The white of the woman’s skin suggests innocence, invoking a contrast with her nudity, which seems not as innocent. The contrast of the light and dark invokes “a dissonance, and hence a maximum expressive effect.” Id. p. 161.

	The language or figurative of this ad is limited in the extreme. In the photo accompanying this paper, there appears to be no verbal text, but in other versions of the ad (for sale on eBay, for instance), the word “Unforgettable” appears, just to the left of the nude’s back and under the brand name.
	Perhaps this is a simile. Is it the Champagne that is unforgettable–or a night as or with this woman? With the use of the word “unforgettable”, our understanding of the plastic may tip from beauty and sensuality towards sexuality, allowing the American male to be drawn further into the fantasy. The figurative then reinforces the conative and phatic messages of the link between the unforgettable and Belle Epoque, and tells the viewer not to forget–the Champagne. 
	On a less remarkable note, the bottle is probably also figurative, even representational, especially of a chilled bottle read to enjoy. “Since the arrival of abstract art the term figurative has been used to refer to any form of modern art that retains strong references to the real world.” This bottle, of course, tells the viewer what Champagne to buy in order to live the promise made by the ad. The visual element of drops of moisture, however, adds to the sensuality and supports the visual and figurative qualities and values described above . 

	Based on the results of my survey research on American adult consumer perceptions of Italy, and to reflect the results, I developed culinary tours in Florence and the surrounding area.  The strong stereotypes of food, wine, art, architecture and landscapes lead to Florence.  Americans have known and been drawn to Tuscany for its food, wine, art and architecture for generations.  It is one of the first places new travelers want to visit.  And because of the food and art, it remains a draw for repeat visitors throughout their lives, as confirmed by the survey results.  As a center of style, shopping is also a draw.

	After giving serious consideration to developing tours for Parma, where excellent food and art also unite in one place, I decided to concentrate on Florence, for its better weather and greater symbolism.  Notwithstanding intense competition from existing tour operators, success seems possible in a city with a huge English-speaking tourist presence.

	In the US, leisure travel buyers generally do not use travel agencies.  The mass market traveler may use a travel agent to buy a cruise or trip to Disney World.  Therefore, if I were offering these tours in the US, I would rely on word of mouth initially, in order to keep capital expenses as low as possible, and later would develop a website which would offer the opportunity to buy the tours in advance, using an online payment service such as Paypal or another online ticket service.
