Advertising Analysis.

Advertising Analysis

Advertising is constant. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, you will be bombarded with advertising; it’s commonly accepted that the media (a collective term for film, radio. television, music, the printed press [ i.e. newspapers and magazines] and now, the Internet) is a key part of our modern day lives. The media is largely funded by advertising, because companies will pay large sums of money to reach the huge audiences of the media; and so, every time you turn on the television, tune it to the radio, open a magazine or newspaper, watch a film or connect to the Internet, you will more than likely see advertising. Even as I write this, I am being bombarded with advertising; the Sony brand name is clearly visible all over my computer; on its monitor, on the top-left corner of it’s keyboard; each second I spend on my computer, Sony will be advertising its products (let’s not forget Sony has many, many products to advertise), to me, simply because it’s brand name and logo are directly in my line of vision as I type on my keyboard. Sub-consciously, I will remember the Sony name. Examples of this form of advertising, the free exposure a company gets by plastering its name all over its products, is very widely used. The program I’m using to write this is Microsoft Word, and the program that allows my computer to run the program is Microsoft Windows. In the top-left hand corner of my screen, the name Microsoft appears. Every time I look up at my screen to check that what I am writing bares any semblance to what I intend to be writing, I see the Microsoft name; I’m not going to forget it, am I? Especially not since the name also appears in the bottom left hand corner of my screen as well, and the logo of Windows, Microsoft’s most well-known and widely used product, also appears in the bottom left of my screen constantly, even if I’m using a program made by a rival software house. This same from of advertising is used by food companies. If I get up from my typing and head to my fridge (incidentally, it has a BOSCH logo in the top-left corner), and get out, for example, a pot of Onken yoghurt, the Onken logo appears on both sides of the product’s tub and on the top of it’s lid. I’m exposed to the Onken logo three times in as many seconds. In fact, this form of advertising is probably present on almost any product you care to mention, not to mention it’s packaging; even the bag I carry the product in is in fact a form of advertising. Without realising it, by carrying, say, an HMV bag around Winchester, I am not only advertising HMV (and subsequently any product you could purchase within an HMV outlet) to everyone around me, I am also signifying that HMV has my personal seal of approval to everyone who goes past me, because I am carrying one of their bags; even if I’m using the bag to take an unsatisfactory product back to the shop, demanding a refund as I do so, I’m still parading the HMV name around for any passer by to see, and, thus, providing HMV with free advertising.

As well as these more subtle forms of advertising, there is the brash and blatant form of advertising which bombards us from billboards, screams at us to ‘Buy, Buy, Buy!’ when we reach an interlude in a programme on commercial television or radio, and fills the inboxes of e-mail accounts and mobile phones each day; not to forget of course, the many items of mail which enter our homes every day via the letterbox purely with the intension of advertising; junk mail. But, why all this product plugging? Surely, if a product is good enough it will sell itself?

Why do companies advertise? Because advertising gives a product exposure. Advertising via billboard exposes the product to anyone who drives past that particular billboard which is being advertised on; perfect for a product which can be advertised to anyone. If a product has a particular target audience, that audience can be targeted directly with advertising campaigns. For example, a CD of a particular genre can be advertised in a magazine of the genre the readership of the magazine on the assumption that because they are reading the genre magazine, they will be a fan of the particular type of music being advertised, and also advertised via banner or pop-up on genre websites for the same reason. If a car is to be aimed at profffesionals, the car can be advertised in broadsheet newspapers or magazines that professionals might read (the Economist, or the Spectator, for example), and advertised in commercial breaks between programmes the professional class are likely to watch. Advertising gives the product exposure to the desired audience, guaranteed as long as it is paid for. It is the best way to expose a product to the desired audience because advertising is guaranteed to be seen at least fleetingly by the desired audience.

