Friday 4 December 2015

Donald Gunn - 12 types of adverts

Donald Gunn has stated that there are 12 types of adverts, which most adverts will fall in (usually 2-3) . Where they will fall in depends on the product,the audience and the purpose of the advert, for example to boost sales or launch a new product.

Type 1 - The Demo:

Demo adverts demonstrate products capabilities and benefits of the product promoted.
For example Apple adverts:

This advert tries to sell Iphone by demonstrating advantages and benefits of having an Iphone and therefore it would be considered as type 1 advert -the Demo.











Type 2 - The problem:

This type of advert focuses on problems that someone might face in their everyday life and then the product is introduces as a remedy, These adverts are very relatable for the viewers and therefore often are very effective.
For example EE advert:
This advert highlight the problem that many people might face - slow internet and then EE's 4G is introduced as a remedy and solution to the problem.













Type 3 - Symbolise the problem:

This type of advert is similar to previous one, however instead of showing the actual problem it is presented through analogy or exaggerated graphic . Therefore adv does not show the problem itself, instead it shows exaggeration of the problem or a symbol that is mean to represent the problem.
For example Nasonex advert:
This advert exaggerates the problem of allergy, as it shows people leaving the planet in order to get rid of their allergies and then the Nasonex is introduced as a remedy and the problem is resolved.










Type 4 - Comparison:

This type of advert compares your product with competitors product. where your product is more superior.
For example Aldi advert:
This advert is a parody of John Lewis' man on the moon advert. Aldi are comparing their telescopes to the ones sold in John Lewis, and the ones Aldi are selling are superior to  the ones sold by John Lewis, as the ones from Aldi are cheaper.










Type 5 -Examplary story:

This type of advert have narrative in which the product is needed.  In Gunn's words, the key is to create "a situation where you'd use [the product] and be very glad for it."
For example Volkswagen advert:

This advert shows two people in a Volkswagen car and then they get into accident, however because they were driving Volkswagen car they have got no injuries, therefore the advert is selling Volkswagen car as the safest car and therefore people will be glad for it.









Type 6 - Benefit causes story:

This type of adverts takes the benefit of the product and creates a story around it , usually quite exaggerated. These ads usually focus less on the product, usually only showing the product at the end of the advert.
These adverts are quite rare, however the vague example can be Lynx advert:

In this advert we get women flocking to the man, as he smells good, due to benefit of lynx, There is not much of a story before the use of the product.












Type 7 - Testimonial :

This type of advert usually involves one kind friend or neighbor  telling another about the benefits of a product and how it has helped them.
For example Confused.com advert:

This advert talks to the viewer and they tell the audience how using Confused.com has improved their lives.













Type 8 - Ongoing character or celebrity :

This type of advert is likely to use celebrity in order  to build strong brand identity in the eyes of consumer. Consumers are more likely to watch an advert with their favorite celebrity in it, as well as the audience becomes aware of the product immediately.
For example Compare the market advert:
In this advert Compare the market have used Arnold Schwarzenegger which would suggest that the consumer will learn to associate  Schwarzenegger with compare the market and therefore will be more likely to use their service.












Type 9 - Associated user imagery :

 This type of advert includes people that would be associated with the promoted product, for example beauty products will have "perfect" looking women.
For example Old spice advert:
In this advert man is addressing woman saying their other half's would be as amazing as him, if they use old spice.















Type 10 - Unique personality property :

These types of adverts highlight something that will make the product stand out, this type of adverts is usually used to promote technology.
For example Dyson Ball advert:

This advert is showing off flexibility of design which is unique to Dyson.














Type 11 - Parody or borrowed format :

Parody or borrowed format adverts use reference to TV shows, films and even other adverts. However they are not very common as parody adverts can be viewed as lazy option














Monday 30 November 2015

Creating my own brand.

