Unit 29- Advertisement Production for Television

Task 1: (P1, M1, D1)
Write an analysis for two or three advertisements.
Max Factor Lash Extension Effect Mascara:



This TV advertisement uses several lines of appeal to persuade the primary target audience, women aged 18-25, and the secondary target audience of women aged 25+ to buy the product. Gillian Dyer, author of Advertising as Communication, states that advertisers use references and emotive images to help the advertisement connect with our personal desires. The lines of appeal which are evident in the advert are: luxurious, aspirational lifestyles, elite people and experts, self importance and beautiful men/women. The “aspirational lifestyles” appeal is used to show to women that if they buy the mascara they could be a catwalk model for Max Factor cosmetics as they will be as good looking as the females used in the advert. The “experts” appeal is used simply by stating that make up artists are using the product on professional industry models and the Max Factor slogan “The make up of make up artists” convince the audience that they would be investing in a high quality product because if expert make up artists use the mascara then it is guaranteed to work and also make the audience think ‘if it’s good enough for them then it must be good enough for me’. The “self importance” and “beautiful men/women” lines of appeal are used in the same way by promoting the idea that image is everything. Modern day society is very vain and superficial, for example magazines airbrushing pictures make us crave to be flawless. Using these two lines of appeal make the audience feel that if they buy the mascara they will have perfect eyelashes and by one step closer to achieving their ideal look. By using any lines of appeal advertising can create a sense of need within the purchaser and the advertisers trigger this to make us aware that we ‘need’ to buy the product, in this case Lax Factor Lash Extension Mascara.


In regards to the persuasion factors of the advert, the reward power feature is used as the product states that there will be a positive outcome will follow purchasing the product. In the case of the Max Factor advert it is that the women will have longer, thicker eyelashes which will look false but are actually real. The expert power is used as the mascara has being used by make up artists who are professionals, and finally the referent power is used because if the viewer purchases the product it will make them feel good about themselves and higher their self value. Although the primary target audience for the advert is definitely women aged 18-25, it could be argued that the secondary target audience could be women aged 25+ or alternatively men who may purchase the product for their partner as present.


Extension activity:
Young and Rubicam suggest that consumers can be categorised, as explained in the table below. Which categories do the target audiences for this advert fit into?

In terms of the Max Factor advertisement I think that audience would be classed as aspirers as they are materialistic who are more interested in fashion and beauty rather than intelligence and knowledge.
At the beginning of the advert there is the background noise of behind the scenes at a catwalk show which signifies the message that professional make up artists use the product in real catwalk shows. The music bed at the end of the advert is electro which shows that the technology and the design of the mascara are very up to date and recent. The applause and cheering of the audience is another sound effect which signifies the catwalk theme and this helps reinforce the point that the mascara is of a high quality. The voice over has a steady pitch and tone throughout the advert to keep the pace steady, the voice over has a regional accent so that the viewers are able to understand what the female is saying, however the advert also has received pronunciation to add the touch of glamour which is necessary when advertising a product like make up as it is designed to help define natural beauty.


Extension activity:
What example are there of diegetic and non-diegetic sound?
The opening noise of the hectic backstage atmosphere is diegetic to the model as she would be able to hear the preparation which is going on around her. She would also be able to hear the music and applause from the audience as these sounds are part of the context. However in terms of non-diagetic sound the voice over would fall into this category as the model would not be able to hear it.
Extension activity:
How does the ambience help create the mise-en-scene in the advert?
The ambience makes the advert seem more real due to the genuine sound effects and music beds which are used. By ensuring that the advert sounds as real to life as possible this increases the advertisers’ chances of the public purchasing the mascara.


The cast of the advert are all females; the reason for this is because of the type of product. As the advert is directed mainly at women it is important that the cast mirror the target audience. However I do think that the characters have been stereotyped, the reason for this is because the models are all thin, tall and beautiful and groups them into the typical model stereotype. Although the stereotypes are promoted in an obvious way there are no cast members who are portrayed as heroes, villains or a damsels-in-distress.
The camera shots which are used are mostly close up and mid-shots. The reason for this is because the close up shots, sometimes extreme close up shots, of the models eye shows the audience how the mascara works to its full potential. At the end of the advert the model walks down the runway, to make this part of the advertisement like a real life fashion programme a long shot is used to capture the full body of the female. This shot then transitions into an upwards panning shot as it starts with the feet and then slowly pans up to the models face to fixate upon the eyes as the product is mascara.
Johnson’s Baby Oil:



