ADVERTISING C1A

 1/12/23

Advertising & Marketing

Advertising

L/O: To explore the aims and conventions of print advertising.

What is the main aim of advertising? 

• To bring attention to a product, service, or issue.

Advertising is a global industry which provides a major source of income to other media industries.

We encounter it in many different forms at all times of the day. Advertising campaigns often utilise a mixture of media forms - print, TV, radio and digital.

Aims of Advertising

All adverts aim to communicate a clear message about the product, service or issue.

Depending on the type of campaign, it might also:

• Raise awareness - e.g. charity adverts or health awareness

• Inform or educate - e.g. government adverts, to inform about COVID

• Persuade audiences - e.g. a food/drink advert

• Create a unique selling point - e.g. a shampoo that is specialised for dandruff

Types of Advertising

Advertising can be split broadly into two types: commercial and non commercial.

Commercial

• To make money by promoting consumer goods or services.
• Generally focuses on persuading audiences to purchase goods.
• Aims to communicate a message about a brand.
• If it is an established brand, it aims to reinforce existing brand images to encourage brand loyalty.
• Creates a sense of need or desire and a sense of aspiration.

Non-Commercial

• Includes public information drives.
• Some simply aim to inform about an issue, but many also aim to persuade the audience to donate money or time to charity.
• Often uses shock tactics or direct appeals.
• Some use different techniques to defy expectations.
• Seek to represent true aspects of reality rather than an aspirational world.

6/12/23

Advertising & Marketing

L/O: To explore the codes and conventions of print advertising.

Codes & Conventions - The expected elements that will be included in products in particular media forms and genres. 

COMMERCIAL: 

The main aim of the advert is to get people to buy KFC, due to the star vehicle being Ronaldo. 

Codes & Conventions: direct address of Ronaldo and his facial expression being happy, showing that he likes to eat KFC, encouraging fans of him to buy it. They've used language codes in "so good" to emphasise how it tastes, and the colour palette of the "so" being red also furthers this. Visual code of location is being used as Ronaldo is standing on a football pitch. 

NON COMMERCIAL:

 The language used of "we" encourages the target audience to join the cause. Visual codes are used as it portrays women who contribute as strong. Colour palette is eye-catching in order to get people's attention. 

Hard sell

Codes & Conventions of Print Advertising

Codes and conventions vary on the genre and purpose of the advert.

The product is likely to include: 

• Name of logo/product
• Logo
• Slogan
• Specific details of USP/product or service
• Hard sell or soft sell

Hard sell - straight to the point advertising, "BUY IT NOW" etc.

Soft sell - lifestyle, emotive 

Advertising Language

Makes use of:

• Facts & Information
• Persuasive language (hyperbole especially)
• Imperatives / command words
• Emotive language
• Wordplay and puns

1. Imperatives, repetition

2.Alliteration/persuasive language

3.Word play

Intertextuality

Modern adverts often make references to other media products, perhaps from other media forms or genres, that audiences can identify.

This helps communicate a message quickly and memorably.

8/12/23

Historical Advertisements

L/O: To explore historical adverts and their codes & conventions.

Historical Adverts

Many early 20th century adverts were found in newspapers.

They were small and emphasis was on the text with only simple line illustrations.

They were often in black and white or with just one added colour, due to the fact that colour was very expensive. The photos were often hand-drawn as it was also expensive and took less effort. 

Coca Cola Advert

Logo and slogan:

• Prominent placement of the bright-red Coca Cola logo to stand out
• Image of the product - stereotypical convention for adverts
• Slogan is also the prominent red colour to match the logo

Images:

• Woman is the focal point of the advert.
• Links between images of tennis players

Narrative:

• The narrative is of a woman playing tennis, and going to have a 'coke', and feeling very refreshed.

Colour palette:

• The fact that everything else is lightly coloured draws attention to the logo and slogan.
• The fact that it is in colour portrays how Coca Cola is a rich, successful company.

Language codes:

• Imperatives used: 'Drink coca cola'
• Emotive language - "pure and wholesome, delicious and refreshing"
• Inclusive - "refreshment for everybody"
• "YOU" - Direct address
• Brand values are portrayed through "fun, friends & good times" 

Stereotypical representation of women - she is conventionally attractive: thin, flawless, hair done etc.

Traditional gender roles due to it being set in the 50s - the man is grabbed onto the woman's arm, leading her. 

13/12/23

Historical Advert Set Text

L/O: To explore the context and content of the historical set text.