Product:
For my product I want to create a new brand of chewy sweets; such as Starburst, Fruittella or Chewits, tageted at children.
Due to many people and brands (such as Mars) being against advertising for children, I am going to use strategy similar to Kinder in order to target my audience, I am going to market my product at parents who will then buy the product to their children.
To do that I am going to make my advert appeal to children who then will hopefully be interested in the product and persuade their parent to purchase the product.

Name of the product:
After conducting a research on exciting brands, I've concluded that usually the name of the product is associated with a product itself. Therefore I want the name of my product to reflect the product.
I've came up with a coupe of possible names:
1. Arcobaleno - arcobaleon means rainbow in Italian. Rainbow usually symboliaes happiness and brightness, therefore my product might be associated with happy times. Also rainbow would reflect my product as my product will be colorful like the rainbow.
2. Chews - I believe that this name would perfectly reflect my product, however there's a brand with similar name , "Chewits" and I don't want my brand to be mistaken by another.
3. Bambino - bambino means children in italian, which reflects part of my target audience and it's also quite short and easy to remember name .
 In conclusion I believe that "Bambino" is a perfect name for my brand as it reflects part of my target audience, as well as it's short and catchy name.

Choosing a slogan:
Slogan is important, as it's usually associated with a brand and it usually delivers some sort of message to the audience, as well as slogan can reflect companies ideologies.
Some of the options for my brand:
1. Bambinos love bambino
2. Bambinos approve
3.Spirit of bambino
I've decided to use "Bambinos approve" as my slogan as it suggests that children like the sweets and therefore parents will be more likely to buy them in order to satisfy their children needs.

Choosing flavors:
Most sweet brands have very similar flavors; strawberry, orange, blackcurrant and lime, and therefore I want to make my sweets different and stand out from the rest of the brand and give it slight USP of unusual flavors.
Some of my ides include:
Grapefruit (Soft orange wrapper)
Grapes (Purple wrapper)
Melon (Green wrapper)
Mango (Orange wrapper)
Coconut (White wrapper)

Choosing a font:
















Choosing a colour scheme:

To chose a colour scheme for my product, I've  looked at psychology of colour and how colour can affect behavior.






















After conducting a research on colours I've created a a few possible colour schemes:

1.This first colour scheme contains warm yellow, soft orange and pale green.
Yellow is believed to be a happy colour and it also can stimulate the feeling of increased energy levels.
Study conducted in Harvard university in 2012 has shown that foods with green labels on them are believed to be more healthy and sales  of foods with green labels have increased in sales. Therefore based on this research I've decided to use green in my product as it could create the similar effect.
Orange is believed to be lively colour that excites the brain and therefore if I use orange in the packaging of my product it can get the person exited about the product.


 2. This colour scheme contains of colder colours; cold shade of blue, pale green and white.
Blue is believed to encourage the brain to think outside the box and be more productive as well as it can create trust and strength in brand.
White can usually be associated with purity and innocence which can be associated with younger part of my target audience.

3. This colour scheme contains blue, pink and red. I've tried this colour scheme in order to appeal to both genders, as stereotypically pink is colour for girls and blue is colour for boys.
Pink is also believed to calm down and symbolyse love.
Red is primary colour and it makes the product stand out, as well as red stimulates appetite and enhances the brain's attention to detail.

In conclusion I've decided to use yellow green and red as my colour scheme, as they are contrasting colours it will make the product stand out. Yellow will symbolyse happiness which can be associated with the product, red will stimulate appetite for the product and green will represent my product as helthy.
Final colour scheme:









Logo:



Packaging (Wrappers) :


Tuesday 24 November 2015

Web pop-up ideas.

Web pop-ups are small windows that tend to pop-up over the top of web pages in your browser.
They are usually advertising product or service , they are usually animated in order to catch the audiences attention.
They are usually connected to what you search or what websites you tend to go online.
Th size of web pop-ups are quite small and usually fill a small section of the screen. They ten to appear on social media or they can also be sent by email. 

For my pop-up I am going to use images that I have already used in one of my adverts, as the audience will already be aware of the brand and therefore will be able to recognise it. However because web pop-ups are very short and quick, I am only going to be using 3-5 main images.

