Advertising Analysis - Essay Example

Advertising Analysis Marketing strategists often employ specific techniques to create believable stories. They hook observers’ attentions through technical effects and psychological devices. The techniques used are many and varied, but the most commonly used techniques are simple and easily recognizable (Berger 5). Technical effects are aimed at adding value to the adverts. These include: Sound effects add value to the products, thus giving them emotion. Close-ups give emphasis. Lighting is used to attract viewers’ attention to certain details. Accessories such as models, props and clothes used alongside the products improve them. Editing is focused on generating and pacing excitement; most products are marketed using three primary emotions: humor, sex and fear. These emotions should be independent on intellectual analysis. Unique effects bring inanimate things into life, thus making them exciting. This feature is usually prevalent in children-targeted ads. Camera angles add value to perspectives. For instance, low angles often give the product or subject power; and popular songs and music provide pneumonic devices to ads, and trigger observer’s memory (Berger 14). Common attention –getting hooks are aimed at attracting viewers’ attentions. They include humor, symbols, repetition, fear, sex, flattering, big lies, macho, femininity, ordinary people, famous people, hype, testimonials, cute and vague promises (Berger 17). These are described as follows: Humor is commonly used since it makes the observers more attentive and memorable. Symbols such as crosses and flags are easily recognizable elements that generate powerful emotions. Repetition is used to repeat sales pitch over and over again. Fear messages are focused on addressing observers’ insecurities. It is one of the commonly used techniques since extra attention is needed to resist these messages. And sex often sells without exception. Cute images and people always add value to the show, especially in cartoon and family programs. Most adverts feature celebrities giving testimonials why certain products are recommendable. This is because people respect products endorsed by celebrities such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Famous people like Tiger Woods make products attractive and appealing through associations. Ads that target family or community such as Wal-Mart use ordinary people in their shows. Femininity is a gender stereotype that is commonly used in a variety of products like alcohol ads and make-up commercials. Macho is commonly used in adverts that target male community, but not exclusively. It represents male stereotype and masculinity. Such ads include tobacco and military adverts. Exotic is the appeal of the other option. It maybe a tribal person, mountain location, beach location, or something unfamiliar or strange. Film effects, music, fashion and images depicting a certain period in history are focused to represent demographic featured in the advert. This may include pop and classic rock music (Berger 34). Culture is a feature that is essential when designing an advert. An advert should be designed in accordance to specific ethnic groups. For example, Latino-targeted adverts may include particular uses of language or family scenes (Berger 34). There are two key analytical frameworks used to describe adverts and other visuals. These are content analysis and semiotic analysis. The two techniques are not often used when analyzing an ad because they both originate from different ideological stances (Berger 41). Active interpretation is primarily concerned with the act of interpretation. From this, the meaning of the advert is obtained from the process of interpretation, but not from the content of the advert. Such adverts are designed to bring the viewers to a common understanding. There is also diversity of interpretation method, which focuses on the different views presented by the viewers regarding the same advert. This method takes into account factors such as ethnicity, age, class and gender; however, it may be taken beyond the targeted audience (Berger 47). Media education is another analytical framework that is quite different from the other techniques. It aims at identifying key features that are expected to draw the viewers’ attentions. All these techniques differ considerably, and it is necessary to ask yourself what you need to learn from the advert before analyzing it. There are a number of questions that should be asked when analyzing a photograph. These questions were developed by Jib Fowles (1996), and they include: When and where did the advert appear? Analyze the overall design. Where is it set in time and space? Who are featured? What roles do they represent? What major objects are featured? Describe the features in the fore- and back ground. What does the object appear to represent? What does the advert suggest about age, ethnicity, class, self-identity and gender roles? After doing careful analysis of the advert, it is advisable to make concluding remarks regarding the content and design of the advert you have identified. Some of the questions that help in making concluding remarks include: What lesson you have learned from the advert? What features have the advert chosen to downplay? What features of the advert have your technique identified? What are the shortfalls of your approach? Analysis of the Photo below The photograph provided has achieved some of the underlying values of a visual advertisement. The woman in the photograph cutely attracts the attention of viewers of the photograph. Furthermore, the coloring of the background by a loud contrasting color appeases the eye; thus, will automatically call for the viewer’s attention. However, the massage in the photograph cannot communicate perfectly what it intends to communicate. The photograph depicts more action movie that a cleansing product. The woman in the photograph is actually showing some sense of power, but that power is not clearly relating to cleaning. The photograph should have incorporated some clean objects that have been washed by the product. Notably, if the viewer does not read the small writing “power to clean,” they may think that the products being advertised gives physical power that may arise through drinking. Therefore, this photograph is not a quality advert for the intended product. Works Cited Berger A. A. Media Analysis Techniques. New York: SAGE, 2011. Print Read More