Reception Theory (Adverts)

The hegemonic reading for this advert is perhaps the reclamation of identity and the idea that reebok help you 'make your mark' on the world without sugar coating the struggles to get there. The negotiated reading is perhaps that the idea of reclaiming identity is positive however in the case of criminality and violence, the idea that you will be able to remove all the destruction and detrimental impacts of those topics by buying some new shoes. The counter-hegemonic reading would be that this advert actually promotes the idea of violence and connects the brand name with the idea that reebok are endorsing crime and criminals to wear their shoes as you can see through the use of fingerprints in the secondary image. 

The hegemonic reading for this advert is perhaps that these headphones allow you to switch off from the chaos of the world and use music etc as an escape however the negotiated reading would be that this is suggesting music is an escape from reality however by using an NFL player in the climate of NFL and american sports players taking a 'knee' at games to promote the idea of escaping reality seems slightly counter-intuitive. The counter-hegemonic perspective of this specific advert, due to the copy again, is that this advert promotes ignorance. You don't have to listen to the pleas and protests- you can succumb to your selective hearing when it comes to social issues etc. by wearing beats headphones. Since this advert is extremely minimalist, monotone and concise it allows the hegemonic meaning to be communicated in a clearer way however depending on demographic the readings will differ especially politically.