Do Now

Constructed representations of gender -

• Stereotypical dominant male in the narrative possibly due to the fact it is set in the 1950s as he is in front of the woman in the image and she is gazing at him in adoration almost.
• When describing the woman's car preference, it opts to traditional feminine ideas such as having a family/ only caring about family and being safe and comfortable but also quite stylish, whereas the male choice is better performance and how fast it is, also the price as they would be seen to be the providers of the family who would buy the car.
• Brand values are that it is fit for anyone, and is inclusive for males and females; they stand for quality products that are affordable for everybody.
• Social context - back then the man would be at work and the woman would be a housewife
• Black and white because it would be seen in a newspaper 

   Quality Street Set Text

• Quality Street sweet tins were made by Mackintosh.
• In the 1930s, only the wealthy could afford chocolate boxes but the creator Harold Mackintosh aimed to sell them at a more reasonable price to appeal to working class.
• By the 1930s, when this campaign started, society was in a post-rationing period where luxuries were once again becoming an acceptable part of grocery shopping.
• The characters in the gold frame, Miss Sweetly and Major Quality, are part of the brand identity of the product since 1936.

Contexts

Historical

• The icons of the Quality Street brand were characters from the Regency Era of British history - a period of elegance.
• The Regency Era could also be compared to the 1950s for its significant social and cultural development. Between 1811 and 1837 there were many developments of technology such as the steam-powered train or printing press. There was also a population boom, similar to the 1950s as they needed to repopulate England after WW1.

Social & Cultural

• The 1950s saw a change in "high culture", a time where fine art, decadence and theatre that had previously only been accessed by the upper classes and those with money were now going to be made more affordable to the mass audience.
• The post-war culture of strict rationing and state control was coming to an end and the new government set to increase individual freedom.
• Items that had only been seen from a distance during war time Britain started to become more widely available and the country was entering a period of increased affluence, with many of the old social and cultural structures were starting to be challenged.
• The Conservative Part's 1951 election campaign was spearheaded by the slogan "Set the people free", and this supported drastic change as entertainment and arts became more accessible and affordable.

Media Language

• Serif typography - reflects the fact it is an older advert and is a more traditional font- could possibly connote to more elegance.
• Sans serif 18 and logo - seen as a modern font style - new concept of that it's available to everybody
• "Delicious dilemma" - alliteration - the use of the noun "dilemma" implies that their biggest worry is what chocolate to eat,  connotes to being upper class with more money - but also that he cant decide which woman he wants as they are dressed as the sweets
• Image takes priority, then beneath is the information - anti-stereotypical for an advert of its time as the text would usually take up more
• Logo is purple + the number 18 - connotes to royalty/luxury/power - theyre being represented as luxury but also affordable - also links to the brand identity as the tin is purple
• Image suggests that the sweets are really good due to the fact everyone is looking at them.
• The women are dressed in the same colours as the sweets -
• Anchorage of the gold frame - the logo of QS at the time was the gold frame with the two people inside - connotations of a halo effect around the man and the product which could imply he is a good man
• Typical triangular geometric composition of the poster to help secondary anchorage of the product.
• Product takes central framing
• Typography is strong, framing the bottom third of the poster, and the strong purple colour stands out to draw the consumers' eyes to the name.
• Hand drawn, artistic nature of the design, with a rich colour palette of primary and secondary colours, links to the post-war consumerist culture.
• Alliteration, emotive language, and superlatives are all persuasive language techniques
• Connotations of the female characters being dressed similarly to the sweets that are shown close-up on the bottom third of the poster.
• Inference of a dilemma can be investigated at two levels:

-Male 'hero' choosing between two 'damsels in distress' (Propp's Theory)

-Which chocolate to choose

• Costume and dress of male character indicating the formal nature of his dilemma; connotations of a higher class and richer society.
• Patriarchal narrative, which is part of a range of similar adverts at the time.

10/1/23

Historical Advert Set Text

L/O: to explore the context & representations in the historical set text.

Do Now

1. The three people in the image look like upper class citizens.

2. The lifestyle that they lead is rich, wealthy lifestyle, with luxuries and time to enjoy things.

3. Quality Street is trying to portray their product as luxurious.

Advert 1

• Enforces the stereotype of women being the household slave, by saying that she would be happy with a cleaning item as a gift.
• Aimed at men/husbands 

Advert 2

• "The chef does everything but cook, that's what the wives are for!" 
• Wife is behind the man, suggesting that women are always behind men in life

Advert 3

• Traditional gender roles - man is waiting , doing nothing, whereas the wife and girl are busy and serving the men.