The lines of appeal in this advert are supported by Advertising as Communication which is written by Gillian Dyer. The first line of appeal which is evident is “happy families” this is because the advert portrays the unique mother-child bond. I think because of this bond the “pride” line of appeal could be supported as parents are naturally proud of their children. The most obvious line of appeal is “childhood” this is due to the context of the advert, also because it can appeal to a parents nurturing instinct.
In terms of persuasion factors the “reward power” is extremely evident as the baby is laughing which signifies happiness; therefore the viewer will feel that the product will guarantee a positive outcome to make their child happy. “Expert power” can be applied because although the actress is not an expert the product brand is seen as an influential brand as they are well known in the baby product niche.
The target audience of the advert would be parents aged 28+ as this is the typical time when a couple would start to make the decision of whether or not to start a family. The secondary target audience may be young parents aged 18+.


Extension activity:
Young and Rubicam suggest that consumers can be categorised, as explained in the table below. Which categories do the target audiences for this advert fit into?

For the Johnson’s Baby Oil advert I think that the target audiences would be categorised under the mainstreamers segment of the table. The reason I think this is because they are parents and would be typically domestic and as their child would be their top priority they would ‘favour value for money family brands’
The sound of the baby giggling at the beginning signifies a happy child which is much more appealing rather than a screaming baby who is unhappy. This persuades the parent that if they purchase Johnson’s Baby Oil then they will have a happy, healthy baby. The music bed of the advert is very upbeat and bouncy which may mirror the pace and beat of a nursery rhyme which is used effectively as it links well to who would use the product. There is a voice over of a young child who is counting to ten which links back to the product mission statement of “locks in ten times more moisture”, the pitch of the voice is high as it sounds like a little girls voice and due tot eh words only been one or two syllables the pace is rather steady. The idea that all factors of the advert such as the music bed, voice over and sound effects all revolve around the baby may promote the suggestion that this mirrors a parents feelings towards her own child as they are the most important thing in their life. The voice over at the end of the advert is a middle aged women saying Johnson’s Baby Oil’s mission statement “locks in up to ten times more moisture” the reason why a woman is used as apposed to a man is because women are stereotypically used in baby adverts as they have a smoother, subtle voice rather than a deep, masculine tone.


Extension activity:
What example are there of diegetic and non-diegetic sound?
The laughing of the child is diegetic sound because it is part of the adverts plot and can be heard by the actress who plays the baby’s mother. The sound of the possible nursery rhyme is most probably non-diegetic sound as it has most likely being added in after the initial filming process. The voice over of the little girl counting to ten is non-diagetic as the only characters in the advert is a mother who doesn’t speak and a baby who cannot speaking, also as the child is obviously young they would not be able to time the numbers they speak appropriately as the child says a number when one of the digitally created bubbles pops.

I do not think that the characters have been stereotyped; however I do think that the character selection process has been stereotyped. The reason for this is because almost every baby advert uses a female voice and/or character due to the typical mother-child bond. Due to the context of the advert there are no characters that have been cast as heroes, villains or a damsels-in-distress and as a result of this Propp’s theory is not evident. Most of the camera shots are close up’s to focus on the child’s happiness and the mother’s pride. However as the baby is laid horizontally on a baby-changing mat a vast amount of mid shots are also used to great effect in the advert.
Gillette Fusion Power:



The Gillette advert uses several different lines of appeal. Famous sport celebrities are used in the advert, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry, who are experts in the sports that they play- this supports the “elite people or experts” appeal. The “successful careers” line of appeal is used in the same way because the men who may be interested in purchasing the product will believe that the product is of a high quality if famous stars are promoting it. Also the “beautiful men/women” line of appeal is used to show how well-groomed the male will be if they buy the product, this will make the male audience admire them.


The most obvious factor of persuasion in the advert is “star power” as celebrities are used in the advert to raise the products status to make it appear better than products similar to it. Another element of persuasion that is evident in the advert is “reward power” as after using the product the buyer will be left looking at their best. It could be argued that the “expert power” factor of persuasion is used as the product is presented by a sports expert. The primary target audience for the advert is men aged 20-40, as they would be the group of people who would be most likely to purchase the product. The secondary target audience are men aged 40+ as they may prefer a cheaper product and they may not be won over by the “star power” of the advertisement. Alternatively the secondary target audience may be the partners of males who would purchase the razor for their partners.

Extension activity:
Young and Rubicam suggest that consumers can be categorised, as explained in the table below. Which categories do the target audiences for this advert fit into?

