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Semiotics

"Semiotics, or semiology, is the study of signs, symbols, and signification. It is the study of how meaning is created, not what it is." (Compression may be required, http://www.uvm.edu/~tstreete/semiotics_and_ads/terminology.html , no date.) "These can be found in the spoken or written word, in the nuances of music or the art of cinematography, within the shapes and curves of sculpture or by the sinewy grace of dance or more particularly in our case the structure of a picture, whether as a painting or a photograph and how these are read." (Compression may be required, http://www.crhfoto.co.uk/crh/semiotics.htm, no date)

It is a picture depicting a slightly wavy purple silk cloth, which has the only white section as if the material is slashed with a razor. In advertising, there are no words other than government health warnings. To work out the meaning of this advertisement  you have to know there is a brand of cigarettes: Silk Cut. Shimmering silk with voluptuous curves and smooth texture obviously trying symbolize the woman's body. Even more obvious was an oblong cut, where a lighter shade material was visible. Advertising referred to both sensual and sadistic impulses: awakening the desire to hurt a woman's body and get into it. But then I thought that I might be wrong, it could be just an image of the name of the brand and that is it. After analysing the image one more time, I came up with a thought that if it was just an image of the brand, then instead there would be a roll of silk cut in half , or something like that, but instead they presented it this way. We might think that a cigarette - it's just a cigarette and a silk fabric - just a silk fabric. But it's never that easy.  If things are on the image, they acquire new meaning and significance. Signs are never 'innocent'. It is known from semiotics.

Reference:

http://www.uvm.edu/~tstreete/semiotics_and_ads/terminology.html (no date) (Accessed: 6 May, 2013)

http://www.crhfoto.co.uk/crh/semiotics.htm (no date) (Accessed: 6 May, 2013)