Advertising & Marketing: Final Index

My Advertising & Marketing Final Index:

1) Advertising and Marketing: Key conventions

2) Gender stereotypes in advertising

3) January assessment learner response

4) Advertising CSP 1: OMO print advert

5) Advertising CSP 2: Audrey Hepburn Galaxy advert

6) Advertising CSP 3: Represent NHS Blood campaign

NHS blood and transplant campaign CSP

1) "BAME" stands for Black, Asian and minority ethnic. However, some people are against using this term as it is sometimes thought to be excluding.

2) There is a need for blood within the BAME community as only 3% of blood donors are a part of that specific community. It is crucial to increase the amount of people donating their blood as it provides a chance to save so many more people's lives, with a variety of people from different ethnic backgrounds taking part in doing so.

3) This advert wants to raise awareness and draw attention to the fact that such a small percentage of people from a certain community are blood donors. By doing this, it could perhaps attract a wide range of audiences and spread the key message around, in order to persuade a larger amount of people from ethnic backgrounds to donate blood to aid someone else.

4) The advert is called "Represent" because it motivates people within the BAME community to stand up and donate blood for the sake of those in need, and so that they can represent the Black, Asian and minority ethnic on a much vaster scale. It also suggests that they should strive to show compassion and empathy for others and create a sense of morale, so that they can represent themselves for a good cause.

5) The producers used famous celebrities who are a part of the BAME community in order to represent and voice their cause using people within the same community who support their intended message. Some of these celebrities include: record breaking Olympian Nicola Adams MBE, TV presenter and wheelchair basketball player Ade Adepitan and MOBO's own Founder and CEO Kanya King MBE.

6) The use of the slow-paced long shot of empty chairs towards the end of the video perhaps indicate how the chairs are waiting to be filled by more people willing to help and donate their blood, however they remain empty; clearly emphasising how important it is to bring in more people as there are so little people that are actually willing to do it - again linking back to the 3% of people that do.

7) Key conventions of a typical urban music video include the style and narrative of it. Also, the setting of which the video was filmed portrays different areas, including a large overlook of city buildings which add to the 'urban' genre. The mise-en-scene, including the props, lighting, costume, hair, make-up and locations also evidently add to the whole typical urban music video concept - for example the specific jewellery each person wears. It also clearly displays the clear raw emotions of the artist, which reflects onto her facial expressions and gestures as well as the many low-angled close-up shots, indicating that the artist has a sense of power over the audience.

8) The advert subverts stereotypes by using different people with a variety of ethnic backgrounds, in an attempt to fully communicate their main message to the audience. It also includes people from a range of different religions including Muslims and Sikhs, people with underlying health conditions or impairments and more who all make up a diverse and miscellaneous group of people. Also, it portrays oppositional gender roles - one of them being the woman who was boxing; which exemplifies how certain stereotypes such as women not being able to do physical or 'manly' activities are completely disregarded within this advert.

9) The oppositional reading of this advert could be that some may feel as though they are being singled out for not being a blood donor due to their own personal beliefs or opinions on the matter. Also, it may reinforce several negative stereotypes of the BAME community by creating an idea that they are somewhat 'selfish' or 'self-absorbed' as the advert calls these people out for having an alarmingly low statistic of blood donors in the UK, leading people to see the message in a different light.

10) The advert uses a range of camera shots, from quick close ups to slow-paced long shots, including direct contact with the camera which makes it feel as though it's a one-on-one conversation. This keeps the audience engaged and draws their focus onto the video, which helps raise more awareness for the message that the producers are attempting to give out to their viewers; they also work well with the pace of the advert and create more meaning to it with each scene. The various uses of mise-en-scene displayed throughout the 'Represent' advert also encourages the niche audience to step up and take responsibility, through the use of well-known celebrities within the BAME community. Not only does this attract more attention to their cause, but it can influence people's own opinions or ideas and give them the chance to develop a new one. By using different inspirational celebrities who major in a vast abundance of jobs and career paths, from Lady Leshurr to Nicola Adams, it gives off the message that no matter who you are or what you do, you have the chance to donate your blood and save the lives of many others. This is also shown through their costumes, as each outfit makes it clear to the audience who they are and what it is that they do for a living and defines their role in the advert. The use of different settings helps to maintain a more regular and realistic picture of day-to-day life, which is vital in order to allow the consumers to relate or connect with the advert and massively involve themselves within the cause.

Galaxy advert CSP

1) Some key conventions of TV advertising portrayed throughout the Galaxy advert includes the product placement/pack shot which clearly shows the audience what kind of product is being advertised. Another key convention is the use of a slogan "Why have cotton when you can have silk?", which eloquently encourages the audience to buy the product and describes it as a grand and luxury product. The use of a creative narrative or concept in the advert, along with mise-en-scene, communicates with the audience and makes them more engaged within the story-line.

2) The main message that the Galaxy advert is attempting to communicate to audiences is the fact that the brand and product of which they are advertising is a must-have and splendid product which many would enjoy. By describing it as "silk" rather than "cotton", this indicates that this specific brand of chocolate is far more superior than other chocolate brands. It may come across as an elegant or a pleasant product which would bring a sense of comfort to all those that purchase it.