The viewers of the advert would fall into the aspirers’ category as the product is designed to enhance the individuals’ appearance. The product appeals more to people in a way to make them think that they actually ‘need’ the product when in reality they could live without it.

The music bed in the advert sings, “the world is mine” which shows how if you buy the product the world is your oyster. This gives the viewer a sense of empowerment. The voice over at the end of the advert is very strong and masculine to enforce the idea of dominance.

Extension activity:
What examples are there of diegetic and non-diegetic sound?

All the sound effects are non-diegetic as the sports men would not be able to hear the music, or voice over. The sound effects have been added after the filming of the advert

The characters in the advertisement have been slightly stereotyped to be very strong and masculine. Also the three sport stars are cleaning shaven, which will convince the audience that they use the product. The characters may be portrayed as heroes due to their status in the sporting industry.

The majority of the camera shots are mid-shot and also close up shots due to the context of the advert been used on the face, a close up or extreme close up are viewed as more appropriate to achieve the purpose of the advertisement for Gillette.

Task 2: (P1, M1. D1)

Write an analysis of the different narrative structures which are evident in the adverts and explain why they have been used to help sell the product.

Cheryl Cole- L’Oréal Advert

In terms of the narrative structure which the advert embraces, a restricted linear narrative is evident as the plot to the advert occurs in the chronological order of the beginning, middle and end. The reason why this advert does not have a non-linear structure is because of the chronological structure, as an advert is only approximately 30 seconds to a minute long there is not a sufficient time bracket to portray an unconventional narrative structure. There are also no flashback used in this advert as there s no need to inform us of what events may or may not have occurred in Cheryl Cole’s past. The narrative is also realist as advert has based the plot from a problem which is evident in women’s day to day life as to how they can make their hair look as good as it possibly can. Due to this factor, the advert does not have the chance to include any fictional elements such as aliens, werewolves and vampires. If these elements were to be included the advert would be hard to follow and may not appeal to the target audience, therefore this would not achieve the objective of the advert.

The ending of the advert is closed as it leaves the viewer with the preferred reading that the product works and makes them feel that they should rush out and buy it. However it may have been possible to leave the ending open, the follow up advert could have been to advertise a new product which will help to keep making a woman’s hair condition as good as possible such as a hair gloss or shine.

The pattern of the narrative is mainly of a search/investigation as the advertisement shows Cheryl at the end of the search for perfect hair. In terms of Propp’s Theory I think that Cheryl Cole plays the rescued damsel-in-distress who has been rescued from a history of bad hair days, therefore in association with this I think that the shampoo and conditioner could represent a metaphorical hero because as a result of Cheryl using these products she has been ‘set free’. Due to the short time period of the advert when discussing Todorov’s Theory I think that a resolution is evident as the advert does not want to include information about why the product is better than other similar brands, this is because if this were to happen the viewer may be confused as to which product is actually been advertised. To overcome this possible problem L’Oréal have made an advert which places all the attention on them. The advert may incorporate factors of mental subjectivity as Cheryl is saying her thoughts about the product and how it helped her hair.

Pepsi Advert- We Will Rock You (Britney Spears, Pink & Beyonce)

The structure of this advert may be argued to be non-sequential as the viewer does not know why Beyonce, Pink and Britney Spears have been isolated in the amphitheatre, however the rest of the footage is sequential as the viewer sees it in chronological order. I think that the narrative is slightly anti-realist as it is not based on realistic events, by this I mean that three female singers are isolated in an amphitheatre would not be an everyday situation. At the end of the advert the three singers manage to make the crate of Pepsi cans and ice fall down from the stand, Enrique Inglesias also falls down with them, however whilst Beyonce, Pink and Britney enjoy a can of Pepsi a lion is unleashed upon Enrique. The audience are left unaware of what happens to him, therefore in this context the ending of the advert is both open and also closed.

The pattern of the narrative is climax as there is a large amount of build up towards the end of the advert. To make the tension and anticipation levels of the viewers rise the audience has a restricted amount of information so that the audience are introduced to information and plot at the same time as the characters.

Enrique Inglesias is portrayed as the villain in regards to Propp’s Theory as he appears to have control over the three females. In reflection of this Beyonce, Britney Spears and Pink are the damsels-in-distress as they are helpless at the beginning but then as time progresses through the advert they develop into the heroes of the story. Due to Todorov’s Theory at the beginning everything seems relatively normal and calm, however then once the girls are released from the cells and decide to work together as a team this is the disruption as it jeopardises Enrique Inglesias’ plan, however the resolution of the advert is when the women drink the cans of Pepsi and therefore achieve their objective/aim.

