The first two adverts are from the SORTED magazine and advertise a “Converse” shoe in the first advert and a mobile phone game “FIFA 2004” in the second. In the third and fourth adverts from FHM, the first is a “Lynx” advert and the second is a “Beck’s” advert.
I have seen other adverts publicizing the same products from SORTED on both television and heard them on the radio. On the television the adverts appear in the commercial breaks of young persons programs on terrestrial shows and on digital channels such as “SMTV Live”. On the radio they are to be heard in the evenings (after school hours) in the commercials on young persons stations such as “Kiss 100”. I have also seen the FHM adverts on television but not heard them on the radio. They were seen at a later time of the day between comedic programs such as “V Graham Norton” on all advertising terrestrial channels as well as digital channels.
Analysis
The first advert from the SORTED magazine is for a brand of trainer called “Converse”. The advert is aimed at young males who are interested in basketball. This advert has a structured and formal layout with a large picture dominating the page promoting the product by the use of role models from the sport of Basketball. A smaller image of the product is used to show the consumer what they will be buying. Text is that the bottom of the page in a formal tone and declarative mood e.g. “It’s a journey that never ends”. It is a persuasive advertisement as it is saying you will perform better with their product. A cliché is used before the small body of text as a slogan to relate to the products and the brand. Monosyllabic words dominate sentences e.g. “How far you go is your call” to make the sentence easy to read and flow. Co-ordinating conjunctions e.g. “and” are also used to link simple sentences together making the sentence flow better. The use of the second person plural pronouns, “you” (object pronoun) and “your” (possessive pronoun), are used to refer to people and create an assumed relationship between the reader and the writer. Comparative adjectives such as “higher” and “harder” are used in the text and relate to something that has already been done before. They provide information as well as encouraging the consumer to buy the product. The use of attributive adjectives e.g. “new” provide more information about a thing or object, in this case making it seem the product is newer and better than other similar products. The sentences are short to provide a specific point each time and pronouns such as “it “ (common) and “Performance System” (proper) refer to the product and language in its specific semantic field. The use of a compound sentence e.g. “You have to work achieve your goals, and then set the bar even higher” brings two sentences together using a co-ordinating conjunction to make the paragraph flow more efficiently. The use of a gerund e.g. “becoming” acts as a kind of encouragement “to become” better at something i.e. using this product will make you “become” better at sport. Relative clauses such as “For superior ride and handling” add extra information to a sentence and exophoric sentences e.g. “How far you go is your call”.
The other advert I took from the SORTED magazine is for a mobile phone game “Fifa 2004”. It is aimed at young adults and teenagers of both sexes but predominantly males, who are interested in gaming and football in particular. This advert also has a formal layout and is in the imperative mood e.g. “Don’t just play the game. Live it”. The whole advert is a large image with very little text on it. The logo of the game is in the very centre of the page with role models from the world of football above it. This advert is informative as it is telling you about the game and how you can get the game. It has a secondary purpose of being persuasive using the slogan at the top of the page to improve the appeal of the product. Monosyllabic words are used in the slogan to make the sentence simple and easy flowing. It also has an exophoric reference as it refers to “The game” being something outside the text.
In the first advert from the FHM magazine on “Lynx” deodorant, I found it to be aimed at young males again that are interested in their personal hygiene and their perception by women. I noticed it to be very simple and informal. It is persuasive as it is attempting to sell the product by the use of sex. This also creates interest through humour. The advert suggests that purchasing the particular product will lead to you being able to pull the zip down on the females’ jeans. The whole advertisement is an image with very little text and minor sentences. There is a small image of the product in the bottom right corner of the page as well. Word play is used as it suggests that you can “Touch” the body of the female, which also is the name if the product. There is no real use of personal pronouns but a relationship is attempted using sexually orientated images.
The second advert from the FHM magazine is for the alcoholic drink “Beck’s” and is aimed at young adults, mainly males, who are interested in socialising. This advert has only one word and an image on the whole page. There is wordplay on the minor sentence “Exhibitionist” implying that the bottle of lager is an exhibitionist by lifting its label (like a woman may lift her skirt). This personification of the bottle creates persuasion by humour and interest. The advert also suggests that consuming the product may lead to the sexual activity with a member o the opposite sex. The advert is in the declarative mood and has a very simple layout with one large image being focused in the very centre of the page.
Conclusion
After analysing the adverts I can conclude that advertising manipulates images and language so that it can gain more sales. The adverts from SORTED magazine, being aimed at younger males, have no sexual content and have more textual information in them, as subtle jokes may not be understood. Also, they related to promoting healthy lifestyles e.g. participating in sport, both basketball and football. Young people can relate to these adverts, as they always want to be involved with the latest fashions and technologies to impress each other. They would not be so suitable in a magazine aimed at older males as they would not stimulate an adults mind and draw them to looking at the advert for more than a couple of seconds. On the other hand with the adverts in the FHM magazine, they are both sexually orientated and are attempt humour. They both promote unhealthy lifestyles of drinking alcohol and misbehaving with the opposite sex, which would not be suitable for young males. They contain language and topics, which may not be understood by younger readers due to its mature editing. Adults relate to these humorous magazines, which promote to the reader, using their products in their leisure time as readers may see it as an escape from the realities of life such as work and family.
Bibliography
Texts
Chris Mooney - FHM or For Him Magazine (March 2004 Issue)
Piers Townley - SORTED Magazine (March 2004 Issue)
Sara Thorne - Mastering Advanced English Language
Wilson’s School - A Level Language Glossary
- Previous Coursework Submissions
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