Examples:




Sponsorship sequence ideas.

I have decided that I would sponsor 'X-factor' as it is family orientated programme which is able to reach millions of people and they all are potential customers. 
Conventionally sponsorship sequence last from 15 to 20 seconds and are shown either before or after the programme. 

About 'The X Factor' 

" The X Factor is a British reality television music competition to find new singing talent, contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. Created by Simon Cowell, the show began in 2004 and has since aired annually from August/September until December. The show is produced by FremantleMedia'sThames (previously Talkback Thames) and Cowell's production company Syco TV. It is broadcast on theITV network in the United Kingdom and simulcast on TV3 in Ireland. The "X Factor" refers to the undefinable "something" that makes for star quality. The series consists of auditions, bootcamp, judges' houses, several weeks of live shows, semi-finals and the final. After the show's success, it then became aninternational franchise following a similar format. The series has a spin-off behind-the-scenes show calledThe Xtra Factor, which airs directly after the main show on ITV2. " (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X_Factor_(UK_TV_series))

Sponsorship sequence ideas

For the sponsorship sequence for the X factor I am going to present one of characters auditioning for the show and as the character turns up on the stage he starts to sing a very sad song and the audience will start to boo at him and someone will throw a sweet on the stage which will lead to the character picking it up and eating it. This will cheer him up and he will start to sing a happier song which will be followed by the audience cheering.
The sponsorship sequence will finish with the X factor logo and the name of my brand and voice over saying "Bambino sponsors the X-factor".


Product ideas: Advert 1

For my everyday advert I want to make something short, yet eye catching in order to attract attention of potential consumers.
To do so I am going to make the advert animated (using stop motion technique) which should catch attention of a younger audience.

In order to promote my product I am going to emphasise the of my product bringing happiness as well as I am going to create USP for my product, of being healthy chew sweets, containing no added sugar or artificial colour or flavor.
Due to my product being natural and healthy, I am going to use the theme of nature to further emphasise positive qualities the product.

Idea 1:
- My first idea is to present the audience with a child character being upset due to the fact that they can not go outside because of the rain outside (which is followed by diagetic sounds of the child sobbing and rain). Then an adult character comes along carrying a sweet to the child (sounds of footsteps is present when the new character enters the scene). Adult character hands the child the sweet, however the child feels unsure about it but then proceeds to unwrap the sweet and as soon as child eats the sweet we get a close up of the character in shock. In the next scene we can see that the rain has gone and now the bright sun is shining outside and the child can now go outside.
In the last scene we can see the image slowly blurring out and logo of the product appear and the laugh of a child is still present.





Idea 2:
- This idea involves two characters, a boy and a girl.
In the first scene the viewer is presented by a boy character being in the corner of the frame under a raining cloud. Next we can hear footsteps of a girl approaching and she has bright sun above her head as well as she is carrying a sweet. She hands the sweet to the boy, at first he looks confused and unsure about it but after he eats it we get a close up of him being surprised. After we zoom out and see that now both of the characters have suns above their heads and they are sitting on the clouds with rainbow growing behind them. In the last scene we can see the image slowly blurring out and logo of the product appears and we can still hear children laughing in the background.





Product ideas: Advert 2.

For my second advert I want to make something short, yet eye catching in order to attract attention of potential consumers.
To do so I am going to make the advert animated (using stop motion technique) which should catch attention of a younger audience.

In order to promote my product I am going to emphasise the of my product bringing happiness as well as I am going to create USP for my product, of being healthy chew sweets, containing no added sugar or artificial colour or flavor.
Due to my product being natural and healthy, I am going to use the theme of nature to further emphasise positive qualities the product.

Idea 1(Halloween advert) :
- This idea involves two characters (parent and child), who are going trick and treating on Halloween night, however the small character is scared of the darkness and children in scary costumes.
However parent comforts child by giving them a sweet and as soon as child eats the sweet it becomes sunny outside and all of the scary children become friendly.