Advert 4

• "Keep her where she belongs" - the woman is nude and on the floor, next to a man's shoe, implying that women should be kept at men's feet/ call, and women's place in society is below men and at their feet.
• The woman is nameless, showing that she is of little importance as a person, but her body is objectified - male gaze theory

Advert 5

• Traditional gender roles - the woman is below the man, handing him breakfast in bed, almost bowing down to him. 
• "Show her it's a man's world" 

Advert 6 

• The man is dressed in a suit and tie, whereas the woman is dressed in clothing that suggests she is at home - traditional gender roles
• Implies the woman is the cook 

Gender roles in the 1950s were very patriarchal, with the male dominating the relationship with the power, and the women being lesser than them and being encouraged to be very feminine and act as housemaids and mothers, cooking and cleaning up after their husbands. The women are usually seen in dresses and traditionally feminine attire, looking as though they stay at home all day, whereas the men are seen in suits and ties, as if they go to work and have serious jobs. 

• The gender roles of the 50s are seen in the Quality Street advert as the two women are being objectified, reduced to being like choosing between which sweets to eat. 
• Also, the women are wearing stereotypically feminine home outfits, and the man is wearing a suit, portraying the traditional gender roles in society. 
• Shown as the man's choice, his power over the women.
• The man is centrally framed in the advert, alluding to the fact that he is the most powerful and important. 

Male Gaze Theory

The male gaze is the way in which the visual arts and literature depict the world and women from a masculine point of view, presenting women as objects for male pleasure.

The phrase 'male gaze' was coined by feminist film critic Laura Mulvey in 1975.

There is evidence of the male gaze theory in the Quality Street advert due to the fact the man is seen to be in control of the situation, and it objectifies the women. 

• The man is framed in the centre of the advert, controlling the situation.

Effect: reinforces the traditional gender role of men in the 1950s, as they were seen as the most powerful and important over women.

• The man is looking down at his lap where the product, he is holding is purposefully placed. This is a 'phallic' (relating/connoting to the male genital) symbol.

Effect: connotes to male superiority, represents men

• The man's costume is a suit which has connotations of the modern businessman.

Effect: shows the man to be the one who has a job and is the breadwinner, also is the traditional role of a man. Also connotes to wealth and status, which is a stereotypically male idea.

• The women in the advert are both kissing the man as they reach towards the chocolate in his lap.

Effect: gives the impression that the women do not mind that they are both kissing the same man, objectifying them as something as little as sweets due to their outfits to choose from.

12/1/24

Historical Advert Set Text

L/O: To explore the possible exam style questions for advertising.

Do Now

1. The man is dominant in the advert:

 2. He is in the centre of the image, the fact that the product is purposefully placed in his lap,  and he is in control of the situation.

Representations: Class

Gender roles in the 1950s were remarkably different to the present day and it is important to consider the advertisement in this context.

The product itself was designed and planned for working families and the imagery is very aspirational of a higher class which links to the post-war era in Britain. Much of the branding indicates that the product was symbolic of elegance and aspiration.

The two female characters appear to be of a lower class than the man in the suit, and the man in the suit is of a lower class than the two characters in the gold frame. The item that brings al these classes together is the product in the centre of the image.

Media Language

• Connotation
• Denotation
• Representation
• Mise-en-scene
• Camera shots/angles
• Style of writing
• Non-verbal codes -- Mise-en-scene
• Written codes -- anything written
• Gesture codes -- body language
• Symbolic codes -- a colour that symbolises anything else
• Narrative -- the story
• Colour palette -- colours used

In the Quality Street advert, men are represented stereotypically for the 1950s. This can be seen in the fact that the man is positioned in the centre of the image, suggesting that he is the most important, the dominant gender, and in control of the situation. This is stereotypical for a 1950s advert, as back then there was a patriarchal society in which men were dominant over women. Furthermore, the male is dressed in formal attire: a suit and tie, reinforcing the stereotype of the time that men were business-oriented and of high status, but could also symbolise class and wealth. The fact that the product is sitting in his lap connotes to the term of a "phallic symbol", as it presents him as dominant and masculine. 

In the Quality Street advert, women are represented stereotypically for the 1950s. This can be inferred through the use of colour palette, as the two women in the photo resemble the two products - sweets - that the man is choosing between, ultimately objectifying them. This is stereotypical for a 1950s advert due to the fact that women were often objectified in the media for the 'male gaze' (a theory that suggests that women are depicted in a masculine point of view, presenting women as objects for male pleasure ). Moreover, the attire of the two women submit to the gender ideologies of the time: women were encouraged to be stay at home mothers and live their lives as household slaves. 

Homework

Explore how the advertisement for Quality Street uses the following elements of media language to communicate meanings: Images, language, and layout/design. 

