are design aspects that frame and influence how the viewer encounters particular elements within the ad, particularly the photographic portion that dominates the page.

Looking to elements found within this photographic portion of the advertisement in a literal, straightforward manner devoid of symbolism provides an opportunity examine what Barthes calls the non-coded iconic message. In the photograph is a young black man with neatly cut, short hair and a well manicured goatee. He wears a loosely tied scarf around his neck and a white button up shirt rolled over the pushed up sleeves of his sport coat. In his right hand he holds a glass with a beverage on ice. In his left hand he holds a compass. This man leans over a table covered with maps and areal photos of shoreline locations. Along with the maps a measuring devise of some sort rests on the table as does a Blackberry cellular phone. Two other items appear on this table – one is a bottle of Hennessy and the other is a spherical crystal or glass bottle stopper. Behind this man is a large fireplace with marble facing. Next to this fireplace is a storage trunk covered with Louis Vuitton emblems. On top of this trunk is a bottle filled with an amber liquid, though not entirely full, that is missing its top – presumably the stopper on the table. Sitting beside this bottle on top of the trunk is a telephone that appears to be covered in gold and behind the trunk is wood trimmed wall.

After examining the various elements denoted in the photographic image it is possible to determine what they connote when placed together in this manner – what Barthes refers to as the coded iconic message. The image is filled with signs of opulence and sophistication. The Louis Vuitton trunk, the marble fireplace, the crystal bottle, and what seems to be a golden telephone all suggest luxury with a bottle of Hennessy among them, suggesting it too is a marker of luxury. The man holds a drink in his hand which we are to assume is a glass of Hennessy on the rocks. Oddly enough the bottle of Hennessy sitting on the table appears to be full, however, the crystal bottle in the distance is open and partly emptied. The stopper from this bottle rests on the table near the bottle of Hennessy. This arrangement leads the viewer to understand that the elegant bottle in the back of the room is filled with Hennessy, imbuing this cognac with the old world opulence such a bottle suggests.

The interior of the room with its wood paneling and marble faced fireplace also suggests old money, linking Hennessy with a notion of western opulence from a bygone era. Further reinforcing the idea of “oldness” is the brown, sepia tone of the photograph. This coloration has become a convention, particularly in film, suggesting a flashback. This motif has been used in many motion pictures including The Godfather II in which it was employed to depict the early life of Don Corleone.

With many signs pointing to the past Hennessy suggests that its product is part of an older tradition, yet it is not stuck in the past - there are also signifiers of contemporary life. The haircut and facial hair of the man along with his clothes and how he wears them suggest that he is hip and in touch with current fashion. The most obviously modern item in the picture is the Blackberry cell phone near his left hand. This mix of the old and modern suggest that Hennessy has an air of class with a modern edge.

The young, black man pictured in this advertisement is at once modern, hip, and classic and seems poised to control his future. With his maps, areal photos, and cartographic tools he is making plans - shaping his destiny. He looks up from his work and stares into space with a focused, yet placid expression. He is completely sure of himself. As he gazes outward the left side of his face is bathed in light coming through an unseen window as though he is being showered with the light of inspiration. He is a dreamer with far reaching ideas that Hennessy helps him form and realize.

The photographic portion of this advertisement is filled with signs of opulence and refinement, blending old and new to create an idea of good taste. The caption reading “flaunt your taste” situated below the photo image directs the viewer to read the elements of the image, Hennessy among them, as signifiers of refined taste. Beyond this, Hennessy is portrayed as part of an opulent lifestyle out of reach for most. However, even if this is the case this advertisement suggests to the viewer that Hennessy is a portal to this yearned-for lifestyle and drinking it lets others know that you are classy, hip, and most of all, tasteful.

Rousseau's Exotic Landscape

Henry Rousseau's Exotic Landscape, 1910 is a painting of a tropical landscape as imagined by the artist. Rousseau combines a variety of foliage, flowers, and frolicking monkeys in a scene that reflects his interpretation of a far off place that exists nowhere in reality, but on his canvas. His construction of this exotic place can be seen in person at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, as well as in reproduction in a variety of formats. A common way most viewers will have an opportunity to see this painting (or rather an image of it) is in digital format on the internet. When looking at this or any any painting online it is important to remember that there is a significant difference between seeing it this way and actually viewing the it in person. The physical quality cannot be captured in digital format and it is this aspect of the original that is not available in reproduction.

While a reproduction of a painting is no substitute for the actual thing, it can allow the viewer an opportunity learn a good deal about the original. There are certain aspects that can be seen in both a painting and a digital image of it, including the composition, the various elements within the painting, and any narrative aspect of the work.

Looking at an online image of Exotic Landscape allows me to make a formal analysis of its composition. Beginning at the bottom, the foreground is filled with tall, thick grass that alternatively leans in patches to the left and right creating several "v" shaped gaps in the grass. Emerging from behind one such gap in the center foreground is a hairy leg aimed upwards along with a pair of furry arms that seem to be juggling oranges falling from a tree above. Behind these appendages is a patch of dark foliage that begins at the left edge and moves horizontally across the image, terminating at a grey monkey who sits with both hands holding an orange in front of his dark face as his eyes gaze off to the left. The lower middle ground is marked by a row of white and red flowers. There are four seemingly oversized white flowers on the right, a line of red flowers in the middle, and a vertical group of flowers growing from a single plant on the left. The upper right portion of the composition is dominated by an orange tree with dark green leaves, filled with bloated, overripe fruit. Its dark trunk emerges from the patch of dark foliage below, growing into deep grey branches that contrast against the bright, cerulean sky. From one of these branches hangs a somewhat diminutive, blue eyed, blonde and tan monkey with another like creature of larger size dangling from his legs. The upper left half of the image is filled with another tree with dark trunk and branches which are visible behind massive ochre green and viridian leaves. These leaves along with those of the orange tree are layered on top of more distant foliage creating a dense pattern of leafy, green shapes.

Standing in front of the actual painting I can make the same visual analysis of Exotic Landscape, however I am able to appreciate its scale and the full richness of the painting's color and surface. I can see the glossy varnish, thick paint, and the direction of Rousseau's brush strokes of the leaves and fur. The fuzzy dry brushed edges of the white flowers on the right are visible as is the wet on wet blending of paint Rousseau employed to paint the monkeys and foliage. It also becomes clear that he painted the branches before the leaves and fruit, because in areas where these elements overlap the darkness of the branches shows through. The color is more varied and rich in the original versus the web image with subtleties like the use of orange to delineate the more pale monkey's facial features only visible when looking at the painting in the museum.