Intertextuality

Intertextuality. The association of something within something else that makes it necessary to understand. Advertising loves it. Now, there are two types of this "intentional phenomenon." The first, horizontal, means the reference to something else in it's same genre (ex. Jack in the box commercials, all relate). And we have vertical, or the leap into comparing with something else (ex. Apple 1984 campaign). The above ad is also an example of vertical advertising. Here, we have a bit of ironic advertising. A toy store ad alluding to a PG13 movie. Wow. Way to go Toys-R-Us, foster in the early exposure of children to dying people, frozen abyss, and...disaster. Though, this does seem to appeal to the poor parents surrounded by barbie and hot wheels. Still, this does seem to add some confusion why toys are groping each other on a boat. However, this ad does provide a clear message that is understandable, even without the knowledge of intertextuality.