In the Quality Street advert, images are used to communicate multiple meanings. The attire that the two women are dressed in directly reflect the colour palettes of two of the Quality Street confectionaries, which could imply that the two women are similar to something as small as a sweet, objectifying them. The fact that they are being objectified is typical for the 1950s due to the fact that women were often treated as if they had no feelings, opinions or rights of their own. Another interpretation of the fact that the two women are personified as sweets is that they are solely there for the man to choose from them, as if the choice was comparable to choosing between two confections. The way in which the man is dressed in the advert - a suit and tie - connotes to wealth and status, which is stereotypical for a man in the 1950s as society was patriarchal and men were seen to be business-oriented and successful. As the product is sitting in the man's lap, this could be seen as a phallic symbol, connoting to male's power and dominance over females, and also the fact that he is centred in the image. The gesture codes of the two women - the fact that they are both kissing the same man - elucidates that they do not care that they are with the same man, which could reflect the 'male gaze theory', as they are being made to seem as though they are only there as objects for a man's pleasure.

In the Quality Street advert, language is used to communicate multiple meanings. The phrase "What a delicious dilemma!" emphasises the link to the narrative of the image: the dilemma is the choice between two women / sweets, but also connotes to the fact that the man's biggest problem is what chocolate to eat, connoting to his wealth and higher class. The confections are described as "delightfully different", utilising the persuasive technique of alliteration and emotive language to allude to the fact that the sweets are luxury and different to any other sweets you could buy, and to draw in the customers. 

In the Quality Street advert, layout and design are used to communicate multiple meanings. The way in which the typography is a serif font on the more minor texts that frame the bottom third connote to elegance and reflects the age of the advert as it is more traditional, but the fact that the Quality Street logo is in sans serif font contrasts to this and gives the impression that they are modern; a new concept of these sweets being available for everybody. Another component of the advertisement is the colour palette of the "18" and "Quality Street", as they are both purple, which connotes to themes of luxury, with still being affordable, and the purple also mirrors their brand identity, as the tin is the same colour, standing out from the rest of the advert in order to draw in the customer's attention. The "18" being highlighted also emphasises their wide range of exotic flavours for such a small price. 

17/1/24

Analysing Adverts

L/O To build the skills needed to analyse and evaluate adverts.

Do Now

Denotations are the literal meaning of something, but a connotation is an interpretation or other meaning that can be deduced from it.

Advert 1

Connotations: 

• High protection connotations due to the imagery of the guards
• British - specific to the UK 
• High quality / luxury - guarded like royals
• Neon colouring connotes to technology / futuristic

Advert 2

Connotations:

• Connotations of a woman talking to a man
• Big Mac is on a bed - sexual
• The bed is velvet / silk - wealth, luxury
• The colour red connotes to romance / passion / luxury
• Logo has connotations of McDonald's
• "Stop staring at me like I'm some piece of meat" - suggests desire

Advert 3

Connotations:

• Connotes to speed - sports car
• All the cars have the number 1 to imply that they are the best
• Connotations of history, age, progression 
  

Advert 4

Connotations:

• Strong - the Hulk
• Versatile - fits for any situation - "Flexible fabric"
• Bandaid stands out against the green skin 
• Green skin connotes to the Hulk

Positive - inquisitive, interested, curious

Negative - retarded, crippled, nosy

19/1/24

Persuasive Techniques

L/O: to build the skills needed to analyse and evaluate adverts.

• Rhetorical question - a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer, e.g What's the point of having a time machine if you don't get to meet your heroes?'
• Repetition - the action of repeating something that has already been said or written, e.g time after time 
• Alliteration - the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words - The Tidy Tiger Tidies 
• Emotive language -  language that is used to evoke an emotional response from the reader e.g furious
• Opinion as fact - an opinion that is said as if it is a fact, e.g Iphones are better than Android
• Celebrity endorsement - When a company uses a celebrity in order to boost their products' popularity, e.g Taylor Swift on diet coke.
• Hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally, e.g "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse"
• Facts & statistics - a thing that is known or proved to be true, e.g "Kills 99.9% of bacteria"
• Direct address - a construction in which a speaker or writer communicates a message directly to another individual or group of individuals e.g "you"
• Imperatives - A verb or phrase that suggests you must do it, e.g "Speak now"

• "Surprising and juicy", "Deliciously orange", "Tantalising your imagination" - emotive language, used to get the person to want to have some fanta
• "Pop in your mouth", "We would like you to try" "Down your spine" - direct address, makes the ad specific to whoever is reading it
• "Are you still with us?" - direct address + rhetorical question
• "Right now!" - imperative, commands the reader to buy some

Weasel words are ambiguous words that are used to "weasel" out of something. These words are like "probably", "may", "often", and "somewhat". These words enable advertisers to make claims without really promising anything. 

Kid's bike - your kids may never fall off!