Idea 2:
- This idea is based on two characters (both children). Boy character fancies girl character, however she gets upset by another boy, who has pulled her hair, and in order to cheer up the girl boy gives her sweet which manages to improve her mood. The last scene involves both characters sitting on a couch, laughing, with sun shining in the window behind them.



Wednesday 18 November 2015

Demographics

Demographics - statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.
Demographics class table shows how society is divided into different classes. It is believed that different  classes have different ideologies and preferences therefore institutions produce different adverts for different products in order to appeal to everyone.


For example upper and middle class are more likely to watch Waitrose adverts, as Waitrose as seen as supermarket where people of the higher class tend to shop. 

Example of Waitrose advert:

This advert uses instrumental music in the background, which is similar to the classical music, which is usually associated with higher classes. This is due to classical music being seen as purer and it is believed to have greater tradition, as well as it usually requires higher skill and accomplishment to produce.
There's also a voice over present in this advert. For the voice over the man with southern accent has been used, this is because southern accent is seen as prestigious as well as because Waitrose is mainly found in the south.
The advert also focuses on food and traditions associated with the food. The advert also shows people of different ages, therefore targeting a wide range of audience.
There's also a slogan at the end of the advert - "Everyone deserves quality food". The slogan suggest that Waitrose provides high quality foods and "everyone" suggests that Waitrose has a wide range of the costumers. 

Lower classes are more likely to watch adverts for supermarkets such as Asda, as it targets most of the population and it is not seen as "posh" as Waitrose. 

Example of Asda advert:

This advert uses mainstream pop music, which would appeal to the most people who Asda is targeting. The song used is Sax by Fleur East, who is know to be on the X-factor, which is TV programme aimed at  working classes and therefore people are more likely to know the song and therefore associate the song with the advert and therefore the brand.
Just like Waitrose advert, this advert focuses on tradition, however it represents traditions that are associated with working class; such as antlers.
The slogan used for this advert is - "Save money. Live better.". This slogan would appeal to the target audience as lower classes tend to buy goods from more affordable places and therefore Asda is offering that for their costumers. 

Tuesday 10 November 2015

Research into existing brands: Fruittella

Fruittella: Strawberry

Target audience: Fruittella is marketed as a family brand, therefore aiming at wide range of age groups. 
About the product:  Fruittella are chewy sweets, manufactured by Italinan company. It's main competitors are Starburst and Chewits. 
Fruittella is stated to be made using real fruit juice, natural colours and natural flavors.
Marketing: Fruittella is advertised as "healthy" sweet, as it does not contain artificial flavours or colourings and all ingredients come from fruits; hence the name of the product. 
Fruittella is branded as family product and therefore aiming at wide range of audience. The company has produced adverts using different age groups, trying to appeal to all ages
The company came up with it's "squared rolls" packaging in 1950, when the sales of Fruittella has increased rapidly and therefore the new packaging replaced jars and tins used for loose sales of the product.
The packaging also features the slogan of the product, as well as it shows the fruits. 

Colour scheme: pink, red, green
Pink - pink is a warm colour and it soothes the emotions rather than stimulating them, therefore reflecting the smooth flavor of the sweets. Pink is also an appropriate colour to use for Strawberry Fruittella as pink can be associated with strawberries. 
Red - red stimulates the excitement, therefore it makes the product more enjoyable, as well as red can also be associated with strawberies which reflects the flavor of the product.  
Green -  grren symbolyses nature, which is relevant for the brand and reflects the slogan as it states that "flavors come from nature". 
Slogan: "Flavours from Nature"
Bibliography:
http://fruittella.co.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruittella 
Examples of adverts:
This Fruittella advert is aimed at children, it features a young boy who is enjoying new Fruittella that claims to change flavors.
This particular advert promotes the sweets that change from orange flavor to strawberry, which is reflected in boys clothing and background.
In terms of editing and cinematography this adverts is pretty simple. It only has one edit, which is cutting from medium shot to close up to the boys face to show his emotions. 
In order to make this advert appeal to the younger audience, it has been animated, showing boys head change into the fruit flavors of the sweets. 
The advert also features the product during the advert and at the end of advert as well. 


