Iceland’s advert was released on the 1st of December, using a seasonally specific approach as a marketing device. There are a wide verity of ‘seasonal’ props such as decorations surrounding the location suggests winter and Christmas. By doing this the audience can already picture and start to understand the time and date of this fictional narrative and this sets a positive mood instantly. This advert focuses on a wide range of products available at a low costs which suggests its targeting mainstream audiences of lower income such as those fitting between D1 and E within the social classes
The audience gets the impression that there is a party going on in the subject’s home due to the way the subjects are dressed and the amount of people at the one internal location. Also the ages of these subjects range between five and 30; allowing all the audience to relate to somebody within the advert. For example: In the advert a young child questions a product being advertised but when told they are ‘chocolate coated strawberries’ the child is amazed and almost shocked that such a product even existed. Children of similar age may not have known that food products like this exist would as a consequence ask their parents to purchase them. This advert appeals to a human weakness Gluttony whereby they offer a wide amount of food they we want but not necessarily need for the littlest price possible. It also appeals to our sloth as we wouldn’t need to shop in a variety of shops to find the best deal, but would only have to go to one shop to purchase readymade, frozen foods and everything else we may desire which is quite appealing. The foods on offer have a brief period of time in a full focus close up shot so the audience can see the products in full view allowing the audience to view the products with no distractions, or anything beyond the purple table cloth. This camera angle and view makes the audience watching desire the products on screen and its almost inviting the audience to come and ‘pick up’ the food available and also an onscreen graphic confirming the low price because the audience viewing would be shocked at how low the prices is they would want confirmation to be reassured they didn’t mishear things but this also confirms Iceland’s target audience to be in the lower income mainstream as well as the products in shot seam almost as if it’s being offered to them to take through the screen. In conclusion camera pulling back from an external shot through a window already places us in the party so it would be normal practice for food to be given to the people that attended the event and they recreated this idea of normal behavior. The brief shots of the products in full focus gives the impression to the audience that the items being displayed are being offered to us therefore giving us the option to either desire the product so we take action and furthermore buy the products or try to ignore the items. However all the products showcased look too appealing to overlook. This technique alone is very persuasive to all types of audiences of any age and isn’t limited to a small niche audience. This advert features a wide range of camera angles and shots; all for different purposes and to draw attention visually. We get a view from the snowy exterior but as the camera pans backwards we realise we are viewing from a warm bright home where there is a Christmas party going on. We are brought back more to realise that our viewing angle was over the subjects shoulder and the audience feels as if they were seeing and viewing the mise-en-scene through the subjects point of view. The way these camera angles are used and combined together as we pan and track, following the characters at the party is quite unique and is a great way to capture the audience’s attention and make the views want to be a part of such an engaging scene where everyone is enjoying themselves and makes the views believe in order to be a part of this all you need to do is purchase the products being displayed and it can happen for that individual. The narrative and speech of the subjects in the advert is very limited because it is all based on a diegetic song like an old musical movie. The advert does consist of conversations but communication in the song ‘baby its cold outside’ and whenever there is conversation it’s in the form of ‘call and reply’ where one subject asks a question, or says a statement within the song and other subjects reply. Also the whole advert seems quite corny and over the top but reminds me of a west end musical or an old musical film whereby all of the narrative and story is told through a song. Furthermore the songs sung are catchy and easy to remember. Due to the majority of the narrative based on this one song when the audience hears music alone they can remember the advert or sing along to it. Also there are no non-diegetic sounds, the only sounds heard are the voices of the subjects speaking and the diegetic ambient sounds from the party. They also use celebrity endorsement within this advert such as using Kerry Katona as one of the main characters and because this advert is made predominately for single mums Kerry would be a great idol for the audience to aspire to therefore can easily be influenced by Kerry into buying these products being advertised The advert overall doesn’t look that expensive otherwise the audience it is targeting would differ but the scenery does look colourful and like an everyday home that the audience can relate to one way or another. |
After watching this advert I felt that all generations of life were involved in this advert, it may only be the working class that this advert is primary being targeted but all generations have been waiting for this moment where the ‘drink’ can finally be drunk so we should enjoy it while we can.