24/1/24

Contemporary Adverts

L/O: To understand the techniques used in contemporary adverts

Do Now

Male stereotypes:

• Dominant
• Strong
• Respected
• Athletic
• Intelligent

Female stereotypes:

• Feminine
• Graceful
• Sensitive 
• Submissive
• Creative

FIAT 500 adverts:

• Brand identity - light-hearted, bubbly, vibrant, inclusive, modern
• "Sandra P." - intertextuality - like a popstar's name - Jessie J etc
• Adverts are made to look like they came out of a fashion magazine - Intertextual reference - implies the target audience are fashionable
• The woman on the car could also have an intertextual reference of the 90s / men's calendars
• The two adverts conform to gender stereotypes as the woman is seen to be into fashion and the man is into sport, feminine colours and masculine colours
• Media language: colour palette indicates that they are a flamboyant company, bubbly typography suggests that they are unserious

Homework

This Girl Can:

• The movement was created by Sport England, and funded by the National Lottery.
• Its' target audience is all women and girls, regardless of shape, size and ability.
• Launched in January 2015.
• Its aim was to encourage women and girls to get moving and active in ways that suit them.

26/1/24

Creating adverts

L/O: To use our understanding of advert conventions to create advertisements.

Do Now

Contemporary adverts usually include:

• Product
• Brand identity - logo and slogan
• Main image
• Intertextual references
• Persuasive text

Rhetorical question ex:

Celebrity endorsement ex:

Emotive language ex:

Conforms to stereotypes: 

Subverts stereotypes:

Raining outside? Sounds like you need the BrollyHat. 

Raw bandages for raw knees.

Will probably prevent your chicken from crossing the road. 

Al Mcwhiggin

31/1/24

Women in Advertising

L/O: To evaluate how women are represented in a variety of adverts, so that we can apply this to the set text for the exam.

Based on the survey of class:

More girls are self-conscious than boys when it comes to trying new things/sports.

Everybody, regardless of gender, enjoys doing sports, based on slides 2+3.

More boys than girls prefer to watch sport.

This Girl Can campaign

• This Girl Can is a national campaign launched in 2016.
• It was developed by Sport England and funded by the national lottery, meaning there is no commercial aspect - there was no intention of making any money.
• Target audience is women of any age, shape and ethnicity.
• The purpose of the campaign was to break down the primary barrier holding women back from sport - the fear of judgement.
• Before the campaign, research showed that there was a massive gender gap between men and women participating in sport, with 2 million fewer 14-40 year old women than men partaking in regular sporting activity.
• 13 million women said that they would like to participate more, and just over 6 million of these were not active at all.
• However, as a result of the campaign, 1.6 million women have started exercising and the number of women playing sport and being active is increasing faster than men.
• Additionally, soon after the launch of 'this girl can', Nike released a more motivational campaign called "BETTER FOR IT".
• The print adverts by This Girl Can shows to women and society that they don't have to be bound by their stereotypes.

MANTRA: "I swim because I love my body. Not because I hate it."

I've chosen this advert because it shows to women that exercising is not solely to change your body or to look a certain way, but to strengthen it and be more healthy and happy.

MANTRA: "Under these gloves is a beautiful manicure."

I've also chosen this advert as it challenges the stereotype that women can't do boxing because it isn't a "girly" sport, and that doing boxing doesn't lower your femininity or how much of a "woman" you are. 

Advert 1 - Nike Advert

• "You have to get good before you are good." - Shows the target audience (women) that you don't start out as the best, you have to work for it.
• Represents women as strong, fit and determined - her muscle definition
• The girl in the photo is shown to be hard-working, and physically fit, showing that she's already worked hard to "get good".
• Blue and pink text reflects the stereotypes of men and women

Advert 2 

• "Move more. Move better." - a journey to get better
• Woman in the photo is shown as dynamically strong.
• She is at the end of her "journey" to be better at her sport.

Advert 3 - Adidas

• The woman in the advert is a professional track runner, the top of her sport.
• "Take the crown" - royalty, the best
• Not your every day woman

The main difference between the "This Girl Can" poster and the Nike and Adidas posters is the type of women they display. In the TGC print, it portrays a woman who is physically normal, and is enjoying her sport, whereas in the Nike and Adidas posters it shows women who are at the top of their sport and are physically very fit and muscular. I think that the TGC campaign shows women in this way is to encourage women who are scared to start a new sport due to the stereotypes around them and the fear of being judged to try it out, not to be the top of the sport, but to just enjoy moving. Another difference is the type of texts they use, the Adidas poster uses the phrase "Take the crown", implying that the woman in the poster is almost the royalty of her sport, whereas TGC's text is "Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox.", alluding to the fact that the woman in the photo is feeling great about herself even though she isn't the top or the best of her sport; to send the message to society that you do not have to be the best at something to enjoy it. 

2/2/24

Advertising Set Text #2

L/O: to analyse the construction of the This Girl Can set text.