This advert features a stereotypical family, therefore highlighting it's target audience.
The colours used within a kitchen are blue and yellow, which represent sky and sun and therefore nature, which reflects company's ideology as well as yellow is seen as a happy colour which could reflect the family. 
The adverts has used a lot of camera shots, such as establishing shot, shot/reverse shot, medium close ups and close ups. 

Sponsorship sequences: 




Research into existing brands: Maltesers

Maltesers
Target audience: Maltesers are aimed mainly at women. 
About the product: Maltesers is part of Mars company, which is mainly advertised for women who are on a diet.
Maltesers are sold in wide range of packaging, such as plastic bags, boxes and buckets. Early Maltesers adverts stated that the honeycomb center contains "seven times less fattening than ordinary chocolate centres", which has led to marketers claiming that Maltesers are beneficial for weight loss. 
Maltesers come in milk coated chocolate as well as white chocolate. 
Marketing: Maltesers are aimed to appeal to slimming women and in order to do that, the number of calories is displayed on the package. Fairtrade logo is also placed at the front of the package, which gives the company USP and helps to appeal to wider audience as it might be an important factor for some. 
Mars also does not advertise their products to children under 12, under they new marketing code. Mars is also funding "Media smart", whcih is an organisation which aims to improve children's understanding of advertising and media in general. 
"The program provides free advertising literacy programs for primary schools, giving children the tools to assess and critique advertising messages in their daily lives."
Packaging of Maltesers is red with white font. which helps it to stand out.
Maltesers packaging also features the product it self, as well as number of calories and fair trade logo.
The font that has been used for the name of the product is quite curvy , which could symbolyse the shape of women's body and therefore it ill seem more appealing to them. 
Colour scheme: White and red
White - white is very light and pure colour, therefore reflecting claiming of adverts, that Maltesers are light and can help women to loose wight. 
Red - red can stimulate feelings of excitement as well as it is very energetic colour, therefore the packaging of Matesers can build and excitement and stimulate the energy. Red can also rpresent love, which might reflect what the comapny is feeling for their consumers and therefore they are trying to amke the product good for them.
Red is also the most viable colour and therefore it helps the product to stand out more.
Slogan:  "The lighter way to enjoy chocolate"
Bibliography:
https://www.maltesers.co.uk/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maltesers
Examples of adverts:
In this advert we can see two pregnant women, in front of TV, which creates verisimilitude.
The advert is just one shot, whit no cinematography or edits and the advert places the viewer with these women in the same room, which makes the advert more personal.
The only edit we can see is at the end of the advert, which shows the product and the slogan, in the background we can see woman's round bump, which resemble Maltesers shape.
In the advert the product is represented as light weighted, as even a baby can kick it,
Advert is 22 seconds long which follows the convention.


Research into existing brands: Kinder chocolate.

Kinder chocolate


Target audience: Mothers and their children.
About the product: "Kinder was created 60 years ago as a mother’s solution-chocolates to satisfy childrens’ desires for something tasty and sweet and mothers’ need for peace of mind serving products only of quality ingredients, trusted name, small sizes perfect for children, etc. These elements helped to build the trust and reassurance that all mothers have for Kinder. Mothers want their children to experience joyful happy childhoods, and they know that when they give chocolate treats—like Kinder Chocolate, which is expressly made for children—it’s a simple gesture that sweetens daily life and creates happy moments together. "
Marketing: Kinder chocolate is targeted at mums with children and in order to gain the "trust" for the brand, Kinder chocolate is produced in small portions. Also in order to persuade mums that Kinder is good for their children, Kinder is said to contain no artificial colours or preservatives.
The packaging of Kinder chocolate has an image of a glass of milk, This is done to emphasise the milky taste of the chocolate, as well as persuade mothers that Kinder is "healthy" for their children as milk is usually seen as a source of vitamins and calcium.
The name "kinder" is German for children, therefore establishing target audience in the name of the product.


