The action of fighting was seen as a dangerous sport back in the 70s/80s, and still is today,

changing the audiences perception of Bowie, and possibly showing that Bowie is reaching
out to an older demographic.

The record label EMI is placed on the front of the album advert, which could suggest that
Bowie is a vehicle of fame and profit, selling himself and his record label to fans across the
world.

The formats in which the album can be played on, is shown at the bottom of the advert, so
that fans will know how to listen to the song, and find it when they are looking at
purchasing a copy.

We may see intertextual references in this advert, due to the title and image of Bowie. In
1964, the legendary boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, was preparing for a fight against
Sonny Liston. Ali would mutter the words float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, in order to
manipulate Liston in the ring. We can see Bowie in a boxing stance, which could be referring
to the Ali, with the album title Lets Dance placed beneath him, as if he is challenging
someone to a fight.
The boxing stance could also reflect the narrative of the title track Lets Dance, in which an
Aborigine tribe is fighting for freedom against the power of white authority.

The fact that Bowie is wearing no clothing, could connote his exposure to the media, selling
himself/his image to his demographic. However, a lack of clothing is unconventional of the
classic pop rock genre, as most pop rock artists would normally wear an abundance of
clothing in their public appearances.

The shadow behind Bowie could be his inner demons, suggesting that he should dance with
his demons, giving the overall message of the album a positive feel and making the overall
mood of the album seem uplifting and inspirational to his demographic. His demographic
possibly being a representative of The Struggler audience type, due to the notion of
fighting/challenging your demons and insecurities.

A medium-long shot of Bowie is placed in the middle of the advert, facing the camera head-
on, which denotes a clearer perspective of his body and face, suggesting to the audience,
that he is at their level and dancing/fighting with them. On the other hand, Bowies facial
expression shows a piercing stare, which could appear threatening to his demographic,
especially as it is contradicting the title Lets Dance, where the action of dancing should
be positive and enjoyable.

The typography of the title Lets Dance, looks as though it has been structured
strategically, as if it is a plan for footwork, possibly linking to fighting or dancing, judging
what moves to make against or with your opponent/partner.

The red light projected onto Bowies body, connotes danger, alertness, anger and strength,
further emphasising his threatening poise, however, the red light could also connote
passion and power, portraying his love for his music, and his strength to achieve his
aspirations in the music industry.
The black background colour, connotes a mysterious mood, possibly inferring that Bowies
songs are serious, therefore aimed at an older (17+) demographic.
The contrast between the different colours (black, white, red, blue), is conventional of the
classic pop rock genre, attracting audiences by the vibrancy of the album and reflecting a
fun mood, in which young audiences can relate.

The iconic Bowie typography is larger than the title of the album, which could portray
Bowie as having a big ego, a stereotypical convention of the pop rock artist image. On the
other hand, when this album was released in 1983, Bowie was at the height of his career,
thus aware of his fame and influence on global audiences. The Bowie typography headlines
this album and many more publications across his work, developing a motif, worldwide
trademark, and the name that David Bowie is known by. This motif, could also relate to
Blumler and Katzs uses and gratifications theory, as Bowies demographic is able to
recognise the person in front of them, a role model to reflect similar values to them. Richard
Dyers star theory also applies directly to this, as Bowie has become a household name,
increasing sales in all the media platforms he is in; Bowies fans have shown admiration for
him by copying his fashion style, make-up choices and ideas, helping Bowie to communicate
and share his messages with the world.