Do Now

• This video targets a wider audience than just a TGC poster as it portrays many different types of women in a short time period, so is aimed at a larger range of women. 
• It includes a variety different sports too

Sweat - working hard, smelly, exercise 

Pig - fat, messy, ugly

Fox - physically / sexually attractive, clever

Lexis

• "Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox" - 
• One is negative and the second flips the negativity on its head and makes it a positive - encourages women to be more athletic and break the stereotype that women don't do sport or get sweaty etc - links to the name of the campaign of "This Girl Can", saying that they can actually do what people believe they can't.

Typography

• Typography is a serif font which is more feminine, due to the fact it is directed at women.
• The font style used in the logo is still quite feminine as it is a finer sans serif font than say a blocky one, and it most likely sans serif as it's easier to read as a logo.

Main Image

• Not a celebrity and just a regular woman to show a real female instead of a glamorous  model / celebrity and that normal everyday women are more than able to do sport - appeals to women/target audience on a more personal level
• The scruffy/messy ponytail she is wearing and the fact she is sweaty implies she has been working very hard and that real women don't always look amazing or flawless while doing sport, and she doesn't and shouldn't care what she looks like 
• The clashing colours of her outfit also shows that she is just a normal woman, and isn't styled or anything as a model would be, stands out on an advert, she doesn't care what other people think - anyone can do it no matter your age, size, ethnicity, class etc
• Other women similar to her are in the background, giving the wider picture that all women can do this and can all enjoy sport without being judged
• The fact that her eyes are closed with a slight smile shows that she is enjoying the sport, not just smiling for a photo - encourages women to exercise by showing it is enjoyable and has good outcomes
• The active position shows that she is actually doing the sport - helps to encourage women to be active too by showing it 
• The centred mid shot emphasises her body and that she is a regular woman, shows that she is not a professional athlete or dancer - makes her more relatable to the target audience which is all women, portraying that anyone can do it

Additional Media Language

• #Thisgirlcan - hashtag connects the audience to social media - connects women with other like-minded individuals and creates a sense of social cohesion, thereby further reinforcing the message and encouragement among audience members. It also links to the main youtube advert.
• Producer loop - these logos are smaller and more tucked away as not to distract from the advert.

Similarities and Differences

Differences

• The TGC advert is a photo, whereas the QS one is a drawing - reflects the difference between the time periods they were made in, modern vs old
• The QS advert is commercial and aims to make money whereas the TGC advert is a non-commercial advert - they both have differing purposes, one is a campaign to help people and one is an ad that is trying to get you to buy something.
• The QS advert is objectifying women and playing into stereotypes, but the TGC advert is empowering women and encouraging them to break stereotypes.
• The women in the QS advert are passive, not doing anything, but the woman in the TGC advert is being active and taking charge

Similarities

• They both have their main image at the centre of the advert to draw the audience's attention
• They both include bright colour palettes 
• They both have serif main font and sans serif logo fonts.

7/2/24

Representation and Theory

L/O: To explore the representations in the set text and apply relevant theory.

Do Now

The purpose of the TGC campaign is to encourage women and girls of all abilities to play sport and exercise.

Dominant ideology: the attitudes, beliefs, values and morals shared by the majority of people in a given society.

• Stereotypically, women have been seen as the 'weaker' sex, and often less successful in sport. 
• An example of this stereotype being challenged is how women have been given their own football league etc.

Challenging Stereotypes

1. Her facial expression creates a positive feeling about sport for the female audience as she is smiling with her eyes closed, implying that she is immersed in the dancing and is feeling good while doing it.

2. The advert seeks to encourage women to see themselves in the woman in the advert because she is just a regular person, not a celebrity or a model, making her more relatable to the audience. 

3. I don't really think the campaign name excludes or alienates anyone as the term "girl" applies to the women audience/the target audience.

Although there are no men in the advert, I don't believe that it applies to the "male gaze theory" as the target audience is women, but also that she isn't there to be looked at by men but to encourage women to get into sport and not care about what others think of it.

Propp's Theory

The hero: Katniss Everdeen, Percy Jackson, Luke Skywalker

The villain: Lord Business, Darth Vader, President Snow

Donor: Cinna, Willy Wonka's mum, Yoda

Hero - the main man 

Princess - the two women kissing the main man

The donor/helpers -  Miss Sweetly and Major Quality

I would say that the woman in the TGC advert is the hero because she is the main focus and is the sort of 'protagonist' of it. 

In the "This Girl Can" advertisement, women have been represented as empowering due to multiple factors suggesting that they are challenging negative stereotypes about them.

