What is Juxtaposition?

Juxtaposition - the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side, often to compare or contrast them.

In artistic and literary contexts, juxtaposition can be used to create contrasting effects, highlight themes, and convey deeper meanings. It's a powerful tool for artists and writers alike.

But beyond the creative realm, juxtaposition is also relevant in everyday life. From advertising campaigns to political speeches, people use it all the time to influence our thoughts and feelings.

The Power of Juxtaposition in Artistic Expression

Juxtaposing different images, colors, textures or sounds can create a striking effect that captures attention and conveys complex emotions. It's used by visual artists like photographers and painters as well as musicians to make music videos.

For example, when Gustav Klimt placed his life-sized painting "The Kiss" next to "Death And Life", he brought together love and death highlighting how they are intertwined in lifelong events. Similarly in music video "This is America", Childish Gambino uses imagery that highlights racial disparity against free-flowing happy beats which makes us question if we are missing the larger picture where everything isn't merry so easy.

Juxtaposing ideas within writing works similarly creating emotional reactions ranging from shock value like discussing light subjects alongside heavy subjects.<\p>

The Influence of Juxtaposition on Advertising Campaigns

Companies use this technique for their advertisements by pairing their product with something unrelated but recognizable enough to hold attention long enough for viewer get interested into understanding why those things were paired together.<\p>

A famous example would be Nike campaign ad 'Find Your Greatness' which features obese boy jogging through empty roads. The final message shows "greatness" is not limited to fit athletes, it is within everyone.

Another example would be Apple's famous slogan "Think Different". Using silhouettes in front of contrasting background made viewer to focus on the product and imagine their future story while they were looking at only shadows.