3) Audrey Hepburn was a huge Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s. She was hugely associated with glamour and style, and was widely known by many as a model and fashion icon. They used a CGI-version of Audrey Hepburn in the Galaxy advert as she was a very famous and iconic name within Hollywood, and would create a feeling of nostalgia for some viewers as the advert is inspired by one of her hit films, Roman Holiday, which came out in 1953. Audrey also represents heritage, classiness and elegance - which could attract a wider audience as the producers of Galaxy intend for audiences to see their product in the same way.

4) Intertextuality is when one media piece references another media piece within theirs.

5) The Galaxy advert referenced one of Audrey Hepburn's hit films, Roman Holiday, which was released in 1953. Because of this, the producers recreated the same setting, the luxurious Italian Riviera in order to create a sense of nostalgia for certain viewers. The costumes and make-up used in this advert also emphasises the time frame in which this is set, so that it maintains the same 1950s Italian coast effect.

6) The Galaxy advert mostly consists of three of Propp’s character types: the hero, the heroine and the villain. In this case, the ‘villain’ could be interpreted as the fruit cart, as it was the main aspect in which stopped the bus on the first place. The ‘heroine’ would be Audrey Hepburn, as she clearly portrays the same generic qualities as you’d expect from a typical heroine character displayed within the media. The ‘hero’ would be the driver, as he is the one who saves the heroine (or Audrey Hepburn) from the traffic and instead drives her away himself.

7) Todorov’s theory of equilibrium is depicted within the advert by following the same simple three part structure: equilibrium > disequilibrium > new equilibrium. This is shown when at first everything is normal and going smoothly, until the bus crashes into a fruit cart, which disrupts the equilibrium - therefore becoming the disequilibrium. This is then resolved later on after Audrey is rescued by the driver, which restores the equilibrium and further supports the Todorov theory.

8) The way celebrities are represented in the advert are as glamorous and elegant people, through the use of Audrey Hepburn being one of the main focuses - as she was once one of the most famous and iconic actresses within the film industry. She is presented as a defined and regal woman who is fully deserving of the best things; linking back to the advert's slogan: 'Why have cotton when you can have silk?'.

9) The way gender is presented within the advert is by Audrey Hepburn being the "heroine", and the driver being the "hero". She is shown to be a graceful and distinguished woman and he is portrayed as a helpful and also strong figure of a man. It is also a typical stereotype for a woman to be rescued by a man within many different pieces of media, and this advert further reinforces that largely-thought stereotype.

10) At the end of the advert, the stereotypes are subverted when instead of seating herself beside him in the car, Audrey sits behind him instead. This may subvert typical gender stereotypes, as it's a common thought stereotype that women should be "attached" to a man rather than having an independent persona, and that they "belong" to them, with men being thought of as superior. However, the advert completely switches this certain stereotype - what with Audrey Hepburn sitting behind the driver and him assisting her, almost as if she's the dominant figure instead, rather than her playing the classic "damsel in distress" role as some would generally expect. This reflects both modern social and cultural contexts as this may influence a specific audience to view gender roles in a completely different way, and emulate their own beliefs on subverted gender stereotypes within society today.

January assessment learner response

1) Feedback:

Score: 30/34

Grade: 8

WWW: Wajiha - a brilliant assessment from you, again. Superb knowledge of the film industry!

EBI: Look at the example essay and mark scheme to see how to get top marks for Q6 - e.g mention COVID-19 pandemic impacting release and box office for Black Widow.

2) Marks:

Q1: 1/1

Q2: 1/1

Q3: 8/8

Q4: 2/2

Q5: 2/2

Q6: 16/20

I think I missed out on the last 4 marks on Q6 for not fully mentioning how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the release of Black Widow and jeopardised its earnings at the box office. However, I think this is mostly because of the time limit and I couldn't write everything I wanted to.

3) Question 3:

I achieved full marks on this question by successfully analysing both the preferred and oppositional readings of the advert. A point from the mark scheme I could have used was the rolling up of sleeves has connotations of getting 'stuck in' and ready for hard work and action, along with her hair tied back which connotes to the fact that she takes her job more seriously than her appearance.

4) Question 4:

Vertical integration is when one conglomerate (a large company) owns different companies in the same chain of production - e.g Disney owns Marvel. This is beneficial to them as it enables these conglomerates to expand and make more profit, whilst also allowing them to beat rival companies.

5) Question 6:

Introduction: personal opinion/opening statement to justify your argument.

I, Daniel Blake main points: production cost, box office earnings, different ways of marketing (e.g. guerrilla marketing), description of independent films, distribution, exhibition, director power and success of the film.

Black Widow main points: production cost, unsuccessful box office earnings for a Marvel film and why (due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted its release), different ways of marketing (e.g. traditionally - teaser trailers, film posters, billboards etc), description of Hollywood blockbusters, distribution and star power.

Optional additional paragraph: The comparison between the Hollywood blockbuster 'Black Widow' and the independent film 'I, Daniel Blake' - and which was the more successful film in terms of their oppositional success criteria.

Conclusion: A final judgement on which was the more successful film and why, summarise as a whole if independent films could ever compete with Hollywood blockbuster movies and conclude your own argument.