In the TGC advert, women are represented as empowering through the main text: "Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox.". The first phrase is negative, but then the second is positive, flipping the negativity on its head and making it a positive - this encourages women to be more athletic and break the stereotype that women don't do sport or get sweaty, linking to the name of the campaign of "This Girl Can", saying that they can actually do what people believe they can't. The noun "pig" and "fox" are two pieces of lexis with very contrasting connotations: a "pig" is messy and ugly, but when being described as a "fox" it is seen as sexy and intelligent. 

9/2/24

C1 Section A PPE

L/O: To practise how to answer exam style questions effectively.

Do Now

Empowering, relatable, careless 

Question 1: This Girl Can

Explore how the print advertisement for This Girl Can uses media language to create meanings.

a)   Text / written language    (5)

The "This Girl Can" advertisement uses lexis to create multiple meanings. One example of this is the main cover phrase: "Sweating like a pig, feeling like a fox.". The nouns "pig" and "fox" used in the print advert have two contrasting connotations, as being described as a "pig' would give the impression of being disorganised and ugly, negative traits, whereas being described as a "fox" would allude to the meaning of being quite intelligent or even sexy. The use of the two juxtaposing similes is utilised in order to communicate the purpose of the advert: to encourage women to exercise, and not think of what other people think of them.  Another way in which the advert utilises lexis to create meanings is through the name of the campaign, "This Girl Can". The phrase gives connotations of empowerment, as it is already showing that they are challenging dominant ideologies with the campaign: the fact that many believe the negative stereotypes that women are weaker than men and do not participate in sport: but "this girl can". This is used to motivate This Girl Can's target audience (women) to do what people say they can't, to go out and exercise and enjoy yourself, no matter what anyone else says.  A different way in which the lexis of the title ("This girl can") is used is through the hashtag - #thisgirlcan, which is utilised in order to connect many like-minded women around the world on social media who want to do sport, ultimately supporting them in the process, which creates a sense of community within the target audience. 

b)  Visual codes (for example: images, lighting, dress, typography)    (10)

The "This Girl Can" campaign aims to encourage women of all abilities, ethnicities, ages and sizes to do sport and exercise, and to challenge stereotypes made against them.

The "This Girl Can" advertisement uses mise-en-scene to create multiple meanings. One example of this is the fact that the cover woman is smiling while doing her sport (dancing) and her eyes are closed, alluding to the impression that she is fully immersed in the movement and is happy while doing it; she is really enjoying herself, and is in the moment. Another interpretation of this is that it could show that she doesn't care what other people think of her, going against stereotypes that women are always self-conscious and challenges the stereotypical beliefs that women aren't athletic or do sport, which furthermore goes against the 'male gaze' theory, as she is dressing, doing sport and being herself, and is not being objectified for the purpose of a man's pleasure. This also reflects the purpose of the TGC (This Girl Can) campaign, to challenge these conventional stereotypes within advertising  that women are lesser than men and shouldn't do sport or anything that is a "man's" area. 

Furthermore, another method in which the advert utilises visual codes, in this case the imagery/dress, is through the fact that the cover lady is just a regular person, not a model or celebrity, which makes her more relatable to the target audience; she is wearing attire that seems as though she hasn't been styled as they are of clashing colour palettes, and her hair is tied back messily. The fact her hair is disordered and she is sweating shows that she is working extremely hard, and indicates that women don't always look flawless while doing sport and definitely don't need to in order to be happy and healthy. This is unconventional for a print advert due to the fact that, stereotypically, models are usually made to look unimpaired and perfect, whereas in the TGC advert she is sweating and messy etc.A reason as to why the producers of TGC have constructed the advert this way is to encourage women to get into sport by portraying people like themselves, who are enjoying sport and not caring what others think about them, and by challenging the dominant ideology surrounding women and exercise such as the belief that women are generally weaker than men in sport.    

Another way in which the advert uses visual codes is through the typography: the font of the main text is serif, portraying the fact that the campaign is aimed at women as serif fonts have connotations of being delicate and feminine. Also, the logo's font is sans serif typography, which is typical for a logo as it is easier for the audience to read, but as the font is thin it also gives quite a feminine look to the campaign's image too. The typography could be being used in this way to appeal to the target audience of women and establish that the advert is aimed at all females, but could also be implying that women can still be delicate and be "womanly" while doing sport; confronting the standardised image of what a woman should be. This links in to what TGC stands for, due to the way that they are trying to incite a change in the ways in which society have forced women to believe that they cannot do exercise if they are a certain size, age, or ability. This is also quite unconventional for a print advert as brands such as Nike or Adidas portray the women in their print adverts as one type of person: athletic, young and thin. 