The sounds of the advert are diegetic as the characters would be able to hear everything when it happened. The camera shots use several close up shots which represents each characters individual feelings and opinions.

Task 3: (P1, M1, D1)

Compare the advert below with two other adverts of your choice and explain which of the above styles they employ. Explain why the styles are used and say how effective you think the adverts are.

L’Oreal Hairspray Starring Jennifer Aniston:

This advert uses a “Talking Heads” style of presentation as it stars Jennifer Aniston is filmed talking directly to the camera about the product. There are several elements of the “animation” style of advert because at the 0.17 seconds point, there are digital, sci-fi effects which I think are used to highlight the futuristic technology of the new hairspray. I think that this style is appropriate because it focuses on the face on Jennifer Aniston which therefore draws attention to her hair, which is what the product is highlighting. I think that the decision to use Jennifer Aniston to promote the product was a very good choice as she had the most desirable hairstyle of 1998 with thousands of girls and women asking for “The Rachel” style at the hairdressers.

Chanel No5 Starring Nicole Kidman:

This advert works in the style of a very short drama; this is because the advert tells the audience a story whilst promoting the product, in this case perfume, at the same time. The story the audience watches is a modern New-York style fairytale. Nicole Kidman stars as what could be argued as herself who seems to have suffered from an emotional breakdown; the audience understands this because of the newspaper titles which flash towards the start of the film. During this breakdown she meets a male who claims not to know who she is. The two of them both then become romantically involved and fall in love with each other. This editing of the advert is to a high standard and this mirrors that the product is of a high quality as well, as a result of this, the audience will be more inclined to buy the perfume as it also incorporates star power as Nicole Kidman features in the advertisement. The advert is 3.19 long in length, usually the majority of adverts last for one minute or just over. This factor is important as it gives the impression that the label is of a high class and therefore has the authority and power to take up such a large amount of advertising time. For example three adverts could have been broadcast in the time that the Chanel No5 advert has been aired. In comparison to the L’Oreal hairspray advert starring Jennifer Aniston, the fact that Nicole Kidman who is an extremely famous Hollywood actress is used for Chanel shows how glamorous the product is rather than using a fairly well known comedy actress such as Jennifer Aniston.

Lady Gaga: “The Fame Monster” Album Promotion:

This advert adopts the documentary style of advertising as the text on the screen informs the audience, who may or may not know anything about Lady GaGa, about her career and how successful she is. Towards the end of the advert the fact “The defining pop star of 2009. Rolling Stones” provides the audience with facts that makes the advert more believable and persuasive to the audience. I think that this advert is very effective as after watching it I wanted to buy The Fame Monster album, this means that the company who produced the advert has succeeded in their main purpose and objective.

Task 4: (P1, M1, D1)

State the common codes and conventions that are used in advertising.

The common codes and conventions, which can be found in advertising, are elements such as: music beds, factors of persuasion, lines of appeal, female and male actors, the uses and gratification theory, making the audience feel like they need the product and cannot live without it.

Task 5: (P1, M1, D1)

TASK REMOVED FROM THE CURRICULUM

Task 6: (P1, M1, D1)
Who are the ASA?
The ASA stands for Advertising Standards Authority. The ASA controls all forms of advertising within the media such as TV adverts, internet, sales promotions and marketing. The main priority of the ASA is to ensure that all advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful, to ensure that this happens the ASA must apply the Advertising Codes. The ASA’s Advertising Codes are classed as one of the strictest in the world; as a result of this the UK advertisers are known for possessing good communication skills. Overall the majority of advertisements within the UK can be trusted as ASA’s surveys represent over 90% of advertisements follow the Advertising Codes.
Although the ASA controls all the forms of media, a more specific list of exactly what type of adverts they deal with is available on the ASA’s website: http://www.asa.org.uk/Regulation-Explained/What-we-cover.aspx

• Magazine and newspaper advertisements
  
• Radio and TV commercials
  
• Television Shopping Channels
  
• Posters on legitimate poster sites, this does not include fly posters.
  
• Leaflets and brochures
  
• Cinema commercials
  
• Direct mail, this is advertising sent through the post which is personally addressed to you
  
• Door drops and circulars, this is advertising posted through the letter box without your name on
  
• Advertisements on the Internet, including banner and display ads
  
• Commercial e-mail and SMS text message adverts
  
• Adverts on CD ROMs, DVD and video, and faxes
  
• We regulate sales promotions, such as special offers, prize draws and competitions wherever they appear.
  