In the 1st few frames there are many ‘extra’s’ surrounding the 3 subjects all with different ethnicity and originating from different backgrounds. This could be a visual representation of the target audience of the different demographics that consume the product, different cultures that this advert could be targeting towards or emphasizing the point that people around the world have waited for this moment and wanted to share it together. One of the frames from the scene within the pub is very similar to the end of the advert where the products are shown with a black backdrop. I find the placement between the 3 subjects and the 3 products similar (repetition; persuasive technique). The positioning of the 2 lighter tones men around the 1 dark toned male is the same as the 2 lighter toned products surrounding the darker toned product The last frame we see in the advert where the 3 products are grouped together with a back backdrop reinforces the tagline. ‘Good things come to those who wait’ and the advert portrays that this is the only thing we want; there’s nothing else in this frame because there’s nothing else we want but this product in the background that draws our attention but these products. Sounds Non-Dietetic music (theme music) playing from the beginning of the advert to the end and the advert is timed to sync with the music but there are some dietetic sounds such as the sounds of the products hitting the table after the 3 subjects take a sip of the pint. They use both non-dietetic sounds and dietetic sounds to engage the audience; a recognizable theme tune that the audience can relate to and link the advert to (whenever the song is heard they remember the advert) and also dietetic sounds that are emphasized to balance out with the non dietetic (if the dietetic sounds wasn’t heard the advert wouldn’t sound authentic) Camera Shots In this advert they use a verity of camera angles to either show the audience a location that they can relate to or an emotion that the advertisement wants the audience to envy, For example in this advert they used a wide angle shot to show some of the environment and the animals living in that habitat, by doing this the audience would be engaged with the advert and could try to work out the what year that frame was set in whereas in this advert they also extreme close ups and this shows the subjects emotions in full view; the audience may envy the subject due to the emotions (the emotions the subject has that the audience does not) or may not be as engaged because there isn’t anything to work out, the expression tells the audience the emotions or feelings that the subject in the advert is experiencing. |
Cresta Bear
This advert was made in the 70 so the technology available to use was very limited and this can clearly be seen because some frames in the advert skip and there is a lot of noise in the advert but at the time the most popular shows were cartoon and this advert uses a animation technique called stop motion. This advert is targeted towards children that watch cartoons so its targeted towards children and/or teenagers but this advert must also be appealing to adults too because it the adults that give money to their children and they will want to feel comfortable with the products their children are buying. The main subject in this advert is a well-recognised cartoon character and a child of young age would admire, respect as well as want to be these iconic characters (aspires) and a way of being this character is by drinking the drink and any other branded good this character may advertise. The product is always seen throughout the advertisement and a range of products available to consumers is shown at the end to guarantee that there is at least one favor the audience will enjoy drinking. (These techniques are called confidently, security and gluttony) There is both non-diegetic and diegetic sound in this advert, for example: when the main subject on this advert was speaking about the product he was holding this was diegetic but towards the end when the range of products available there was a voice over, a different voice to the main subjects voice so this made it non-diegetic. Also the main subject used direct address to engage with the target audience. Of course using special effects would get the attention of the audience their targeting but that type of advanced technology wasn’t available to them so making it seam as the iconic character is speaking directly towards the audience would also gain their attention also. Camera angles The positioning of the camera stays the same through most of the advert but it does pan from its static angle to a low angle view. Also even through it stays in one position there are a verity of shots used in this advert. For example they use a long shot when the subject is resting against the wall but when the character shows the product it looks to be pressed against the camera and becoming an extreme close up shot also when the camera does move to a low angle shot its done to make the subject look superior and much taller. This and the voice of ‘Timber’ recreates a scene where the subject is now a falling tree; the subject may not look like a tree but the imagination of the target audience will recreate the scene and believe it is a tree trunk Ariel Pure CleanThe Ariel Pure Clean advertisement is one of the few adverts to focus mainly on diegetic and non diegetic sound to reinforce the brand, the product and the message but also uses the traditional on-screen action to draw attention towards the advertisement. The diegetic sound used in this is quite simple yet effective: the squeezing of the lime, the breaking of the ice and the girl singing all adds to the relaxed and calm feeling of this advert. There are also non-diegetic sounds like the voiceover which is very peaceful, this adds to the relaxed feeling of the advert and the music seems to go together with the diegetic sound and emphasize any on screen action; for example when the ice is broken a high pitch note can be heard at the same time emphasizing the strong ice snapping. Another example is when the young girl sings the music fades away so her voice can be heard clearly and once she has stopped the music then comes back; by doing this it ensures that the emotions and feelings trying to get across to the audience is felt.