Colour scheme: red, white, black
White - white colour can represent milk that is used in the chocolate, as well as it can symbolyse innocence and purity which is usually associated with children.
Red- red represents excitement, love and warmth, which are the feeling that mothers feel towards their children
Black- Black helps the product stand out, as well as because black is absorbing colour it creates protective barriers. Therefore using black as part of the colour scheme will create the image of the company being protective about their audience. 
Slogan: Invented for kids, approved by mums.
Bibliography:
http://www.ferrero.com/products/the-most-famous-products/kinder-chocolate/made-for-children
Examples of adverts:



These adverts are animated, which would appeal to children and catch their attention. Both adverts use the same characters, which helps to develop recognition for the adverts and therefore the brand.
The adverts also list the benefits for both parents and children, which makes it more appealing and the fact that it is emphasised that Kinder is made with milk persuades mums that Kinder must be healthier option and therefore persuades them to think that Kinder is the right choice for their children. 
Both adverts are pretty short, 30-45 seconds, which is suitable for children who might have a short attention spam and therefore making adverts short and animated perhaps could help to make them watch the advert to the end and develop brand recognition. 

Wednesday 4 November 2015

Hypodermic needle theory + Coca Cola advert

Hypodermic needle theory suggests that media has a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audience. In 1940s and 1950s the mass media was perceived as a powerful influence on behaviour change.
Several factors contributed to this "strong effects" theory of communication, including:
1. The fast rise and popularisation of radio and television.
2. The emergence of the persuasion industries, such as advertising.
The theory argues that mass media could influence a large audience directly and uniformly by "injecting" them with appropriate messages designed to trigger desired response, as there is a powerful direct flow of information from the sender to the receiver.
The theory suggests that media messages are injected into a passive audience

Coca cola - " Living a healthy lifestyle" advert:



This advert shows the contrast between two different lifestyles as well as it shows contrast between generations. 
On the left side we can see what life looked like back in 70s and on the right we can see what life looks like today and although the environment and surroundings vary the routine is the same.
Which could suggest that although the world has changed and technologies have developed there is still stability and it reassures the viewers that the things are still the same. 
Coca cola is seen as an unhealthy drink and yet the slogan of the adverts slogan is "live like grandpa, move more, eat well, take it easy" which promotes healthy life style. Which can be ironic to the viewers, who are aware of unhealthy properties of coca cola, however in the advert "grandpa" is leading much healthier life style then a man in modern world.
We can see that life in 70s was much less busy and people had more time to spend with each other, which is shown through characters having breakfast, as man on the left enjoys his breakfast with his wife and is not in hurry at all and then it is contrasted with the man on the right who barley has any time and leaves half way through the breakfast.
Next we see both characters getting to work, however man on the left is able to get to work in much quicker and healthier way by biking. On the other hand we can see a man on the right struggling to get to the work, as he's stuck in traffic and is wasting his time, whereas he could have got a bike and got to the work much quicker. I think that creators of this advert are in a way mocking modern society, as although technologies are developing and improving (e.g. development and availability of cars) they are not as helpful as they might seem in everyday life, as due to easy access for the cars and their increasing amount we cause traffic and therefore waste our time. Therefore I believe that creators of the advert are encouraging healthy lifestyle.
Next we see both men getting to work, however man on the right got to work on time and has time to talk and greet his colleague, whereas man on the right is still in hurry and has no time for his colleagues.
Furthermore we can see both men snacking while working, however man on the left is eating an apple and man on the right is snacking on crisps, which again is suggesting that modern society is much unhealthier and therefore the advert is further promoting healthy lifestyle.
Then we see both men having lunch and although they have similar lunch, one is still having healthier diet then the other. Man on the right is having a pre-prepared sandwiches which are also much fuller compared to the man on the right, who is having home-made sandwiches and an apple.
In the next scene we can see both characters going down, however one of them is using stairs and the other one is using escalator. Which again is representing today’s society as unhealthy and perhaps lazy.
Again is the following scene we see a man on the right using a spray whereas man on the right is eating a sandwich.
In the next scene we can see what both men are having for dinner. Man who is representing the 70s is having home-made dinner whereas man representing today’s world is having pre-prepared dinner, which again highlights how unhealthy and lazy society has become.
As well as showing how unhealthy and lazy, the advert proceeds to tell the viewer how we have become less social, due to proliferation of technology. This is seen in the scene where we can see both characters having dinner, man on the left is catching up with his wife while having dinner whereas man on the left is catching up on a TV show and there's no conversation between him and his wife as they are too busy watching TV.
However, although advert shows how different generations are there's one thing that links both of them and that is Coca Cola.
Therefore the slogan is not as ironic as it might seem at first. As "live like grandpa, move more, eat well" is encouraging the audience to challenge their life styles and perhaps adapt a similar lifestyle to the 1970s and "take it easy" refers to peoples attitude towards Coca Cola, as Coca Cola is probably more acceptable if you lead healthy life style.
As well as the advert promotes Coca Cola as a social drink that connects generations and people, as in the last scene we can see both men drinking Coca Cola therefore suggesting that it is a lifestyle in a way and it is able to connect people.

