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Media Studies Revision: Print-Based Advertising

Analysing Advertising

Advertising tends to follow a basic format – a slogan or a striking image catches our attention, the body of the ad contains more factual information about the product, and a pack shot or logo reinforces the brand identity. The combination of these elements, even though we may only look at them for an average time of 1.5 seconds, leaves us with an impression of the values that are attached to that brand, and a sense of who the target audience for the product is (male? female? pensioner? teenager?).


When first analysing an ad you need to decide:
  • WHO the ad is aimed at – describe them demographically and psychographically
  • WHAT is being advertised and WHAT is specifically highlighted about the product in the ad

  • WHY this helps to sell the product
    WHERE/WHEN the ad might appear to reach its target audience
    •

Appeals

You need to decide what techniques are being used to communicate with the audience. Advertisers use lines of appeal. They use these images or references of them to tap into our desires and fears:
  • Happy families – everyone wants to belong
  • Rich, luxurious lifestyles

  • Dreams and fantasies

  • Successful romance and love

  • Elite people or expert
    • s
  • Glamorous places

  • Successful careers

  • Art, culture & history

  • Nature and Natural worl
    • d
  • Beautiful women – Men AND Women like looking at beautiful women, so the thinking goes: men admire women, women admire what makes the men admire them

  • Self-importance and pride

  • Comedy and humour

  • Childhood – can appeal to nostalgia or to nurturing instincts.
These lines of appeal are effective because they deal with our social needs.

Children are considered a special target group when it comes to advertising, and strategies are used to especially target them.

When analysing an ad, you need to look at what kind of appeal is being made. Of ten advertisers create need – in order to sell a product, the manufacturer has to make us believe that we need it.


Language of Advertising

The purpose of advertising language is to persuade. Whereas the slogan and image can be humorous or attention grabbing, the body copy is always to extol the benefits of a product and thus persuade the audience to buy buy buy buy! The most persuasive words in advertising are:
  Suddenly Miracle Now Magic  
  Announcing Offer Introducing Quick  
  Improvement Easy Amazing Wanted  
  Sensational Challenge Remarkable Compare  
  Revolutionary Bargain Startling Hurry  


These words act as triggers to interest audiences in a product. They are also over-used and may be counted as clichés. Advertising makes use of a direct mode of address and short, active words.

When analysing an ad, you have to identify key persuasive words and consider their effect on the audience. Be critical: are the advertisers taking a tried and tested approach or are they being original? Does the approach work?


Images in Advertising

Understanding the image is a key to understanding the message of the ad, which may work on many different levels. You must consider the:

- Denotations
  • What is it of? How many images are there? Is there a main image plus a pack shot? Is it a literal representation of the product or is it a metaphor?
  • How is the image positioned – i.e. what is the camera angle and where does it place the reader? Is it neutral (an eye level shot) or is the subject given authority over the audience through a low angle shot?

  • What kind of image is it – high quality, full colour, lovingly enhanced, fuzzy black and white?

  • Non-verbal communication – what is being said without any words by the body language of the model?
-Connotations
  • Content signs – what information is imparted by the mise-en-scène? The costume and accessories of the model? The setting? What do we infer from these signs?
  • Intertextuality – does the ad refer to any other media text? Is it a parody? (Does it have characters from a film or novel?)

  • Combinations of signs – what does the image as a whole say?
Stereotypes

Ad campaigns often use stereotypes. Stereotypes are a shorthand way of communicating a set of meanings. Sometimes the stereotype is deliberately set up and then challenged, to comic effect. However, given that a considerable proportion of our self-identity comes from these images and messages from advertising that surrounds us, stereotyping in advertising is seen as potentially harmful.

Gender stereotyping is most common. Men are shown as primarily functional, associated with heavy machinery, business decisions, wearing executive suits and watches, and being taller than women etc. Women are decorative, associated with kitchen equipment and domestic financial decisions, often shown lying down on beds and floors.
Race is also the source of stereotyping in many ads.

You must be ready to spot any sort of stereotyping in any advertisement. Why was that stereotype used? Is it likely to cause offence? Does it distort the intended message of the ad?
 
 
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