Last year, 2009, the ASA received approximately 26,000 complaints. Employees at ASA then had to examine and assess every one the complaints and investigate the adverts to determine if they had broken the Advertising Rules. As a result of this almost 2,500 advertisements were modified or withdrawn completely, however this may not have been possible without the help and advice of advertisers who respected the ASA’s decisions. Anybody is able to send a complaint to the ASA, once the complaint is received the ASA will deal with it as soon as possible and then assess the advert against the Advertising Codes.
Every complaint will be evaluated and depending on if the ASA thinks that action needs to be taken they will resolve complaints through speaking with advertisers, the majority of adverts which are complained about are dealt like this. In a case where the advert does not break any of the Codes the ASA will inform person which complained and then explain why no action needs to be taken..
There are 11 sections in the CAP Broadcast Codes (BCAP Codes). Below is an example regarding each section.

Section 1: Compliance. 1.1- Advertisements must comply with the law and licensees must make that a condition of acceptance

Section 2: Programmes and Advertising.
2.1.1- There must be a clear distinction between programmes and advertisements

Section 3: Unacceptable Products and Services.
3.1- Advertisements for products or services coming within the recognised character of, or specifically concerned are not acceptable.

Section 4: Political and Controversial Issues.
4 (c) may have any relation to any industrial dispute (with limited exceptions)

Section 5: Accurate Pricing
5.3.1- Indications of actual or comparative prices, or the manner in which a price is to be calculated, must be accurate and must not mislead by omission, undue emphasis or distortion

Section 6: Harm and Offence.
6.1- Advertisements must not cause serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards, or offend against public feeling

Section 7: Children
7.4.1- Advertisements must not contain material which could lead to social, moral or psychological harm to children

Section 8: Slimming Regimes and Weight Control Products
8.4.1- Advertisements for products or services which must not
(a) be addressed to people under 18
(b) use creative treatments likely to appeal particularly to people under 18
(c) feature any personality who has a particular appeal to those under 18, or whose example they are likely to follow

Section 9: Finance and Investment
9.1- Advertisements for financial services which
(a) are broadcast on Ofcom licensed services that are aimed exclusively at audiences in EU Member States other than the UK.
(b) are not subject to the financial promotion rules of the FSA

Section 10: Religion, Faith and Systems of Belief.

10.13- No advertisement may exploit children, or the hopes or fears of any other vulnerable category of viewer. For example the elderly, or those who are sick, separated or bereaved.

Section 11: Other Categories
11.6- Advertisements for the National Lottery:
(a) must not be directed at people under 16 or use treatments likely to be of particular appeal to them.
(b) must not feature any personality whose example children under 16 are likely to follow or who has particular appeal to audiences under that age.
(c) must not show or encourage excessive or reckless playing.
(d) must not present such products as an alternative to work or as a way out of financial difficulties.

Task 7: (P1, M1, D1)

Audience Classification

A classification table of which forms of media a MALE would most enjoy:

A classification table of which forms of media a FEMALE would most enjoy:

The NRS Social Grades classification system is viewed as crude and offensive as it puts the modern day society into different fragmentations. However if I were to create a media profile for an individual in the grade A social class I would be very specific in what I would include. For example I would include a high-brow, broad sheet newspaper such as The Guardian or The Financial Times. The reason I would include newspapers such as these because I think that a person in the grade A fragment would be more interested in these publications which focuses on politics and more factual, global issues instead of reading tabloids such as The Sun which is more celebrity and gossip focused. I think that television programme which would appeal to a person of an exceptionally high social class would be documentaries about current affairs such as: Dispatches on Channel 4 as this programme discusses issues such as war and the recent recession.

Overall I think that I would include more written media rather than visual and sound media. This is because I think that they would be more work-orientated rather than entertainment, therefore they will read more tabloids. As of the radio aspect, I think that they would listen to more educational radio stations such as Five Live or Classical FM rather than other stations which play mainly dance and R&B music.

Task 8: (P1, M1, D1)

Create a brief for your client covering the main aims of the advertisement.

Task 9: (P1, M1, D1)

Create a questionnaire consisting of 6-10 questions.

Task 9 Continued: (P1, M1, D1)
Type up your questionnaire and put the answers into a table in word.

Task 9 Continued: (P1, M1, D1)

Enter the results from your questions into Excel and create graphs to represent your result

Task 10: (P1, M1, D1)

Interview three or more friends and then document your findings.

