What initially grabs our attention is the tagline situated in the upper right hand corner that states, "It’s okay to do it in the elevator."   Immediately, we recognize the sexual undertone of the statement.  Modern-day vernacular identifies the phrase "do it" as a euphemism for sexual play. Given this understanding, to "do it" in the elevator, a private act in a public space, is to violate social propriety.  However, the ad subverts this expectation and entreats us to believe just the opposite as the text implies. The ad becomes more enticing when we consider how it boldly rejects understood social behavior.

As we attempt to process the implications of the ad’s language, we redirect our eyes to the image that accompanies the text. Here we have a woman in the elevator, wearing a satisfied smile and luminous glow. From the combination of the ad’s text and the woman’s expression, we must ask what is the woman doing in the elevator and are her actions in the elevator responsible for the aforementioned expression.  Since the woman is fully clothed and clearly visible to readers, the logic of the ad allows us to assume that there is nothing explicitly sexual about her as the text originally suggested.   Aware of this image, we then realize that the bottle of Intensive Care Total Moisture she is holding is responsible for her smile and radiant glow.

To maintain the image’s connection to the tagline, however, the ad positions the woman’s body in such a manner that it cannot help but imply sex. With her back arched, shoulders hunched and left leg elevated and center stage, the woman’s left hand is strategically placed to draw attention to her smooth and silky legs. Though she is physically attractive and rather sensuous in this manner, her positioning is awkward and unnatural.  Without a doubt, the woman looks out of place in the elevator. If we look at this ad prone on a table, the woman appears to belong on a bed rather than an elevator; this assessment underscores the sexual connotations of the advertisement. Nonetheless, it does not detract from glamorization of the woman or the product. In fact, when we consider those also in the elevator with the woman, we discover she is the only one with any attractive facial expression.  Surveying the other passengers, we read apathy, dismay, boredom, and impatience in their faces, which all offer a sharp contrast to the woman’s apparent joy. The ad makes the distinction that since the woman has Intensive Care Total Moisture, she is able to achieve her happiness unlike her fellow elevator companions.

A more subtle but equally effective image is the contrast in the elevator’s physical composition. Similar to the contrast between the moisturized and the non-moisturized, the elevator’s granite tiles show how coarse and dry the elevator is compared to the smooth wooden panels in the back. These visual signals reinforce the differences between the woman and the other passengers.

As we conclude our reading of the ad, we find ourselves at the lower right hand corner.   Its parting words before we turn the page are "Obsessed? Satisfy your craving at www.moistureobsessive.com." Not only is the ad able to effectively sell consumers on the sex appeal of the lotion but it leaves us with a last minute promotion of the product.  Still operating within the established sexual context, that "Satisfy your craving" tag reminds us that Intensive Care Total Moisture can take care of that craving if we so desire.