Kress, Chps. 6 & 7

In the discussion of genre within "A Social Theory of Text," Kress describes genre as a "definition of everything that goes on in the text" (p. 94). An example he later provides correlates closely with my creative project: the Annapelle label on p. 103, which promotes a purse sold in Australia.

The purse is made in China using Italian leather. Kress analyzes the label in terms of its genre: "The text is laid out in what I take to be an aesthetically pleasing fashon -- it is 'sculpted.' ... The makers of the card address me as someone who is interested in something beautiful, as someone who has taste. There is of course the logo (is it Renaissance Italy, or is it Australian art deco?). The language too strikes me as carefully 'crafted'; it uses adjectives such as 'fine.' The punctuation is sparse to the point of severity; I assume so as not to make the text look fussy."

He goes on to determine that the card -- earlier described as olive/eucalypt green -- fits most closely within the "report" genre, and he puzzles as to the use of such a genre so seemingly out of context.

Genre, he stresses, pertains to and is shaped by the social relations of the participants -- the sign maker and the audience. This reflects in many ways what I hope to incorporate into the marketing materials for my fake bartending business. The materials' content is both visual and textual, but overall, the pictures, the verbiage and even the colors used are chosen with the intent of evoking a certain ... status -- an image in terms of "reputation" or "presence." I want to appeal to a certain type of client, and in embracing the "descriptive" genre, I hope to create in the consumer a desire for not only my staff's services, but for my products (specialty drinks) as well. My marketing materials describe my products and services, and therefore insinuate the social relations between my business and the clients I hope to attract, as well as the guests of the people who would avail themselves of my services and products -- a je ne sais quoi of exclusivity creating an image of the desired.