I am going to compare two different beer adverts, Castlemaine XXXX, and Boddingtons. Both adverts are totally different. They both have two different approaches to the advert, the ideas and settings are unique, but they are both still advertising the same product.
The Castlemaine advert denotes a typical ‘Aussie’ village, in the middle of the outback! All the characters are stereotypical ranch workers in the outback. They speak with very strong accents and use colloquial terms and language. Everybody is leaning back with a lazy attitude. There are a couple of men stacking a little banged up van full with crates of Castlemaine beer. Then one of the men says, “ Something for the shealas shall we?”
To which the other man replies, “Yea two bottles of sweet sherry mate!”
As soon as the two bottles of ‘sweet sherry’ are loaded up onto the van, the whole thing collapses and caves in.
Both of the men look at each other and say “Looks like we over did it with the sherry!” from this we can tell that the ad is very sexist towards women.
The Boddingtons advert denotes a totally different approach, instead of being offensive and sexist to women the Boddingtons advert is very sexy and romantic but with a smart twist.
The advert is set in a very posh, and expensive flat, the fact that there is marble flooring and a four-poster bed in the corner.
The advert starts of with a view of a lady’s legs, in tights and wearing tall, dark stilettos, the camera then follows her across the flat. She goes and sits down a dressing table and starts rubbing some cream into her face, and then she almost starts to have a sexual fantasy (then you get a quick glimpse of her putting her hand into a pint of Boddingtons and scooping out the head).
Her husband, all dressed up in a tuxedo comes up to her and starts smelling her, and then with a real unexpected Manchester accent he says, “ By eck luv, you smell gorgeous tonight petal!” and then he take a sip of the beer. Then they both walk out.
There is a very strong sexual connotation, and at some points the advert actually makes you wonder if it is advertising beer or a face cream.
The Boddingtons advert has a point that says, you could be a ‘down to earth’ ordinary person, but still have a fabulous lifestyle if you drink Boddingtons.
One thing that both of the adverts have in common is that they are both funny and have some good twists in them especially the Boddingtons advert.
