Radio and television advertising took the form to another new level and the increasing availability of the Internet is opening up more avenues for the industry. Indeed, many Internet “freebies” are funded from advertising revenues.
Advertising is a crucial part of business so larger companies who can afford them employ advertising agencies. A large advertising agency nowadays consists of advertising and marketing specialists, designers, writers, artists, economists, psychologists, researchers, media analysts, product-testers, librarians and bookkeepers … a reliable team!
One very important factor in advertising is the “target group” – the people an advertisement is aimed at. For example, is the product targeted especially to women, as in the case of a perfume, or does it appeal to a certain age group? Advertisements are designed to appeal directly to the appropriate target group. They may offer the hope of better employment, security against old age or illness, popularity, better health, better looks, and so on. The advert will show what the product in question will do for the buyer. For example, an advertisement for a perfume might show the possibility of increased sexual attraction in a woman who wears the scent being advertised. I have chosen to look at two printed advertisements for this assignment: one is an advert for a Vauxhall Corsa car and the other is for a company selling sofas (DFS)/
In the DFS advert, the man slouching on the sofa is noticed first. This is a clever advertisement because the background is white and the sofa is a dark grey, this makes the sofa stand out and so it makes it look more powerful. Again, the man sitting on the sofa is also wearing white so stands out, looking relaxed and glamorous. The colour schemes are really effective, the words the advert wants you to see first are written in a bright red colour (double the savings, think glamour, 3 years free credit). The price of the sofa is written in a smaller font than those used in the rest of the advert. The first price shown of £1025 has been crossed out saying it has been reduced to £759 and then this is also crossed out and the final price (or ‘double discount’, a DFS slogan) is circled in red saying “look how much it has gone down by!” The words/phrases the advertiser wants you to see first like “sale discount” are written in much larger fonts compared to the size of the font used on the price. This advert is designed for an immediate gasp on how nice and “cool” you would be if you bought this sofa. The space is used very well. The sofa itself takes up one and half A4 sized paper. It’s trying to focus mostly on the sofa and its style. The man is also appealing to us saying that the sofa is glamorous and comfortable. He looks relaxed and like he hasn’t a care in the world. The sofa is made to seem larger due to the angle of the photograph, and the way the man is only sitting on one side of the sofa. (He almost seems to be inviting us to sit down with him and share in his lifestyle!). This is a light text advertisement, it is talking to us through the picture. The advert makes you think if you have the sofa you will be glamorous, successful, happier and in a way more attractive. Their slogan is “Think Sofas, Think DFS” suggesting that you can’t get any better than DFS, especially in the sales.
The use of alliteration in the phrase “… stunning soft leathers …” makes the phrase more effective. Also, the use of adjectives like the words “huge”, “stunning” and “exclusive” are designed to add weight to their attempt to persuade you to buy this sofa. Repetition of the phrase “Double Sale Savings” is meant to reinforce this idea in the readers mind and make it memorable.
The advertisement for the Vauxhall Corsa is interesting because it features a celebrity, the super model Naomi Campbell. There is a lot of unused space but he advert is aimed at how the car has two new impact bars on each side, ensuring maximum protection in the event of an accident. It shows the sexy model sitting on a demolition ball aimed at the car, as if to suggest the car could withstand the impact of being hit by the ball. The only two colours which stand out are the car itself and the outfit Naomi is wearing. This is another light text advert, it is based on the fact that it’s a sexy car because there is a sexy super model and that that the car is safer than others because it could withstand the impact of a demolition crashing into its side. The advert uses a lot of play on words and a little humour in the small paragraph at the bottom which reads, “To demolish all rival claims” This quotation is saying that all companies that have said that their car is better than this one, are lying. The advert also employs an adage “Safety in numbers” in an attempt to talk to you personally because it is a well-known saying; it’s trying to create a familiarity. The quotation “Find out about the super model and some easy ways to get to know one.” Uses innuendo to convey two impressions. Firstly, that you can find out more about the super model Naomi Campbell and easier ways to get to know one like her, and secondly, which I think is the real message they want us to understand is about their super model (the Corsa) and how to get to know one easily (to buy one).
Again, the size of the fonts used are noteable; the main text above the car is in large capital letters while the smaller block of writing at the bottom right-hand corner of the page gives a little more detail and the so-called “small print” which is barely noticeable gives the prices. The descriptive text in the bottom right-hand corner uses powerful words like “demolish”, “rival” and “impact” which, in conjunction with the use of a super model suggest the target audience are men. Use of the words “safety” and “new” are meant to drive home the message that this car is newer and safer than other cars.
I enjoyed this coursework assignment. I find the tactics and ploys used by advertisers fascinating and it is evident that successful advertising is a highly skilled art. The impact on consumers of the manipulation of certain types of language, clever and appealing imagery and the way these are presented as a whole is quite remarkable. Perhaps as a result of my work on this assignment I will be less easily swayed by clever advertising. On the other hand, if an insight into how advertising works was enough to “insulate” consumers against being swayed advertising would not be so successful an industry, would it?