Hypodermic needle theory states that mass media can "inject" information into the audience and therefore this advert is "injecting" into the viewers the idea of a healthier lifestyle in order to promote their product and challenge the idea that Coca Cola is unhealthy. This is done by presenting the audience with two different lifestyles, to which older and younger generation can relate. It shows how society has changed and how it used to be, suggesting that is society used to be much more social and much healthier. Therefore encouraging to "live like grandpa".

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Stop Motion animation

"In animation stop motion animation is a cinematic process, or technique used to makes static objects appear as if they were moving. This technique is commonly used in claymation and puppet-based animation. The objects are brought to life by breaking up the figure's motion into increments and filming one frame of film per increment." (http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/stop_motion_animation.html)
http://content.photojojo.com/tutorials/stop-motion-digital-camera/

Examples:




Tuesday 13 October 2015

Richard Dyer- Star theory + Dior advert

Richard Dyer developed the idea that the viewers perception of a film is influenced by the perception of it's stars, and that publicity materials and reviews can determine the way that the audience experiences a media text.
Dyer analysed idea texts with this idea and he came up with a conclusion that a star is not a real person. Stars are construed by institutions, just like any other aspect of fiction, suing a range of materials and sources. For example advertising or magazines.
Icons and celebrities are constructed by institutions for financial gain and target one specific audience/group of people in order to generate profit.
Dyer also suggest that stars create a person that is desirable to a target audience but is actually not a true representation of themselves.

This is done because famous people represent shared cultural values and attitudes and therefore they promote a certain ideology about themselves and that they want an audience to believe. The paradox is that if stars presented themselves in a "normal" way they would not be desirable or unique and therefore the audience would consume the less, therefore resulting in institutions making a loss.



Dior have used Johnny Depp for their advert, Richard Dyer would argue that Dior have produced a very successful advert due to both genders looking up to Johnny Deep.
Johnny Depp is believed to be "heartthrob" and a lot of women idolise Johnny Depp and therefore they are more likely to consume the advert with Johnny Depp.
Therefore because Johnny Depp attracts a lot of women attention men are more likely to consume the advert and the product he promotes, as men would like to share the same ideologies as Johnny Depp in order to attract women. 
Johnny Depp is represented as very manly, cold and adventurous (which is represented through the cold colours used in the advert and clothing). 
Driving vintage car through the desert, makes it seem that he's on a furious mission which is further suggested by the lines; "What am I looking for?" and "Which way? I don't know", which adds mystery and charm to his character making him more appealing for the audience. 
Furthermore Johnny Depp is also shown as fearless, as he comes across wild animals and shows no signs of fear or worry, which might appeal to female audience and suggest to the male audience what women are attracted to and what they are looking for in a man. 
However Richard Dyer's theory suggests that stars don't represent themselves in media texts and are created by media institutions in order to generate profit. I believe that in this case, Richard Dyer's theory is supported very well, as it is well know that Johnny Depp hated his "sex symbol" status in 80s and 90s. It is also well know that Depp was never part of fashion world and has always presented himself in quirky sartorial looks topped with a hat and glasses. Where as in this advert Johnny Depp is dressed in a navy shirt, black vest and trousers, accessorised with rings, bracelets and necklaces.
This has character has been created in order to accurately represent the perfume advertised, as it is described as "contemporary, strong and unmistakably masculine" and all of these features of the smell have been represented through the character played by Johnny Depp. 
Therefore making it more appealing and interesting to both female and male audience. 



