The Right hand page under the photo contains the bulk of the information. The opening line is the well known phrase ‘Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder.’ Instead of simply quoting the phrase, they have included a ‘they say’ in between. This breaks down the quote, and makes it seem like less of a command. The use of ‘they say’ also seems to put a more seductive or luring feel over the whole sentence. One can almost imagine the line said seductively. The reference to ‘they’ also creates a familiarity. ‘They’ is supposed to represent ‘people’, but instead of saying ‘people say’, by putting ‘they say’ it almost establishes a common ground with the reader, the mutual knowledge of ‘them’ and what ‘they say.’
The next line is almost contradictory to the first in tone. While the first seems to be more soft spoken the next line is a grand opening gesture. ‘So behold the Rover 25,’ has a louder tone to it. The list of the car’s assets are then listed: a distinctive front grill, an optional range of alloy wheels, colour co-ordinated door mirrors and spoiler.’ It goes on to use another well known saying with relation to beauty, ‘ beauty is skin deep’, contradicting this statement saying that with their class leading 304 litres of space, optional ABS brake system, driver’s airbag and enough front and rear leg room for the longest of legs, the 25’s beauty isn’t simply skin deep but radiates from the inside, deeper than the ‘skin.’
It is clear that the advert is for women, and with comparison to a male equivalent, phrases like ‘colour co-ordinated door and mirrors and spoiler’ and ‘enough front room and rear legroom for the longest of legs’ are replaced with ‘propels you from 0 –60 in a staggering 6.9 seconds and ‘includes a multi-link suspension system.’
The photo seems irrelevant to the whole product with the car surrounded by rubbish, with a lanky red head model in stiletto boots staring suggestively into the camera. The last sentence however, which appears as though it is trying to justify the need for the photo, and the relevance of it says ‘So look good even in the trashiest places with the Rover 25 range.’ The tall, thin and seemingly expensive looking model is supposed to look even more exquisite although she is in the middle of the dump because of the racy red Rover 25 next to her. Or perhaps the racy red Rover 25, looks even more racy with the tall, slim model by its side?
Although the car takes up most of the page, the model is in the fore front, and although the car is a bright eye catching red, our attention immediately goes to the red head stood alone in the middle of a tip. It isn’t the car that draws our initial attention to the advert but the model. Women were used as sex objects in previous years, lying sprawled across the latest mini with sexist phrases such as ‘a cute little lassie with her cute little car.’ The fact that the model in this advert demands attention by simply standing beside the car shows how much more respect women have now.
The main theme of the whole advert is beauty, looking good and being impressive. An image which previously only extended to make up and jewellery now extends to the cars we drive. So additional pressure is placed on women, not only are they to dress well, look good, have money and friends, but they are presented with another opportunity to prove themselves in the world :have the perfect car. They can either accept the challenge and continue to be a slave to fashion like everybody else, or stand at the bus stop staring at other colleagues driving past. Independence is shown as coming from taking the road into the palm of their hand. Independence and power that most woman want in their life.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ADVERT on CARS
The second advert is from Good Housekeeping. This is one of the first established woman's magazines and has been running for over 80 years. The magazine is full of adverts targeted at what it calls the more ‘sophisticated and mature woman.’ The tone of this advert is very different is very different to the one above. The previous advert lays particular stress on beauty and elegance.
This particular advert is one for the new Toyota Corolla Verso, a car it claims you ‘can be proud of.’ Comparing the layout of the previous advert to this one, they are similar. Both have a large photo, which dominates over the text. The text lies at the bottom of the page. This advert however does not use two pages. This single page advert also does not have a separate sectioning for the text. The bottom part of the advert is gradated slightly darker but the white text is still superimposed on the previous picture. This is because this advert is a lot more natural and less surreal than the other one. The continuance of the photo and no boxes or harsh lines for sectioning reflect this.
The text itself is simple. It does not include the technical jargon of the previous advert. Neither does it accentuate beauty or any innuendo or seductiveness. This advert is firmly playing on a mothers need for practicality. The first and last sentences of the advert are the ones that stay in your mind. This is called primary and recent memory. This remembers the first thing you read and the last. Because of this reason, it is vital that the first and last sentences sell the product as much as possible. The opening sentence, always a key sentence in anything :The Corolla Verso gives you room to play with. The sentence can be broken down into two sections. The first ‘The Corolla Verso gives you.’ The mention of the name of the car plants it in the readers mind, but perhaps more important part ‘gives you’ is very strong. The involvement of the reader immediately attracts attention and makes the advert more personal. Instead of looking at the photo with the models, the readers envisions themselves in the photo. The motion of ‘giving’ is also a powerful one. This again feels like you are being personally spoken to and ‘rewarded.’ The price is not mentioned in this advert at all unlike the previous one, where the price was mentioned at least twice. Here it invokes the emotion of receiving something gratis.
The photo immediately illuminates anyone without children. The target audience is clear, and this is backed up by the text underneath. ‘The boot will take all your essential baby care equipment and enough toys to start your own crèche.’ The advert is appealing to the mother who knows how it feels to not be able to fit everything she needs in the car. It also seems to say ‘ your child deserves the best, and this is it.’
The next line begins ‘we’ve also built…’ Again the use of ‘we’ makes it personal. Almost as though the car was made especially for and suited to your needs.
The last line ‘Which means everyone gets to ride in comfort. Including Big Ted.’ Is the last thing the reader will remember. It pushes the practicality of the car again. It does not say ride in style, or everyone will look good, but that everyone will be comfortable. Again it is saying, ‘your child deserves to ride in comfort, as do you. And this is how you can.’ The final sentence: ‘Including Big Ted.’ Is the only reference to the photograph. But like the previous photograph it calls for the reader to look at the photograph. Once the reader has scanned for Big Ted, their vision can move out and focus on the rest of the picture
The picture is very busy, more so than the previous one. But the advantage of a busy foreground in the picture is the seemingly calm background of the car in comparison. It also implies that all the toys in the foreground have been bought to the park in the family’s Toyota Corolla Verso. The colour of the car is dark blue, a very serene colour in comparison to the siren red of the previous advert. This again sends out a different message. Whereas the Rover may ooze sex appeal, the Toyota appears more mature. The main focus of the picture, the thing in the middle is the little boy. He is selling the car. It is because of him that the car is needed. Again, the car does not sell itself but requires humans. The model in the Rover advert was used to attract attention. The models in this advert are used to help the reader visualise; that could be your child, with you and your husband sat close by.
I mentioned before that the cars were seen to be an icon of status. Before the car was a symbol of looking good. In the breast enhancement advert the symbol of happiness is larger breasts. In this advert the symbol of the car is responsibility, making a good mother, providing the best for your child. In the background of this photo is a man and his daughter, who appear to be looking in awe at the car and the array of toys in front of it. In her hand is a small teddy bear, this is because she could not carry Big Ted. The man in the background is shown as being inferior. The family in the foreground are providing for their child more sufficiently than the other man.
This advert is pressurising for women. The values from one advert in one magazines to another advert in another magazine have changed dramatically. In her younger years the woman needs to be a siren, remembered for her beauty and class. Once she has a family she is expected to provide for that child to the best of her ability, and better than everybody else’s. Although the pressure may be different it is still there. The pressure neither becomes less or more, but simply different.