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For the purposes of this essay, I shall be examining magazine advertising; magazine adverts use a variety of techniques to attract the audience they want to read the advert; adverts often stand out via clever slogan with use of wit or humour; sloping text is often used to ensure that the reader follows all of it and reads the whole message. Colour is important as well colours either have to convey a message of their own, help create he atmosphere, mood and feel of the advert or make sure that the focus ofte advert is placed totally on the text; this can be achieved, for example, by placing black text on a white background; the text will be what stands out and so it will be what is noticed by all who read the advert; bright colours lure people in and suggest a fun and vibrant feel, and so on.

The adverts I have chosen to analyse, rather accidentily, advertise the same product; holidays. However, since one is for cruises in thre Medditeranian and one for short breaks in the highlands of Scotland, there are sure to be differences in audience, motive and so on.

The motives haveto be considered entirely different for the two adverts; one is an advert intended to sell the cruises of a perticular company (Swan Hellenic), whilst the other is intended to increase the turism trade in the highlands of Scotland. The product for the Swan Hellenic advert are the cruises themselves, with the brand name being Swan Hellenic, a name used by a larger company (P&O Princess Cruises); the second advert is not nearly so clear cut; the product seems to be holidays in the Scottish highlands, regardless of the company banner, and the brand name seems to be, rather oddly, Scotland itself.

Both adverts are trying to sell a perticular holiday, but approach it in entirely different ways; the Swan Hellenic advert uses the already existing image of the medderanian , where as the Scottish highland advert tries to create a new image for them. This is seen in both the picture and text of the adverts; the Swa Hellenic presents the Medtterian at its idyllic best; sweeping green trres, sundrenched white rocks and amazing mountain scenery are used; the image of the meddeteranian as a place of history and culture is also created; a picture of an ancient monnestry implies the cultural and historical significance of the medeteranian.

In contrast, the Scottish highlands advert goes directly against images traditionally asocitared with Scotland (tartan, bagpipes, thistlkes and the coloursof the Scottish flag), presenting Scotland as suave and sophisticated through the use of stylish andelegent purples (no tartan colours, no blue and white) with stylish sillouetes of a young couple rather tha traditional imagesof the scots, perticularly higlanders, who are seen to be more Scottish than other Scots.

The personality created for Scotland is an andvanced and chic one; the personalitybeing create or te Meddeterian is a rustiic and traditional one, with rural and religious values being upheld; the use of an imgae of a remote lcation also suggests that the medeteranian is an ideal place to visit if you wish ‘get away from it all’ and that it is free from the pressures of modern life(this is implied by the use of a monnestry, the monnestrry shows the importance of religion to the people of the Meddeterian and perhaps that the havesimpler values than modern westeners; this reinforces the image of the area being free of the contraints of modern life), whilst the opposite image is created for Scotland via the use of modern and fashionable colurs and a modern, young couple.

Both these advertisements came from The Times’ glossy magazine supplemnt, so the target audience is likely to be the more educated individuals who make up the readership of The Times, and who will be able to afford expensive cruises or luxury breaks to the Scottish highlands; this is affirmed by a staementon the Swan Hellenic advert; ‘cruises start from just £1,249’. Clearly, the the use of the word’just’ before a sum which is out of the question for many’s holiday budgets shows that the audience are higher earners, especcialy when one considers the fact that is the starting price, the minimum amount needed for a cruise.

The target audience of the Scotland advert is most probably either young couples or slightly older couples wnating to revive lost romance with a cosy break; the use of an embraci ng couple confirms this. The Medderanian cruise holiday’s target audience will most probably be either couples or groups of friends who want to get away from it all and enjoy travelling, and are prepared to pay for the luxury of the cruise; herein lies the motive for buying the product; the luxury which is assured by the price tag and also the built up image of the brand name ensure that the reader of the magazine, if he or she wants luxury, will choose this product over others; the advert even uses it’s brand name’s history of reliability

