Representation: vespa

Cultural Studies

Representation:

Society and its cultures are subjected to Sausserian texts constantly. These stimuli elicit various responses based on individual and cultural values and experiences. Meaning comes from representations from language, photography, painting and other media, which uses “signs and symbols to represent or re-present whatever exists in the world in terms of a meaningful concept, image or idea.” (du Gay et al, 1990, p.13) Representation is utilized by industry to present products to consumers as described by Hebdige (1998) and the marketing of the Vespa motor scooter by the Italian company immediately following World War II. In post war Great Britain the motorcycle companies were confident that men would not want to purchase motor scooters as the scooter was seen as not being “manly.” Due to the marketing efforts which represented the scooter as a manly means of transportation, the Vespa company shocked the British motor cycle industry with tremendous Italian motor scooter sales. The power of representation, and re-representation, is now clear in the images generated in media marketing. (Yon, 2000, Bourdieu, 1984).