The television advert I am going to analyse is the John Smith's advert entitled "Top Bombing" taken from late in 2002. This advert was part of a continuous "No Nonsense" series

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Analysis of a television advert

Introduction

                The television advert I am going to analyse is the John Smith’s advert entitled “Top Bombing” taken from late in 2002. This advert was part of a continuous “No Nonsense” series, which is still running on television screens with the most recent being a “doorstep challenge” type advert where the presenter turns up on the doorstep of an unsuspecting victim and asks a question which would usually have a yes or no answer.

 

        The basis of the advert is Peter Kay (A British comedian) in a diving contest against some of the world’s top professional diver’s. The advert is intended to promote the idea that the beer it is advertising is plain and simple like the winning dive or “Bomb” Peter Kay performs. Not only does the advert show Peter Kay’s winning “Bomb” it also shows two other divers performing dives that are extremely complicated in comparison to Kay’s. The advert finishes with the slogan “No Nonsense”. This slogan is displayed next to a pint of the beer, John Smith’s, which is the product being advertised as well as Peter Kay, John Smith in the advert, with his long swim shorts falling down revealing his posterior.

Concept of the advert

                The idea of the advert is to promote the “No Nonsense” drink, John Smith’s. The advert uses the simplicity of “the bomb” to promote the no nonsense which is usually associated with diving contests. It uses public stereotype that diving is just people showing off and contrasts it with Kay’s overly simple “bomb”. This promotion of simplicity means that people who can’t do what they are seeing in the advert, which would be the majority, can see that they are on the same level as the product being advertised. This very basic concept clicks with the viewer and keeps them interested as they don’t really have to think about it, and the comedy aspect to the advert really keeps people hooked. The comedy aspect keeps people drawn to the advert all the way through as it is comical until the very end of the advert when Kay’s shorts fall down. The simplicity of the advert keeps the viewer interested while the camera angles vary. The advert’s layout is that of a diving contest. It shows the initial run up to the jump side on then shows a head on view of the divers initial upward drive off of the board, which then goes into a shot of the divers motion in the air, into the final splash. This is repeated for the second diver and John Smith (Peter Kay).

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        Smith’s dive or “bomb” is the complete opposite of what judges look for in diving contests. In diving contests the judges are usually on the lookout for the complexity of the trick and the lack of splash as well as rigidity in the air. In the advert, the opening pair of divers perform what would be considered a very good dive in an ordinary contest. Smith however performs a dive or “Bomb” which would score very low in an actual diving competition. This is where the concept of no nonsense comes into play. The no nonsense “bomb” is a ...

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