The two adverts differ hugely in their use of pictures or photos; the advertisement for meditation cruises uses the scenery of the Mediterranean to try and demonstrate the beauty of the area; the picture entices the potential reader into reading the text with its stunning nature; it leaps out of the page at you because of the breathtaking nature of the scenery; in contrast, the Scottish highlands advert the picture is secondary; the use of lilac or mauve shades of purple (i.e. colours which don’t leap out at are by their nature gentle) makes the text (which is a white, which glaringly stands out) seem the key focus for the reader. Because the Scottish highlands do not have a reputation which is desirable to the advertisers, there are a variety of techniques used to dispel it. Typically the Scottish highlands are thought to be remote and behind the times, with nothing to offer the modern person; the use of a couple ho are clearly young tries to dispel that image. Also, the Scottish highlands are typically perceived as being remote and so old fashioned in outlook; the use of modern colours and the fact that the advert shows a couple who are most probabaly too young to be married kissing and embracing near a bed try and dispel this preconception.

The use of the couple in n intimate scenario also draws many people in to reading the advert; sadly, sex sells. The image gives a cosy, personal and intimatefeel to the advert which is reaffirmed by the text; the bad weather is clearly outside the window whilst the reader sees the coupleinsideand protected from the cold; suggesting a warm atmosphere. Combined, these images suggest to the target audience (who we assume are young, perhaps newly-wed couples or older couples looking to re-kindleromance) that the Scottishh Highlands will provide a warm, cosy and intimate atmosphere for them, and also that they are modern enough to accommodate their needs; it appeals to both audiences. The medderanian cruise advert showcases the best of the medderanaian; it’s beautiful landscapes, it’s culture, it’s rich and varied history and backs all of this up with a brand name gurantee, showing a potential buyer what he or she can have in te medderanian and guaranteeing that he or she will receive it because of the brand name.

Because of the importance of the brand name and its reputation the logo is far more important in the mederanian advert; is displayed prominetly, and the features a white and pale blue with a swan; the swan is traditionally asociated with being graceful, yet strong; the colurs of blue and white show these qualities in the swan; by placing the swan so close to a ship, the qualiies transfer to the hip; the second part of the company name is also very important; Helenic is derived from Helen of Troy, the woman whose visage ‘luanched one thousand ships’; with the beuty implied in Helen, and the grace and power of the swan, the ship becomes all of these things; beautiful, powerful, graceful; the illustration of the ship shows a pristine cruiser sailing on seas of a magnificent, rich blue, below an unclouded and unfaltering sky of royal blue; the illustration conveys all the qualities asociated with both the swan and Helen of Troy.

By contrast, the Scottish highlands advert does not have a logo ofsorts; the website address visitscotland.com appears to substitute; this may be to aid the image of the Scottish Highlands as a modern and up-to-date area and dispel preconceptions of the highlands as remote and old fashioned, and may also be to do with the fact that the advertising campign is tryig to distance the Scottish Highlands from stereotypes and a logo to represent Scotland inevitably use stereotypes.

The slogan is all part of the brand package for the meddeteranian cruise advert, and it combines with the images created with the use of the swan and Helen of Troy: ‘Discoveries of a Lifetime’; the elegent tone and formal vocabulary used combine with the images of the swan and Helen; there is dignity in the seriousness in the vocabulary, but it also insites a sense of adventure and excitement which would make a potential buyer keen to go on a cruise and see the amazing discoveries; it also conveys the uniqueness of the experiences you will have on a Swan Hellenic cruise. It makes the expereinces you will have on a Swan Hellenic cruise seem special, as well as unique, and makes it seem as if that if you turn down the chance to go on a cruise, you will never have the chance again.

Once again, however, the Scottish Highlands advert lacks a concrete slogan. Because it does’nt promote any perticular company, and only a product (the Highlands themselves), there is no company slogan to use; really, it has more of a tag; the visitscotland web address; the advert is used to draw people in with its imagery before directing the reader to a resource for more information, rather than selling a product directly to the reader.

