Advertising and its Aesthetic and Expressive Vocabulary

Abstract

This research aims to study advertising as a visual and expressive phenomenon that transcends its traditional commercial function, transforming into a cultural and artistic product subject to the criteria of aesthetics. The research problem stems from the complex intersection between the utilitarian purpose of advertising (marketing and attraction) and the aesthetic and expressive values employed by the designer to achieve this purpose, as well as the extent to which these values are influenced by the philosophical shifts in the concepts of beauty and ugliness. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to deconstruct the aesthetic vocabulary of advertising—such as design, colors, fonts, contrast, motion, symbolism, and lighting—and then proceeds to discuss its philosophical and expressive dimensions.

The research is divided into two main sections. The first section addresses the aesthetic vocabulary in advertising through two subsections that focus on the visual and auditory structure, as well as the mechanisms of interaction and visual impact. Meanwhile, the second section discusses the expressive aspect of advertising and its philosophical dimensions between beauty and ugliness across two subsections that investigate the language of advertising expression and the philosophical dialectic of aesthetic values. The study reached a set of results, most notably that modern advertising is no longer merely a tool for displaying commodities, but has rather become an expressive medium that reproduces the aesthetic and philosophical standards of society. Furthermore, "ugliness" in its philosophical sense may be employed in advertising as a visual shock tool to achieve higher attention-grabbing results. The study recommends the necessity of deepening philosophical and aesthetic awareness among advertising designers to ensure the elevation of public taste without undermining the marketing function.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54633/2333-025-059-003