The aquarium leaflet uses a large amount of the colour blue, which tends to symbolise water and the sea that the fishes live in. Also, a lot of purple has been used, which I believe is an exotic colour, which symbolises number of exotic and foreign sea creatures they have. Consequently, the colours used in the leaflet link to the idea of an aquarium and the creatures they have to show.
The second leaflet also displays numerous different colours from dark to light colours, though they don’t symbolise anything significant to the leaflet, bright colours are used for the purpose to catch the reader’s attention. However, the extravagant use of the colour yellow, a bright glowing colour tends to make you think this is an ecstatic and thrilling place.
Many of the images printed are large and captivating they tend to catch the reader’s attention more than the small images. Though both leaflets contain a mixture of each. The pictures show ordinary public enjoying the entertainment of the aquarium and the interactive world, there mostly pictures of children and families enjoying an enliven time with thrilled and contented expressions.
The images featured on the front cover of the Blue Planet aquarium is rather extraordinary; a child’s head with fish jumping out. This kind of illustration seems uncanny, yet interesting and gains the audience’s fascination. Also, the title ‘blow you mind’ relates to the picture and creates a link to amuse the audience. Though the second leaflet advertising the life interactive world show a picture of a woman inside a pupil of an eye, which also shares a common strangeness as the aquarium leaflet and again acquires the audiences interest.
Further types of presentational devices that are most commonly used as slogans e.g. ‘Blue Planet, its Aquamazing’. Slogans and mottos are used, as they are catchy and memorable. Another typical device to attract the audience is alliteration or exaggeration; it’s used often to make something sound really enticing or awful. In the Blue Planet leaflet there is a few examples of alliteration such as ‘amazing amphibians’ ‘feeding at frenzy’. There is also a vast amount of exaggeration used e.g. ‘a thrilling visit’ ‘deadliest animals’ ‘shudder at UK’s piranha exhibition’. Also in the life advert ‘mouth-watering selection’ ‘mind bending film’.
Boxes and bullet points are a way of making information accessible; they give the impression of being evidence. Bullet points can also make complex information into easy to understand facts and is therefore used widespread in these leaflets and many advertisements. They can also help to emphasise or stress a particular point.
E.g.
- FREE behind the scenes tour
The type of language used can have an affect on the reader, if informal language is used, which is made up casual or shortened words, it creates a friendly, chatty tone: ‘mind blowin’ ‘heart racin’ ‘breath takin’. Language in these context helps makes the audience more relaxed. Whereas formal language; being standard English gives it more importance tone and a more serious impression, which is not what many advertisers wish to portray.
The headings featured on a leaflet are most prominent and is the first thing that is noticeable, hence advertisers try and produce an exceptional headline to attract the audience e.g. Blow your mind at Blue Planet with underwater wander’.
The typography of an advert, which includes the type, size, type style and fonts etc., differs throughout these leaflets. It is obvious to realise that the larger the font or size, the more noticeable it is. The larger the print the more people tend to read it, whereas smaller print doesn’t catch the audience’s attention, and it makes the reader lose interest. Also people don’t generally prefer to read the small print, as usually it is written in a formal and serious tone, and also society today would find they would have to apply more effort, and it isn’t very intriguing.
When writers create leaflets, the amount of space used on the available page suggests different things. If all available space on an advert is used up, it shows a lot of information and makes you think the product or leaflet is compact full of information and is stimulating. Although it may seem to some that available space shows too much data crammed into a leaflet and that it’s too much to take in, which tends to make the audience lose interest. While on the contrary, too much available space can show lack of information and doesn’t seem at all compelling. Although some may see empty space as rather absorbing as it shows the writer or artist has left spaces so that everyone can interpret the advert differently. It can leave an intrigue as the spaces can be used by our imaginations to find our own perspective, as it makes the reader wander and helps the audience to think deeply by using our own intellect.
The writers and graphic artists have tried their foremost effort to try and create these leaflets to be successful in their aim, which is to attract the audience to visit their leisure facilities, and take an interest in the service they provide. I think the Blue Planet aquarium leaflet has been greatly successful in fulfilling its purpose. By analysing the leaflets I believe that it satisfies the criteria of a good advert.
Whereas the life interactive world leaflet didn’t have the same affect, although a great effort must have been put into it, and it includes many presentational devices, it isn’t as eye catching as compared to the Blue Planet leaflet. It includes a lot of small print and its typography is not as effective as it could have been. Though the use of colour and creativity of the images is of a satisfying standard and does create a limited amount of interest.
By writing this coursework and comparing and analysing the two sets of media adverts, I am amazed and fascinated at the effects of different techniques that writers and graphic artists use to try and attract the audience. I didn’t realise how much work is put into an advert and how they have to consider a numerous number of minor details to try and achieve a successful response from the audience. By carrying out this assignment it will make me consider in future how much thought and work is put into adverts, and also how hard it is for advertisers to promote and persuade the public to buy their products or leaflets.
