Web Advertisement: American Apparel

American Apparel's ad uses the "sex sells" dictum in a casual and ironic way. The ad has three sucessive panels in which the model's zipper has been pulled further and further down; the rest of the image remains static except that model's mouth is closed in the first two and open in the third. The tonal affinity between the model's pale hair and skin, and the light background prevents the image from becoming too "graphic" even as the zipper comes down (picture the same as if she had red hair and a tan), while still allowing the bathing suit to stand out (it is, after all, the product being sold...isn't it?) In each panel, the viewer's eye is drawn down the zipper (subtly contrasted in pink against the yellow bath suit) to the line formed by the model's legs leading to the company name in bold, sans-serif font. The two words, "American Apparel" at the bottom of each panel are balanced by the individual lenses of the model's glasses at the top. The position of the hands as they descend from panel to panel lead us through the visual story being told and create dynamic diagonal movement through the panels.