At first glance when you see this ad, you notice the barbie wearing a fur coat. Then below that you see the polar bears body parts. It's easy to understand that the basis of this ad is to stop animal cruelty involving fur coats. But there is actually a lot of symbolic meaning that is communicated with out many noticing.
One of the main symbolic meanings used in this ad is the whiteness. At first I thought this was kind of ironic considering the situation. Most understand white as a pure color. But after doing research about the symbolism of white, I came across a definition involving the use of a lot of white surrounding an object. To surround an object in white gives it a feeling of isolation and detachment. It also gives the impression of sterility and emptiness of emotions. These are all feelings that would be involved with killing an animal in "the name of beauty," and makes the image feel more cold and uninviting.
The use of a barbie in the image also gives the impression that people that buy these types of coats are unrealistic wealthy people. They are unrelatable and stiff. Using a toy also may symbolize the naiveness that those who purchase fur coats have, as if they were a child.
The fact that the barbie is also dressed in pink gives symbolism. Pink symbolizes compassion and nurturing, which is what the advertiser would hope to encourage. The fact that the pink is surrounded by the cold sterile white makes it stand out even more and creates it as the center of focus.
Even the font used in this ad has meaning. The script font gives the impression of classy high end products but when you actually read what it says ("There is no beauty in cruelty"), I believe most would be surprised.
This is supported by an organization that is against animal cruelty. To be honest I'm not sure which organization it is since I can't seem to make it out in the picture.
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