Due to the advert promoting a washing up formula they would have to emphasize clean but instead of just saying how good the product is, they decide to use the five senses that people commonly use and give examples so their target audience can have an understanding to how good the product is. For example the Mise en Scene within the opening scenes of this advert is a tall white building and a clear blue sky except the one cloud. The shot durations don’t last long and cut straight to another shot with no transitions. Doing this keeps the audience engrossed and interested. The only time a transition is used within this advert is at the closing scene where the graphic image is faded into the shot. The lighting throughout this advert is soft and calm; this possibly represents the softness of Ariel. This section of the advert is focused towards the sense of sight and that shot is reminiscent of a washing machine with clothing items. The non diegetic sound also clarifies that as she narrates ‘A ‘pure clean’, is it something we see’. There are other examples of how they target the five senses and they do this to help get the message across that in order to have something pure clean that this is the product to buy. Also they give us examples for each sense; this is so the audience watching has something to remember the product by. For example the target audience may be in a supermarket and see limes, they will automatically link the limes with the advert but moreover if the audience has ever experienced anything that the advert has show; for example the smell of limes. The audience response that they want is the target audience trying to remember that fruity as well as uplifting fragrance, a smell they can associate with pure clean. The colors used in this advert are bright natural colors but I get the impression that the colors are somehow too perfect so some post production alterations have been applied. In the opening scene we get a extreme long shot to give the audience a sense of location or where this advert is set in and that location looks very surreal; almost too good to be true but this is the response that they initially wanted from this advert: a dream house in a perfect location, the perfect family with the perfect cleaning product that the audience can have too. During the advertisement they show different subject but mainly women washing clothes or cooking but there are scenes of subjects doing different activities spread throughout the advert. The audience would get the impression that the subjects shown are part of one big perfect family but strangely enough the father isn’t shown in the advert giving the impression that he is out working ensuring that the family has enough money to afford the luxurious lifestyle the family live. The skin tone and hair color of all of the subjects regardless of age in this advert is being used to reinforce the purity of the product but this could be deemed racist due to the subliminal messages being advertised such as anyone that is not white is not pure. This might not be intentional but it being a common factor (more than one subject) and they purposely decided that these subjects should have these features and not use anyone that doesn’t have these features it could be racist. This would create a negative audience response and would affect sales but if the audience is responding; may it be positive or negative and the brand or product name is being promoted then the advert purpose to create awareness to the product has been fulfilled. The cinematography and camera work in this advert uses a lot of slow panning movements and features quick cuts from one shot to another. At the end of the advert there is a fade out from a white background into an image graphic of the product. They done this to ensure the audience isn’t left wondering what product was featured in the advert if they didn’t know and even if they did the image of the graphic lasts in the mind of the viewer. This advert is aimed towards females within a wide range of audience classes but will be in the lower middle range on the SOC list due to the fact that a washing machine is needed to use the product. |
Honda: Hate Something, Change Something
Ford: This Is Now There are many differences between the two car adverts even though they are advertising more or less a similar type of product. One of these differences is the target audience; the audiences targeted in the Honda advert are specifically reformers but they also use techniques that are commonly seen to advertise towards parents playing on maternal and paternal love. This advert highlights the fact that the world is being endangered due to the out of date pollutant petrol engines but Honda has found alternatives and use their technology to help reduce the effects of carbon monoxide and help the planet. The age range that this advert is targeted towards is at 35 years of age and older. They are targeting this age because children of the 1960s (40 year olds) would have grown up in the psychedelic period so this could hopefully link with joyful memories of that era and make the audience react positivity towards the advert and the products being advertised. The advert features bright and happy colours, logos in addition to symbols that can be linked to the psychedelic era such as the flower power bomb seen in the background just before the birds fly towards one of the few out of date engines; this can also link up with the target audience because those of that era will be reminded of the days of their past and hopefully remind them of positive times. The Ford advert targets a much younger audience aged between 17 and 25 and working class because those within that age range and of working status can be seen within the opening scenes of the advert such as the mechanic or the subjects in the shop and one of these subjects is male with a luxury suit on accompanied with expensive watch on his right wrist and a young female on his left worrying about her nails rather than the drink in front of her. In the Ford advert they use props such as TV’s as the main ‘subjects’ until the car eventually drives out of the stacked TV’s. As the mise-en-scene is quite dark due to the time the advert was filmed at the images being shown on the TV can be seen clearly and they are more appealing towards those in the target audiences age range, but they also ensured they didn’t limit their audience or create a niche audience for their product. For example, they show ‘groovy’ and colourful imagery and those of an older age have matured so their preferences and views towards anything in this genre may have differed but some may enjoy viewing those images because it reminds them of their past more youthful days and hopefully would tie in with good memories. Also there are a wide verity of characters within this advert that the audience can relate to. For example, they show working class people like a mechanic working, another individual doing daily chores such as gardening and some going out for a drink. All these subjects have an effect on who the advert is targeting and this advert encourages the target audience to aspire to be like those in the advert whereas in the Honda advertisement the advert persuades you to help create a better world for yourself as well as others by showing the audience the effect that the old petrol engine had on the world compared to the new one diesel engines for example during the advert nature gangs up on the out of date machines trying to destroy as many as they can before they do damage to their homes but when the new diesel powered engine floats past the same area the old petrol engines tried to explore it was welcomed and greeted with birds following and fireworks going off in excitement. Both of these adverts are very effective at selling or attracting attention towards the product and why there is a need for some concern and both of these adverts also use sound effectively but in different ways. The Honda advert emphasizes how clean their new diesel engines are compared to the old petrol versions and those sounds will have an impact on the audience viewing. The audience would know the difference by the sounds; the old engine is loud and the sounds used make it seem as if the engine is out of date and thus needs replacing with the alternative seen in the advert; the audience can recognize the new efficient engine with silence and this sound implies that nothing is coming out of the machine such as carbon monoxide; this helps the world and the population by not polluting the air we need to survive. When the old engines are gathered together the noise of the engines amplifies enough that the audience notices there is a difference in sound. This is a visually representation and a warning to the public that their out of date cars may not have a drastic effect by themselves but several engines have a significant impact on world. The cartoon rabbits put on and wearing road workers headgear to limit the amount of sound that gets through to their ears, is a visual representation of the sound and quite a dynamic image. The Ford advert also uses sound efficiently. The sound is non-diegetic, in the form of music, which makes a bold statement, the product doesn’t need to create noise and sounds to draw attention, and it can draw attention whilst being silent. This will create enigma and interest for the audience as the silence of the ford vehicle and the new diesel engines suggests a breakthrough in technology. |