Blumler and Katz- Uses and gratifications + Coca Cola advert

Uses and gratification theory looks at the motives of the people who use media, as well as asking why the audience is watching television programmes, films or other media products in the way in which they do, e.g. why do we bother to read the newspaper or why do we must keep up to date with favourite soaps.
Theory makes the audience active as it is the audience who are choosing what to consume, as you only watch the films that you want and therefore the audience is in control of their choices and the role of media is just to produce the product. 
The theory also argues that the audience must have social and psychological needs that generate certain expectations about mass media and what they want to consume. 
It also sates that people are motivated by a desire to gratify certain needs; surveillance, personal identity, personal relationships and diversion. 
Surveillance:
The surveillance need is based around the idea that people feel better if they know what is going on in the world around them, for example we watch news as we feel like it is a reliable source of information and the fact that we know what is going on around the world makes us feel secure.
Therefore we use mass media to be more aware of the world and to gratify desire fore knowledge and security. 
However social media can influence the concept of surveillance as it is common that fake stories are created on social media, therefore giving the audience false sense of security. 
Personal identity:
The consumption of media can help the audience to develop personal identity and position themselves within society.
Forming of personal identity through the use of media can be seen in music videos, as pop stars can become big role models for young people. Therefore if a star does something wrong it usually causes an outcry in society. 
Consuming media allows the audience to directly relate to the product and make the audience feel gratify in a way that it makes them understand the they are sharing their identity and therefore makes them fell more acceptable within society.  
Personal relationships:
Theory sates we can form relationship with the media as well as we can use media to create relationships with others. 
Many people use television as a companionship, for example when we are watching television with other people or by ourselves we can form relationships with the characters on the TV show. 
We could also use the media within relationships, for example we can build relationships with others through media. Having a favourite TV show in common can often be the start of the conversion and it can make talking to strangers much easier.  
Diversion:
Diversion need refers to escapism, as we watch television so we can forget about our own problems for a while and think about something else. 
We can consume media to take our mind off our everyday lives and to distract our self from our own problems. Consuming media allows people to see that people experience that same feelings as we do and want to forget our own problems by focusing on someone else's. 





Surveillance:
This advert allows fulfills the viewers need to be aware of what is happening in the world, as it clearly shows how the world has and is changing. 
Therefore the advert gratifies the viewers need of knowledge and awareness of the world. However theory states that this should bring the viewer sense of security, however I believe that this advert contradicts it, as it shows that society is becoming lazy and less social compared to what it has used to be.

Personal identity:
I believe that this advert is very realteble to most generations, as we all follow more or less the same routine.
Therefore due to the audience being able to relate to this advert, they are more likely to consume it, as well as it will be able to gratify their need to share identity with someone which will suggest to them that they are accepted in society. 

Personal relationships:
Theory stares that we can form relationships with media, for example TV show characters. 
I believe that due to the audience being able to relate to this advert, it is easy for them to form relationship with characters presented in this advert as they can understand the character and relate to their lifestyle. 
I also believe that this advert is encouraging the audience to form personal relationships with each other, as in the adverts today's generation is presented less sociable and therefore the last scenes of the advert encourage the generations to come together and form relationships. 

Diversion:
This advert supports this aspect of the theory, as it allows the audience to relate to the characters in the advert and therefore see that we all lead similar lifestyle and therefore it allows the viewer to take their mind off their own problems and focus on characters in advert.