In recent years, companies and advertising agencies have sought to outdo each other in their advertisements not by doing more, but by doing less. Ads have overwhelmingly become reduced to basic phrases written in large block letters accompanied by seemingly simplistic visuals designed to isolate their target audience and show them exactly what they want to see, whether the audience consciously comprehends all of the messages in the image or not. Modern advertisements are designed with shock appeal as the primary goal, but there are layers of deep complexity in most of these ads that convey a very specific idea. One example of this new modern advertisement comes from Ray Ban’s 2012 “Legends” campaign that celebrated their 75th year of existence. The ad features two men in New York in 1942 holding hands in public, one of whom is wearing Ray Ban glasses, and the top quarter of the screen is dominated by text in capital letters that states “Never Hide”. The image attempts to engage a broad audience that includes young people and liberals and prove to them that Ray Ban has always been a supporter of equal rights and that those who wear Ray Ban glasses will stand out and make a difference in the world.
The advertisement’s central focus, two men holding hands, is the first thing that the audience sees when they look at the photo and conveys a very strong message of unity, confidence, and trust. Hand-holding is a very meaningful gesture in American culture that implies typically implies love and connection to another person. Used in this context, though, it goes beyond just affection and conveys a message of indivisibility. In the 1940s, the homosexual community had to be strong and unified as sodomy was illegal and being gay at the time was looked down upon by most of society as disgusting and perverted. By choosing this image, Ray Ban aligns itself with the gay community’s fight for recognition and connects itself to these unconventional freedom fighters. The company essentially states that those who are strong enough to stand up for themselves and fight for a cause always choose Ray Bans.
As in any picture with people in it, one of the most important aspects of this image is the facial expressions of everyone on the street. The two protagonists of the image are looking ahead into the distance. They aren’t staring directly at the audience but their expressions are certainly the easiest to read. Both men have a slightly worried look, but more importantly they seem very confident in what they are doing. Neither acknowledges the other people on the street, and the man on the right has the hint of a smile, suggesting that he knows exactly what he is doing and he won’t back down. The others on the street have quite the opposite disposition. They are all looking towards the men holding hands and clearly judging them for their actions. The woman has a look of slight disgust, the man on the right has a deep frown, and the man behind the couple who did a double take to look at the men again looks shocked and angry. Their facial expressions serve as a foil for those of the gay men, highlighting the strength and confidence of their attitudes. Of course, the only person in Ray Bans is one of the gay men, suggesting to the audience that Ray Bans will increase your confidence and may even make you a better person, because a person wearing Ray Bans would never judge someone else or acknowledge their detractors.
Another key component of the scene that Ray Ban created is the environment and the weather. It is obvious (based on the wet streets and cloudy sky) that it was just raining, but recently stopped because no one in the picture is actually wet. Rain and clouds are always associated with sadness, negativity, and oppression. For gay men in the 1940s, that general sentiment would likely have defined most of their lives. However, for these men, it isn’t raining. It stopped, symbolizing that they are immune to the effects of the bad weather and the negativity around them. Unlike everyone else in the picture, these men aren’t wearing hats, implying that they are so sure of themselves that they won’t get wet that they don’t need to bother with any protection from the weather. Beyond that, their lack of hats strengthens the “Never Hide” message; they aren’t hiding any aspect of themselves, not even the tops of their heads. Ray Ban uses the weather to show that when you wear Ray Bans, things will get better: it will stop raining, people don’t need to wear hats and hide themselves, and you can walk outside unencumbered and with confidence.
Besides incorporating subtle messages about the power of Ray Ban glasses, the details of the image also go a long way towards isolating the target audience. This image can only be described as an idealist’s view of New York in the 1940s. The scene is set in a beautiful area of the city with pristine stone buildings and not a single piece of trash on the ground. Everyone, especially the gay couple, is in immaculate, expensive clothing that projects an overwhelming sense of the upper class. Everything about the image is classy, clean, and luxurious, including the glasses on the man’s face. With this portrayal of wealth, Ray Ban does two things. First, it ties the idea of Ray Bans to wealth and high class, creating more positive connections in the audience’s mind by linking the glasses with the idea of success. Second, it adjusts the target audience to the kind of people that Ray Ban wants to focus on: the wealthy. Those with money, who are used to seeing pictures like this and who are used to dressing like this, are much more likely to connect to the advertisement and buy the product. Ray Bans are by no means cheap glasses, so the ad doesn’t waste time by trying to convince poorer people to buy the glasses. Instead, it shoots right for the top, trying to hook the customers with pockets deep enough to buy their glasses and maybe even come back for a second pair.
Another key factor of this advertisement is one that can’t be discovered by simply looking at the image. Ray Ban’s website has a whole section dedicated to this campaign and posted there are the stories that served as inspiration for the advertisements in the series. This image was inspired by the life of writer and actor Taylor Mead, an openly gay man who moved to New York in the 1940s. Mead never made any attempt to hide his sexual orientation and dealt with the consequences as they came. By citing this story, Ray Ban establishes a significant amount of ethos with the audience. Even if the audience doesn’t go online and search for more information about the image, they are safe in their assumption that the company is presenting an accurate portrayal of the situation because Ray Ban has the anecdotal evidence to back it up. Mead’s story is instantly relatable not only to other members of the gay community who have experienced humiliation, but anyone at all who has ever stood out in society or been different. His story is one that hundreds of millions of Americans can relate to, and by creating a single, simple image out of it, Ray Ban broadcasts that story to all of them in mere seconds.
Finally, the last major component of this advertisement is the text. The words “Never Hide” are in bold, bright white, and all capital letters that dominate the top quarter of the picture. They instantly capture the audience’s attention and make the main message of the ad very clear. The statement is short and simple, but in the modern era of advertising that is often more impactful. With just those two short words, though, Ray Ban manages to convey much more than first impressions might suggest. The statement “Never Hide”, as mentioned earlier, makes a clear statement to the audience that they should be proud about who they are and display themselves openly and with confidence no matter what. The message suggests that if you don’t present yourself fully and honestly to the world that you are hiding, and that this is a bad thing that should be avoided. As a company that makes glasses, Ray Ban has an enormous amount to gain from by planting that idea in people’s minds. Many people who need to wear glasses choose to wear contact lenses instead because they either don’t like the look of glasses or they are embarrassed by the fact that they need them. With this ad, Ray Ban implants the idea that hiding behind contact lenses is wrong and that people shouldn’t hide the fact that they wear glasses, and should instead just buy Ray Bans. This subtle self-promotion it what is seemingly just a feel-good message is part of what makes this advertisement, and many like it, so impactful.
With this advertisement from the “Legends Never Hide” campaign, Ray Ban boards the bandwagon of modern advertisements in both style and substance, using a short, bold statement and a seemingly simple picture to promote their brand. Their message, aimed at the ever-growing audience of young people, liberals, and the wealthy, establishes an understanding and a connection between the company and their own problems as they struggle to fit in to society and worry about how to present themselves. With this ad, Ray Ban attempts to set itself apart from the rest of the pack by proving that the people who wear Ray Bans are the ones with enough confidence to stand up for themselves and fight for their personal rights, all while looking great in their new pair of glasses.