We are exposed to 3000 advertisements per day. An advertisement sells a product, service or message. Companies spend millions on selling their products to us. Advertising is communicated through the mass media. The mass media involves newspapers, TV, the internet, photographs, posters, brochures, flyers and computer games.
Everyone is targeted either directly or indirectly. With the popularity of social networking sites like Facebook, companies have a better understanding of targeting you directly based on the information you have uploaded.
Class Discussion in pairs
1.What advertisement have you just seen or heard?
2. How does the product or service compare to the advertisement?
Report back on partners contribution
Why Advertise?
“Advertising is based on one thing: Happiness.”
Don Draper from the TV series Mad Men
(alternate quote: What you call love was invented by guys like me, to sell nylons. )
Advertising often sells a dream so you will want to make a purchase. Companies spend so much on advertising to influence and persuade us to spend our money to purchase their product, service or message. We are often told how our lives would be different by the advertisement if we just purchased that one particular product.
The 3 Main Parts of an Advertisement
1-Caption or Slogan
2-An illustration to assist the caption
3-The copy
1-Captions and Slogans
A caption is a brief explanation often attached to an illustration, poster or piece of writing. Slogans are a motto or striking phrase to be associated with the advertisement.
The purpose of the caption or slogan is to:
• Promote successful qualities – happiness, freedom, beauty, originality and “coolness”
• Appeal to a reader’s hopes by tempting them with a promise eg you will look younger, more attractive, feel happier etc
• Appeal to a reader’s insecurities eg you won’t be as happy, successful or cool unless you purchase our product.
- Using the language of opinion as fact eg “Whiter than white” “kills 99% of all known germs dead”
Exercise 2: My Favourite Slogan Written Exercise
- What is your favourite slogan?
- Write about the choice of words used. What kind of positive or negative words are used?
- What promise or threat is made?
- Is a celebrity or mascot used in the advert?
- How is it catchy? (Is alliteration, repetition, rhyme, metaphors or similes used?)
- How easy is it to remember?
Exercise 3: Comparison of 2 Advertisements
Look at the two examples below for GoCompare and Compare the Market.
- What product is being advertised?
- Why are both advertisements set in a previous century? (consider stability, reliability, reassurance etc)
- Which advertisement do you prefer? Why? (comment on the use of repetition, humour etc)
- What are the slogans used in both ads?
Go Compare Ad
Compare the Market Ad
2-Illustration
The illustration gives an image about what the product looks like or will do for you. The product may be linked with happy successful people, couples or families. The product may also be linked to an emotional image or story eg babies, love, cute animals etc
Chanel Advertisement
Evian Advertisement
Chanel Advertisement
Evian Advertisement
The 4 parts of an illustration
a)-Lifestyle
b)-Values
c)-Colours
d)-Logos
The 4 main parts of the Illustration
a)-Lifestyle is the type of lifestyle you are being sold. What kind of life are the characters in the advert leading? What kind of dream is being sold? Will buying the product realistically help you achieve the lifestyle from the advert?
b)-Values are what the product promises you will attain if you purchase it. The aim of the adverts is that the consumer will immediately associate the promises which have been made as soon as the product is seen to encourage purchasing.
c)-Colours are used to associate different feelings with the advert. Yellow is associated with happiness, green with nature,red with excitement and danger, purple with luxury and black with danger and sophistication.
d)Logo is the sign which identifies the brand. Examples of famous logos include Addidas, Nike and McDonald’s
Exercise 4 Visual Impact Written Exercise
- Pick an advert from the internet
- What is the scene and what props were used?
- What is being said by the people and their faces?
- What gestures are being shown?
- What kind of lifestyle is being communicated to you?
- What colours are used?
- Is a logo used?
- What values are suggested by the advert?
3- Copy is where claims are usually made about the product. It is the main text in an advert. Sometimes the copy will suggest you will be safer or happier if you use this product. Often facts, opinions and promises are contained within the copy
When looking at the copy as a reader you need to be able to make the distinction between facts and opinions. Advertisers use various methods of persuasion to sell their product or service.
Fact and Opinion
When analysing whether a statement is a fact or opinion, consider:
Who is saying this statement?
Can the product deliver this promise?
What evidence is presented for the statement?
Look at the following claims in the gallery below. Can you tell what is fact and what is opinion?