The most striking contrast between the two adverts is the use of text and tone. The cruise advert uses a personal tone in the style of a postcard (together with a font which looks as if it is handwritten) to give the advert the style ofa one on one conversation between the reader and a friend; the personal style makes the dvert seem as if it has been purposefuly created for the reader and thus makes it seem more relevent to them. The description of the area is also personal rather than ‘it shines like a beacon in the sun’, which would be used ina formal desprition, the phrase ‘it shone like a beacon in the sun’ is used to give the text the feeling of it being a person’s despription, enhancing the personal feel. The text is of a relevent size to make it seem legitimately handwritten (and is spaced to achieve the same effect), but it is hugh up enough on the pafge for the glorious, sprawling and idyllic medeterranian scene to be seen in full. The use of ‘we’ in the opening paragraph affirms the audience the product is aimed at; couples or groups, and also suggestes a shared experience, which the whole party enjoyed; the use of the phrase ‘never knew existed’ not only enforces the uniqueness of the cruises but also suggest that you will learn and be entralled in the process by going on the cruise. The text reffering to the monks being ‘hoisted up in a basket’ gives the text even more of a personal feel because it comes accros as a private joke; the final use of humour does what the phrase about the monks does and also makes the reader laugh, hopng to usethe humour to help them remember the advert. The body of text underneath the picture is used to push the cruises themselves. Within the first sentence, you have all the positives of a Swan Hellenic cruise laid out for you with a rheotorical question on the end to make you think about them all; the text also speaks directly to the target audience (couples or groups who want to get away from modern life) with the promise of ‘places off the beaten track’ and also promises once again that you will learn whilst on the cruise. Having considered the rheotoricalquestion, the reader is confronted with still more of the cruises virtues Havinggiven the reader all the virtues of a cruise with Swan Hellenic in the firsttwo sentances, the text then details how to obtain them all in a plethora of ways, all guaranteed to be easy, quick, effective and hair-tearing free; the use of the phrase ‘friendly team are waiting to assist you’ conjures up an office full of happy people who will wait for a time convinient to you to assist you in choosing a perfect holiday; another virtue, and only in the third sentence.

Where as the Swan Helenic advert uses an extensive amount of text, the Scottish Highlands advert uses short, snappy and witty (slightly sarcastic) phrases to give it a chic, modern air. The text stands out because of its position on the page and the sentences lead sraight on into each other. The other body of text is small and secreted away so as not to detract from the all-important picture; the phrase ‘make your own entertainment’ makes use of innuendo and gives a certain allure to coming to the coming to the Scottish Highlands; the useof aquestion directly followed by an answer (‘Want to come? Go online.’) points a reader where to go without giving him or her time to think; it’s almost s if he or she as nochoice. Those last two sentences are also short and snappy, as is the ‘tag’ visitscotland.com, which is is easy to remember andstresses that you shoud visit Scotland; the use of an incomplete andshort address rather than a longwinded one also keeps up the modern theme (by missing off the http:// and www. sections of the website address and using something catchy like visitscotland.com and not something like uktourism.co.uk/scotland/highlands/visit_scotland.html the shot and snappy nature of the text is kept going and it is also a stylish ddress.).

In conclusion, this study has shown how two adverts selling he same product (holidays) and aimed at a simmilar demographic (high-earning Times readers) can be vastly different. Whilst the Swan Hellenic advert relies on showcasing and using a built up image of the Medetteranian and the reputation of P&O cruises the Scottish Highlands advert tries relentlessly to dispelpreconceptions about the Scottish Highlands through the use of modern colours, the internet, short, snappy phrases and a modern sense of humour. In my opinion, the Swan Hellenic is more successful becauseit has a built up image to rely on and fall back on and so the product is easier to sell throgh visual showcasing and the use of language techniques (,etaphor in ‘like a beacon in the sun’ rheotorical questions), and the conotations of the swan and Helen of Troy to sell it’s product.