ADVERTISING

To study advertising is to study the techniques of persuasion.

Why study advertising? If one understands how advertising works and is able to

analyse it, one will be able to withstand its manipulation and make purchasing

decisions keeping in mind facts rather than being ruled by emotions.

When analysing advertising, there are two aspects that must be considered: the

visual message of the advertisement and the stylistic devices used in the wording

of the advertisement.

VISUALS

Logo: an easily recognisable graphic symbol associated with a particular

company

- consider the symbolism of the chosen graphic – what does it suggest about the

company?

Colour: different colours can evoke different responses

- consider the connotations of the dominant colour of the advertisement – red

could suggest excitement or danger, green eco-friendly or calm, blue purity and

cleanliness

Image: in most print advertisement, the images dominate.

- consider what the image suggests about the product – what is the link between

the image and the message of the advertisement?

Copy: besides what they say about the product, the “look” of words in an

advertisement can also add to the message.

- consider the choice and size of font – fonts can be formal or informal, traditional

or modern, rigid or loose

STYLISTIC DEVICES

Repetition: catchy phrases and slogans are repeated to make them stick in the

viewer’s mind

Sound devices like alliteration and assonance: make slogans and headlines

catchy and therefore more memorable

Rhetorical questions: the answer is unnecessary because it is so obvious (“Do

you want the best for your child?”), emphasising the point (“Then buy our

product”)

Hyperbole: to exaggerate the effect the product will have or the desirability of

the product

Puns: clever play on words catches the viewers’ attention

Exercise 1

See how many of the well-known logos below you can link to the companies they

represent.

Exercise 2

See how many of the slogans below you can link to the companies they belong to.

a) I’m lovin’ it b) The ultimate driving machine c) A diamond is forever d) Connecting people e) Have a break … f) Just do it g) Obey your thirst h) Out wit. Out play. Out last. i) Live in your world. Play in ours. j) Impossible is nothing k) Share moments. Share life. l) Quality never goes out of style m) It’s in the game

n) Because you’re worth it o) Finger lickin’ good p) Hello summa! q) Keeps going and going and going r) Maybe she’s born with it… s) How can we help you? t) Think different u) Snap, crackle and pop v) The toughest four letter word on

wheels w) …gives you wings x) Number 1 recommended by dentists y) Flame grilled, it just tastes better

Another way to analyse the wording of an advertisement is by considering the use of

emotive language:

EMOTIVE LANGUAGE

Advertisers appeal to their target audience’s emotions by using words with connotations that suit their intentions. They will use words associated with positive feelings or ideas when referring to their products (e.g. “innovative”, “natural”) and use words with negative associations to describe the outcome without their product (e.g. “dull”).

target audience the

group of people with shared characteristics such as age, gender, income etc. at which the advertisement is aimed connotations ideas

and feelings suggested by a word e.g. red = blood = danger

Exercise 3

Match each of the words in the left-hand column to the word/term with the same

meaning in the right hand column AND indicate which word is the more emotive

(whether positive or negative) and which word is the more neutral.

1. Overweight A Inactive 2. Unadventurous B Compromising 3. Predictable C Fastidious 4. Lazy D Fat 5. Flexible E Rigid 6. Principled F Alien 7. Drab G Skinny 8. Tidy H Careful 9. Immigrant I Reliable 10. Slim J Colourless

APPEALS

By considering the overall effect of the use of visuals and language in an

advertisement, you should be able to identify the emotion, desire or need to which it

appeals in the viewer. This is a list of some of the appeals:

Snob values Maternal instincts Glamour and beauty Novelty

Economy Variety Sex and desirability Safety and security

Conscience Ambition Efficiency Guilt Exclusivity

Health Modernity Time-saving Conformity Hero worship

The appeals are not necessarily about what the product offers, but rather depend on

the emotions, desires or needs of the target audience.

Exercise 4

Suggest two appeals from the list above which an advertiser is likely to use to

advertise the following products and describe the target audience which each appeal

could target.

a) Steers burger

b) BMW luxury sedan

c) Huggies nappies

d) Virgin Active gym subscription

e) The Red Cross children’s hospital

f) Trellidoor security gate

g) Oxycute face wash

h) Fancourt Golf Estate

i) Sunlight dishwashing liquid

j) Pep Stores clothing line

Exercise 5

The text in the bottom left corner:

Don’t play with drugs,

you won’t have a second life.

www.theantidrug.com

Source: http://www.businesspundit.com/13-most-disturbing-anti-drugs-ads/

Analyse the advertisement above using the following outline:

Message of the advertisement

Copy – stylistic devices, emotive

language

Visuals – image, logo, copy

Dominant appeal

Target audience

HARD SELL, SOFT SELL AND SEX SELL

There are three different approaches an advertisement can take to sell a product.

These are called hard sell, soft sell and sex sell.

Hard sell is when an advertisement uses a demanding approach to sell the product.

The emphasis is on the price and the advertisement has a sense of urgency, calling

on the viewer to take action immediately or as quickly as possible.

Soft sell is a more indirect approach, in which a lot of emotive language is used in a

subtle way to persuade the viewer that the product is superior or that they need the

product.

Sex sell is when the advertisement uses attractive models to draw the attention of

the viewer to the product.

Exercise 6

Watch the videos of advertisements which your teacher will show you and for each

one consider the following:

1. What is the name of the product?

2. What is the slogan of the advertisement/company?

3. Who is the target audience of the advertisement?

4. To what emotion, desire or need does the advertisement appeal?

5. Write down any facts about the product in the advertisement.

6. Is it hard sell, soft sell or sex sell?

Exercise 7

Study TEXTS E and F below and answer the questions set.

TEXT E

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chazynash/2607244959

QUESTIONS: TEXT E

The text at the bottom of TEXT E reads:

Just a century ago an estimated 100,000 tigers roamed the wild lands across Asia. Today, fewer

than 5,000 tigers remain in the wild, the result of habitat destruction and illegal killing to satisfy a

global market for tiger skins, fur, bones, and other body parts. So please, STOP KILLING

INNOCENT ANIMALS.

a) Based on the message of this advertisement, comment on the effectiveness

of the main image. (3)

b) “So please, STOP KILLING INNOCENT ANIMALS.”

Suggest a reason why “So please” is not capitalised like the rest of the

words in this sentence. (2)

c) This advertisement includes a fair amount of text at the bottom. Which

element (the main image or the text) do you consider to be more convincing?

Substantiate your answer with close reference to Text E. (3)

TEXT F

Source: http://www.plowsharegroup.com/media_downloads/wwf.php

QUESTION: TEXT F

d) “PRETTY UGLY” is an example of which figurative device? (1)

e) How is this device used to ehance the message of this advertisement? (1)

SUB-TOTAL :10

Exercise 8

Study the advertisement (TEXT D) below and answer the set questions.

a) What is the effect of omitting the question mark in the question asked

in the graphic? (Do you know … of water.) (2)

b) Explain how the graphic cleverly illustrates the question asked. (3)

c) Why do you think most of the companies funding this advertisement

are petroleum companies? (2)

d) Discuss how the company’s name and logo fit the message that this

company wants to convey. (3)

SUB-TOTAL: 10