1. If you were a new student what would you persuade you to come to the school?

2. What details about the department do you think are important to get across?

3. Do you think that voiceovers can be used effectively in adverts and why?

4. Which adverts have caught you eye in the past and why?

5. In terms of actors do you prefer celebrities, experts or real people and why?

ABIGAIL SANDERS: Abigail Sanders, 37, Manager, Leeds Favourite Advert: Peugeot 307

Abigail likes to see celebrities in adverts because she feels she can look up to and aspire to buy them. She admits that using real people can also be effective because it shows the product can appeal to everyone. Her favourite past advert is the Yves Saint Laurent mascara as she felt that the voiceover made the product look professional and it used people whom she could aspire to. Abigail thinks that voiceovers are good in adverts as they can change the tone and mood of the advert, which can help to persuade people to purchase different products. In terms of an advert for the media department Abigail said if she were a new student she would like to see a welcoming atmosphere with friendly students and supportive staff combined with professional equipment. She also said that in an advertisement for the department it would be important to include PGFM and Friday World as these elements showcase how different and unique the department can be.

RACHEL BARKER: Rachel Barker, 18, University Student (Media & Popular Culture), Leeds. Favourite Advert: L’Oreal Advert starring Cheryl Cole.

The adverts that Rachel does not like to watch are animation advertisements because she finds them demeaning to her and unrealistic. However she does enjoy watching adverts with meaning to them. The examples, which she gave, were the recent Vodafone advertisement and the KitKat World Cup advert because everyone can relate to them on some level. In light of this, Rachel prefers to see real people in adverts because it gives the advert a sense of realism to it. Depending on the product her opinions on voiceovers change, if the product is comedic then voiceovers would not be appropriate. However if the product is materialistic a voice over is appropriate to explain why the product is better than other similar products. As Rachel is studying Media at Leeds Metropolitan University she is aware that the professional equipment is important to showcase and promote, therefore as a result of this, she believes it is important for the advert to show the advanced facilities that the school has to offer as if she were a new student she would find this impressive.

DAN PINNA: Dan Pinna, 18, College student, Leeds Favourite Advert: Resolva weed killer

Dan likes the Resolva advert because of the comical manner of the weeds. Dan prefers humorous adverts and ones with memorable taglines for example webuyanycar.com. Previous adverts which he has liked are comparethemarket.com and also the Dell “Lollypop” advert. He tends to prefer adverts with lots of repetition, which make them more memorable, compared to the rest. In terms of a voice over Dan prefers straight narrative as opposed to voiceovers because it’s easier to make a narrative funny. Dan prefers real people as opposed to celebrities and experts because it makes them more relatable and realistic. Having studied Media at GCSE level Dan knows it is important to showcase facilities, independence and a supportive network of teachers. However as a new student he would be persuaded to join the media department due to PGFM, as this is unique to the school.

Task 11: (P1, M1, D1)

Set up a focus group and document your results. Pick out some of the more relevant comments and explain how they will help inform your planning. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of running a focus group and how this can affect your results.

A focus group is the process of collecting a range of people within the chosen target audience and asking their opinions on a product, programme or idea.

The advantages of focus groups are that it is a quick and cheap way to collect information. They are good for obtaining good quality, qualitative data, and in terms of organization it is easy to set up and conduct. The focus group can cause a “chain-reaction” effect; the participants can spark ideas off what each person says. This probably would not happen if the data were collected in a one-to-one interview format. The focus group can also ensure that the data is collected first hand, and usually recorded, therefore as a result of this the data is in their exact words and not manipulated in anyway, as a result of this the data is genuine and can be used effectively. There is the fact that the focus group is eligible to everyone including young children who may not have the vocal ability of an adult to express their opinions.

However, on the other hand, there are several limitations of focus groups. One of which is that the participants may not want to express their true opinions or beliefs as they feel they may be ridiculed or judged for them. In light of this there may be several participants who have a louder personality and therefore lead/control the general conversation of the focus group. The participants may at times show demand characteristics whereby instead of expressing their true opinions, they say what they feel the moderator would prefer to hear, this could be a result of investigator effects where the researcher unknowingly gives strong body signals or through tone of voice which influences the answers of the participants. Another influence which may invalidate the data would be social desirability bias in which case, the participants want to make them selves look as good as possible in front of the moderator and other participants; this may also affect the answers they give.

