Slow motion is also a very effective technique. It can be used to emphasise a dramatic moment.
As well as camera effects, the advertisers also add special lighting, graphics and sound.
Music, and sound effects are very important in a successful advert, to create the right mood and image. So, for example if you were advertising an energy drink, you would use energetic music, to fit with the advert, and to convince people that the drink will give you more energy. But, if you were warning people about speeding, you would use a atmospheric, slow piece of music.
Quite a few adverts use silence in their adverts, it is sometimes is more effective than music. This is because it intensifies our attention, and makes us look at the advertisement. It gives the adverts a sense of urgency.
A big part of the advertisements effectiveness, is the use of persuasive language, and different tones of voice. Facts and figures are also very persuasive, because we like to know a bit about the product. They are always giving facts and figures on car advertisements.
Another trick advertisers use, is to use a celebrity to promote their products. This makes consumers want the products, as a celebrity is using them It also boosts the image of the company advertising the products.
The last point I am going to talk about is the use of propaganda. This is where the designers of the advertisements, put a secret message into the commercial, to persuade us to by the product. So, without even realising it, the adverts have influenced our opinions and emotions.
So, with all of these effects and tricks they can use to grab at our emotions, it is easy to see why television advertisements are the most popular and successful means of advertising.
The two television adverts I am going to describe and compare are the Oral B toothbrush advert, and the Lurpack butter advert. The Oral B advert starts off with a lady picking up the toothbrush. Then the camera moves on to a digital image of some teeth. It shows the head of the toothbrush, and how many food particles it gets off your teeth.
This part of the advert is very effective because it makes you convinced that it will clean your teeth better. The advert also gives facts and figures. In the advert it states that ‘It is the only toothbrush, with 40’000 pulsating 3D movements’. This is a very technical sentence, full of information. In the sentence it stated that ‘ It is the only toothbrush’. This makes us think that this product is superior to all the other electric toothbrushes on the market.
The second advert I am going to describe and compare is the Lurpack butter advert. It starts off with a digitally animated cartoon called Douglas, who is sitting on a tub of Lurpack, cleaning his trombone. Then, Douglas tries to play his trombone and it falls apart.
Then the camera moves to a close up of the butter. Douglas then finds all the pieces of his trombone.
At the end of the advert Douglas plays a tune on the trombone. This is an effective jingle, as it helps you to remember the advert. Also, Douglas is made out of the butter, so he ties in with the rest of the advert.
The Lurpack advert uses more camera shots than the Oral B advert. Also the Lurpack advert uses more lighting techniques, as it is much lighter than the Oral B advert. They are both effective adverts though, as both make their products look superior two other similar products. Also both adverts use digital effects to achieve the adverts.
MAGAZINES
Companies pay huge sums of money to get their products advertised. Some of this money goes towards magazine advertisements. The techniques used in magazine advertisements, are quite different from the techniques used for television advertisements.
For example, a magazine advert does not have the advantage of movement, or camera effects. So instead, they have to concentrate really hard to gain our attention. They do this by using propaganda, persuasive language, photographic techniques and images and colour. They also use alliteration, rhymes and slogans.
Magazine advertisements have the advantage of being able to use nasal sensory. So, they can give a sample of a new perfume or shampoo etc. They can also be more specific and detailed using more images and information, because the reader of the magazine advertisement can spend as long as they like looking at it.
The two magazine advertisements I am going to describe and compare, are an advertisement for higher education, found in a late teens magazine, and a ‘Walkers Lite ‘ advertisement, which I found in a woman’s diet magazine.
As you can see from where I found the advertisements, the advertisers think very carefully about which magazines they put their advertisements in, so that it will be effective. So, for example there is not much pointing putting an advert for anti wrinkle cream in a children’s magazine.