Moreover, an alternate technique that is used to portray visual codes is through the lighting of the TGC advertisement: the use of pink hues glow against the woman's face, which could highlight her femininity or could be being used to illuminate the fact she is sweating, which I have explained to be shown as that she is working hard. The pink lighting also accentuates the contrast between the colouring of her sports garments, as they are blue   - a stereotypically masculine colour -, breaking down conventional beliefs of what men and women should wear and be, but also challenges other conventional print advert stereotypes such as the way in which women are typically dressed in more feminine colours in advertisement. This mirrors the TGC campaign as it alludes to the fact that women 'can' do what a man can do (exercise + sport) , and shows to the target audience (all women) that they too can.  

 

Miss Mac commented on "ADVERTISING C1A"

18 hours ago

PPE Q1a: 5/5
WWW: Fantastic answer - clearly developed and supported with detailed textual references
EBI - none

PPE Q1b:9/10
WWW: fantastic answer - thorough, developed and clear textual references
EBI: add in whether any of these elements match typical conventions of print adverts

21/2/24

C1 Section A PPE

L/O: To revise how to answer exam style questions effectively.

2.(a).   Explain how political contexts influence magazines. Refer to Pride magazine to support your points.                                                                                                                                                  (5)

23/2/24

Do Now

• Warner Bros
• 20th Century Fox
• Universal pictures
• Disney
• Pixar
• A24
• Blumhouse
• Lucasfilm

Homework 

Explain how historical context has influenced advertising. Refer to the Quality Street advert to support your points. [5]

HINTS:

Historical Context 

• how the product reflects the time in which it was made through its use of media language, genre conventions, representations, themes, values, messages and viewpoints 

• how the product reflects the time in which it was made through aspects of its production, distribution, marketing, regulation, circulation and audience consumption. 

Historical context has influenced advertising in many ways, and this is reflected in the media language used by the QS advert. Firstly, the attire that the two women are dressed in are typical of the fashion trends of the time period, but also directly reflect the colour palettes of two of the Quality Street confectionaries featured in the advert, which could imply that the two women are similar to something as small as a sweet, objectifying them. The fact that they are being objectified is typical for the 1950s due to the fact that women were often treated as if they had no feelings, opinions or rights of their own, and expected to be housewives and care for the children. Another interpretation of the fact that the two women are personified as sweets is that they are solely there for the man to choose from them, as if the choice was comparable to choosing between two confections. The way in which the man is dressed in the advert - a suit and tie - connotes to wealth and status, which is stereotypical for a man in the 1950s as society was patriarchal and men were seen to be business-oriented and successful, and often portrayed in the media as dominative and al-powerful. As the product is sitting in the man's lap, this could be seen as a phallic symbol, connoting to male's power and dominance over females, and also the fact that he is centred in the image connotes his importance over them. The gesture codes of the two women - the fact that they are both kissing the same man - elucidates that they do not care that they are with the same man, which could reflect the 'male gaze theory', as they are being made to seem as though they are only there as objects for a man's pleasure, another typical portrayal of women in the time period. Perhaps the two genders were represented in this rigid stereotypical manner due to the strict social norms of the period, of how women were expected to be silent and submissive, and men the leaders. 

Another way in which the QS advert reflects the time period in which it was made is the way in which it has been illustrated: illustrations rather than photos were used and contain a vibrant colour palette, maybe mirroring the post-war consumerist culture of the 1950s, as rationing was coming to an end, and more of the working class were able to start purchasing more indulgent foods. Furthermore, the purple of the logo represents this luxurious brand as not only high quality, but an affordable price, or this could have been used to link to the brand identity as the tin is also purple. The use of serif typography on the smaller text also perpetuates the time period as it seems more traditional and elegant than sans serif, however the actual logo is sans serif, perhaps alluding to the modernity of the brand as it is allowing the working class to afford high quality products, opening up the market to them in post-war England. 

Homework 

Explain how SOCIAL & CULTURAL context has influenced advertising. Refer to the This Girl Can advert to support your points. [5]

The way in which the TGC (This Girl Can) advert was aimed and executed was highly influenced by the social and cultural context of the time. For example, the whole campaign had been synthesised with the purpose of empowering women, but to also combat the dominant ideology that women are 'weaker' and less able to participate in sport, which widely impacted the female population in the UK. Due to the survey carried out by the charity beforehand connoting this ideology (massive gender gap within sport), TGC then aimed their campaign at any and all women, of all ethnicities, age and weight, as to appeal to the whole population of women in the UK who they found were reluctant to do sport for fear of being judged. The print adverts by This Girl Can shows to women and society that they don't have to be bound by their stereotypes, in contrast to the wide cultural beliefs that women are less capable of success in sport than men. The way in which TGC utilises a hashtag also furthers their sense of community within women's sport, as social media can be a place where a lot of negativity is aimed towards women, so by generating a positive thread for all women to interact online ignites a stronger force for change in society, and challenges stereotypes to encourage all women to participate.