We held a focus group of 16-18 year olds of both sexes and showed them three adverts that have recently being aired on television and asked their opinions. The videos are visible below; underneath each video is constructive feedback that was given after the participants viewed them. These adverts were: Evian Babies:

- 15% of the audience thought that this advert was effective.
- The comical element to the advert pleased some members of the audience.
- The music bed was catchy and upbeat to grab the audiences attention.
- The use of technology to create the advert was impressive to some of the focus group but the rest found it unrealistic and obviously fake.
- It was noted that the babies were associated with the tag line "Live Young" which also impressed some of the members of the focus group.
- The prosodic features of the adverts tag line "Live Young" are whispered and the audience realised that this connotes sophistication. However some member thought that this was contradicting against the upbeat, humourous style of the advert and did not work effectively.
- Ethnic stereotyping was an issue as one member picked up that when the babies from an ethnic minority were featured they were part of a "gang culture" and almost signified intimidation.


comparethemarketadvert.com:

-The majority, approximately 75%, of the participants thought that this advert was an example of successful advertising
- Some participants thought that the advert was starting to become irritating and overplayed and as a result of this their opinions declined and they began to develop a negative attitude towards comparethemarket.com
- However the audience generally liked the play on word of 'market' and 'meerkat' and also the tag line to make the advert memorable.

John Lewis:

- 90% of the focus group thought this was an effective advert.
- The viewers liked that the music bed was constant throughout and helped to portray each significant event of the woman's life.
- One of the participants said she liked that the advert had a narrative structure based around a journey.
- The transitions used signified her change of age throughout the advert as it progressed.

Task 12: (P1, M1, D1)
Consider the advertising codes for TV and pick out one code that you think you must be conscious of when producing your advertisement. Explain why and explain how you will make sure that you do not contravene the code.

The BCAP Television Advertising Code:
7.1- Misleading advertising and children
7.1.2- Unrealistic expectations

• 7.1.2- Advertisements for products of interest to children must take account of the level of experience of those in the relevant age groups so as to avoid arousing unrealistic expectations

(4) Verbal or visual ambiguity which could mislead children must be avoided. Slogans and comments which adults will recognise as exaggeration or irony may be taken more literally by children. Care is therefore needed.

We will take care when choosing appropriate language for the voiceover and will ensure clarity throughout the advert. We will avoid visual ambiguity in terms of special effects and transitions to give the most realistic image of the school.

(5) Backgrounds, sets and special effects must not give the impression that a product includes more, nor does more, than is the case.

The advert will be filmed in the actual school using real life settings to help give an accurate representation of what the Media Department has to offer.

(6) Quick cuts, unusual camera angles etc may confuse very young children.

In terms of camera angles and shots we will use appropriate and sophisticated cinematography. The transitions will be simple and slow to avoid any unnecessary confusion.

Task 13: (P1, M1, D1)
Which type of programme would your advert be placed in between?

The genre of our advert is a documentary style as it contains information about the Media Department and shows a true representation of classes and facilities. Also all the footage was shot in the school and it does not mislead the audience. In reference to the NRS Social Grades classification table, our advert would appeal to those who fall between Grade B-E as the school educates children from any social class. Young and Rubicam suggest that consumers can be categorized, in light of this our advertisement will appeal to “Succeeders” as they ‘seek control’ and possess strong goals and ambitions, also the parents of the students who are interested in studying Media would support stability and choose the department due to the quality of equipment. Also the advert would appeal to “Explorers” who ‘seek discovery’ because media is all about freedom to explore and produce an idea and pushing the boundaries of cinematography.

Due to all of these factors we would broadcast our advert in between Emmerdale and Coronation Street because both our primary and secondary target audiences watch this programme and will therefore ensure a large mass of viewers watch the advert that increases our chances of persuading people to choose to work within the Media Department. Coronation Street has a wider reach of audience, approximately 9,947,000, and vast variation in ages for example children may watch it with their parents. To clarify our decision we decided to look at the viewing rates of a programme of a similar genre, for example Eastenders has approximately 8,473,000 viewers which is 1.5 million less in comparison to Coronation Street, however the BBC do not advertise and this would mean we couldn’t broadcast our advert.

Task 14: (P1, M1, D1)

Produce a record of your initial ideas.

Notes from a creative meeting:

Task 15: (P1, M1, D1)

Complete a treatment for the TV advertisement.

Task 15. (P1, M1, D1)

Write a treatment and script for your television advertisement.

MEDIA DEPARTMENT ADVERTISEMENT TREATMENT:

Objective: The following document is a treatment for the television advert for the Media Department. The advertisement is aimed towards school children and parents. The main target to be accomplished in the advert is to persuade the audience to become involved with the Media Department..

Setting: There are two settings used in the advert. The first setting is the main entrance of the school to help establish where the Media Department is located. After this the next setting is the Media Department itself, which shows the students and teachers working together effectively.