The first advertisement I am going to describe, is the Higher education advertisement. It has been designed very carefully, and a great deal of thought has gone in to it. The image is spread over the whole page, and it is a picture of the living room in a house. In bold white lettering in the right corner, it states that ‘ If you think you do not need higher education, you are missing something’. So, to show that you will be missing something, most of the objects in the room have half of them missing. So, there is half a television and coffee table etc.
Also the room is very natural, clean and modern. They have done this because they are trying to attract young adults to the advertisement. The advert has been cleverly designed. They have managed to link the image, with the information, which makes it more memorable.
Now I am going to describe the ‘ Walkers Lite’ advertisement. The background of this advert is completely white, then drawn on the background, in a cartoon style, are the lines of a pavement and a drainpipe. This gives the advert a simple style.
Then, there is a lady walking along the pavement with a handbag full of the ‘Walkers Lites’. Then coming out of the drainpipe, is the face and arm of Gary Lineaker.
He is trying to steal a packet of Walkers. This is effective because it shows that you will attract lots of attention if you buy the crisps. They have also used a celebrity, to raise the image of Walkers. It is also good that they are using Gary Lineaker, to promote Walkers crisps, on the television and in the magazine advertisements.
Also, to tie in with the text at the bottom which states that ‘ The crisps are made with pure sunflower oil’, the lady is wearing a skirt with bold sunflower prints. This is quite an effective advertisement, because the lady, the crisps, and Gary lineaker really stand out of the white background.
The two advertisements are quite different from each other. One difference is the style of the adverts. The higher education advert is slightly more complex, than the Walkers Crisps advert, but they are both still effective. The Walkers advertisement also uses celebrity association. Although magazine advertisements are all different, they are all designed to be suitable for the product that they are portraying.
MOST EFFECTIVE?
Both types of advertising are obviously effective, otherwise the companies that want to promote their products, would not put their money into advertising on the television and in magazines.
Although, with all of the available techniques that can be used on the television, I think that television adverts are more effective.
There are similarities and differences between television adverts and magazine adverts. The similarities are, that they are both trying to do the same thing. That is to persuade us, the consumer, to buy their products. Another similarity, is that they both use persuasive language to promote their products.
The two mediums of advertising also use celebrities to help the image of their products.
There are more differences between them, than there are similarities. One difference is that television advertisements, have the advantage of using special effects and techniques, to perfect their products, and catch our attention. Magazine adverts can still use certain effects, but they are restricted.
Another difference, is that television advertisements are normally over in no more than ten seconds. Whereas, magazine advertisements are permanently in the magazine, and are there to look at for a long as you want. This is an advantage for the magazines, because people will be able to go back to the advert, any time they want. But it could also be an advantage for the television advertisements, because the advertisements might leave a sharp and short message, which can be easily remembered.
A disadvantage for the magazines, is that they are not seen by a wider audience. This is because, the advertisements are only seen if you go out and buy the magazine. Whereas, most people already have a television, and see the adverts.
Weighing up all of these points, I still think that television advertisements are more effective. This is because they have the capacity, to reach millions of prospective customers in an instant.
CONCLUSION
Advertising plays a crucial role, in the profits and developments, of income for companies. Advertising comes into play, when there are different companies, all trying to sell the same types of products.
It is obvious that advertising is successful. For example, Rimmel makeup is seen as more glamorous and trendy than boots makeup. This is because Rimmel products are always being advertised, and so they are more widely known and accepted.
Advertisers are very clever, in the way that they target people’s insecurities and desires. It is hard nowadays, to escape all the advertising in modern society. As a result of my examination of two types of media advertising, I have defiantly come to the conclusion that advertising is a very successful business.
Although sometimes, I do think that the media can be over used. The advertisement of new toys for children, etc, can cause conflict. This is because the parents are always being pressurised, into getting the latest fashions for there children. It can also put pressure on teenagers, because we have to try and keep up with the latest trends and advertised products.
Advertisements are very powerful, and can strongly influence or actions, without us even being aware of it. New, and even more effective techniques of persuasion, are being developed all the time.
BY
VICTORIA BRANSTON
