The Hermeneutic Puzzle

Judith Williamson speaks of the "hermeneutic puzzle" that lies at the center of how we decipher ads. Ads must tell some story, they must convey some narrative, lest they fail altogether as commercials.

In the effort to engage us as viewers, ads are frequently structured around solving a "hermeneutic puzzle." Advertisers play upon the human desire to complete or finish the meanings of things. Or, put it in the reverse - most of us hate when something is left hanging, when a meaning is unresolved. By playing upon our desires for narrative completion, advertisers maneuver us into supplying the interpretive energy necessary to drive the meaning of commercials.