Time duration: 45 seconds.

Description: This will be a short advertisement which will be shot in colour throughout and will contain a combination of different camera angles such as: “low angled” “close up” and “establishing shot”. These camera angles will be incorporated with transitional fades such as fade to black and also cross dissolve at the appropriate times. Each sequence will be filmed so that the preferred reading is portrayed effectively, this may result in the camera angle changing to represent the preferred reading. We are going to avoid including any images or footage which may confuse or mislead the viewers and therefore this means we will have to have very specific and well structured editing skills to help make the advert as persuasive as possible. The advert will be edited by using modern technology such as iMovie so that the end product will be of a high quality and standard. The initial objective of the advertisement will be to persuade the audience to become a part of the Media Department.

Remarks:

· When shooting the footage a Flip Camera will be used.

· Apart from the establishing shot, the characters faces will be shown. This is because we want to portray the characters emotions and feelings as accurately as possible to help persuade the audience.

· The ambience in the advertisement will be the speech and the music bed.

Task 16: (P1, M1, D1)

Write a report with screen-shots, detailing the equipment and software you will be using and how you intend to use it.

Equipment

The equipment we used in the production of our advertisement was a Flip Camera. We used this camera for filming all of the footage and used a tripod for the panning shots as this improved the quality of the filming.

In terms of sound, we used a Edirol R-09 Digital Audio Recorder for the voice over.

Software

The software we have used is iMovie, in order to edit and import our footage. We attempted to use after effects but was not accessible to us on our computers, but iMovie worked just fine.

People

For our production, we used teachers and students to represent the atmosphere of the department. We both filmed and edited the advertisement equally.

Props, Costumes and Locations

All of the props, costumes and locations were genuine and realistic so that the audience were not mislead. Props included iMacs and laptops but these were accessible from the department. Because we wanted to represent the media department truthfully we did not use costumes all uniform and clothing were authentic.

Task 17: (P1, M1 D1)
Create a storyboard for your production

Task 18: (P1, M1, D1)

Create a production schedule to keep everybody who is in the production, informed of what is happening when.

Task 19: (P1, M1, D1)

Risk Assessment/ Health and Safety

Task 20: (P1, M1, D1)

Final Advertisement

Task 21: (P1, M1, D1)

Write an evaluation for your TV advert.

I believe that we have achieved the main objective/aim of the initial task in regards to the Media Department advertisement. The purpose was to create a persuasive advert, which is realistic and does not mislead the audience into believing that the department provides equipment or services that it in real life doesn’t.

The majority of the feedback, which we received, was complementary and positive. However we did receive some negative criticism from our audience, which is understandable as there will usually always be something that needs to be changed to ensure that the piece is to the highest standard it can be. We both agreed that to create a high quality product we should take this feedback on board and re-edit the advertisement many times to accommodate the feedback we received. The feedback we received included comments such as: “the transitions were appropriate for the genre and purpose”, “the music bed fitted what the media department stood for well” and “the juxtaposition between the old Friday World footage and modern footage worked effectively”. We intended for the advert to be simple and effective so that the primary and secondary target audiences understood the intention behind the product.

The advertisement starred both males and females. I would have preferred to incorporate would be to include a mixture of ethnic groups, the only reason there are only White British people in the advert is because there were no people from an ethnic background available at the times which we were filming. The music bed, Florence & The Machine- Dog Days Are Over, was chosen because the upbeat tempo portrayed the attitude of the Media Department and is well known by the target audiences. The locations played an important piece in the production, as the advert was set in school we filmed an establishing shot of the school entrance. The rest of the advertisement was filmed in the Media Department to show the facilities that are available to the students. The voiceover was a mixture of students saying singular words such as “imagination” and “creativity” were used to great effect as it was kept simple to sum up the department in a simple way.

The sound levels in the film were well edited, especially regarding the music bed. As a minimal amount of speech was used we didn’t encounter many problems with the vox pops. We also didn’t have any problems regarding choosing the music bed because we had it set in our minds that we wanted to use Dog Days Are Over and luckily the music fitted our advertisement appropriately. Regarding the editing process, we added transitions and sped the clips up to suit the fast pace of the Media Department, however we did have some minimal problems because the transitions sometimes made the sound disconnect from the clips but we fixed this in the editing process as we went along.

I personally don’t think I have learnt any new skills, instead I think that I have built upon the skill I already possess. I personally think that I was a strong team member because Amie and me shared the editing time equally and bounced off each other’s ideas and which consequently helped us produce a high quality, final product that we are proud of.