Of the two Teacher Training Agency adverts that you have analysed, which one do you think is more successful - and why?

Of the two Teacher Training Agency adverts that you have analysed, which one do you think is more successful – and why?

I am comparing two teacher training agency adverts to see which one is most appealing to its target audience.

Firstly I will discuss the images and camera shots shown in the two adverts.

The “those who can, teach” advert, which I will refer to as the first advert, begins by showing a close up shot of a fly. I believe this is done so we can see the fly in great detail thus making it more clear to the audience, that in the next image when it shows TV sets all showing the same images on their screens, piled on top of next to one another, that they symbolise “how a flies eye works”.

These images give me the opinion that they are focusing on the school subject, science/biology. This would make sense, as there is a great shortage of science teachers.

The next image shows, two numbers, one being mean to the other. This is a pun because the number being mean is also the mean number, in a mathematical sense. Again it is my view that they are focusing on maths because it is a subject that has a shortage of teachers.

A young baby is the image we next see. The shot is first taken as a medium close up but then later zooms out to a long shot to reveal that the baby is in a test tube. This is effective because it is done to represent two different types of baby, a natural baby and a test tube baby. This is a good way in which to contrast the two babies.

I believe that this image represents re and biology. This again could be because there is a shortage of science teachers.

Another image is one of an old man covering his arm with his opposite hand. This image begins with a point of view shot because the camera focuses on the man’s face. Secondly his arm covered by his hand, then, again focuses on his face, followed by the camera focusing back down on his arm where he moves his hand to reveal a series of numbers on his arm, which consequently suggests he was affected by the holocaust.

In my opinion this image was shot like this so to reveal the man’s history in stages so that the audience would make assumptions and realise at the end that everything is not just what meets the eye. The shots are all done from the view of a child because the shots look up and then go down back to eye level. This suggests to me that it is done from the view of the child because the innocence of children not realising the hurt the man has gone through and the need for some one like a teacher to explain this horrible past and how to help prevent it from happening again. This is similar to the baby images as they both cover world and moral issues and evoke sympathy from the audience. These images attract people to teaching because it is suggesting that if you teach you have a chance to help change the world, for the better.

The next image shown is a photograph being developed by hand in a dark room. The photograph is of a teenage boy in a school uniform. This image symbolises how teachers help children to develop and that a child’s teacher has a huge influence in a child’s life.

The final image is of a blue sky with white clouds. In my opinion this symbolises opportunity and good things to come, which again entices you into teaching with the belief that every day will be a sunny one.

All these images shown, emphasize what a person has to give; and that perhaps and that perhaps the viewer should give something by teaching These images really play on ones emotions and have quite a deep, calm, but yet shocking impact.

The “use your head advert, which I will refer to as the second advert, begins by showing a big ...

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The “use your head advert, which I will refer to as the second advert, begins by showing a big close up of the clock which reads 6.30, in order to make sure the reader knows its early morning.

The viewer is then shown the image of a man getting up and leaving his head at home, followed by him getting dressed No head equals, no personality, thus hinting that all jobs except teaching, don’t require you to bring your head to work or for you to have a personality. This is done in order to portray teaching as the superior, intellectual, and worthwhile job.

As the man gets dressed he puts on a grey suit and you notice that he lives in a flat. This leads you to believe that he is a young professional and probably has a boring office job. The fact that he comes across boring is again emphasised by the colour of his suit.

The fourth image is one of a headless TV presenter laughing. We know this because there is a little clock in the shape of a sun in the corner of the screen hinting that it is a breakfast programme, similar to GMTV. This image symbolises that TV is an even better job than being a TV presenter.

The next image shown is of: a lot of men and women; walking through a street; going to work; all with no heads; all walking in time and all wearing variations of grey. This image automatically appears very dull, drab and boring; due to the main colour being grey, the people having no individuality and act in a drone like manner.

A similar image is then shown, except instead of people walking through a street, they are walking through a tunnel. This is done to show that this kind of behaviour happens everywhere.

A woman doing a presentation to a group of people, sat round a conference table is the image we next see. All he people in this image are dressed in variations of grey and have no heads. They all appeared to be bored and the woman giving the presentation does not appear to have their attention. You can tell this by the people’s body language, even though they have no heads. The point of this image is that all other jobs besides teaching are un-interesting.

The viewer is then shown an image of a woman photocopying. This shot is taken as a medium close up in order for you to focus on the repetition of the woman photocopying. The point of this is that the viewer cannot escape from watching the woman photocopy each piece of paper, which is extremely boring. To emphasize this the image stays on screen for quite along time. The purpose of this image could be to scare the reader into thinking that that could be them one day, and that it connotes the fact that all jobs except teaching are as boring as photocopying endless pieces of paper.

That image is then followed by one of a man in a headless chicken costume giving out leaflets. This is a visual pun. “Running round like a headless chicken”. This leads us to think that all jobs other than teaching, like headless chickens, have no aim and no real purpose.

A headless woman working in a factory, taking off dolls heads is the next image we see. This image defiantly has a shock factor and shows a great contrast to the next image shown of the teacher. In my opinion the dolls symbolise that the headless people don’t have a purpose just like the dolls don’t have a purpose, thus leading you to believe that teaching gives a person a purpose.

The final image is of a teacher, teaching a class of pupils, science. For the first time in the advert everyone has a head. You are first shown a girl with static hair, in order to draw attention to the fact that they have heads. The lesson is a science lesson on static electricity. This is probably because this country is short of science teachers. This image comes across very relaxed, and fun. The colours are bright and cheerful which creates a happy atmosphere. The teacher has got the whole classes attention, which is a contrast to the image of the woman doing an office presentation, who did not. The last thing you see when the image freezes is a shot of the teacher with his hand on his head, zooming in into a close up shot. This is done to really stress the point that the teacher is using his head in order to teach, unlike the people featured previously in the advert.

All these images shown have an ultimate purpose of proving that other jobs are insignificant when compared with teaching. This is done by showing a very strong contrast between teaching and all other jobs.

The first and second adverts images both promote teaching as a career, but differ in the way they go about persuading the viewer.

The first adverts, images are portrayed, in my opinion in a more sophisticated and mature manner, were serious issues are addressed. It persuades you in a calm and relaxing manner and comes across very peaceful and trusts worthy.

This is completely different to the second advert in that the images are more humorous and do not come across serious in the least. The images are much more light hearted and would appeal to the younger generation were as the second would appeal to the older.

Each advert contains voice-overs. However the first advert contains a great deal more. The first advert asks a question when each new image is shown. This prompts us to think more deeply into what we are being shown and to really, take in the advert.

The first voice over asks the question, “Can you explain how its eye works?”. This is referring to the flies’ eye and prompts you to consider whether you are any good at biology and have the skills to explain to others. This question is soon followed by another asking “Can you spot the mean number?” which like the first question prompts you to think about whether you could teach maths.

There are four other questions asked: “Can you explain how?”, “And why”, “Can you help someone develop?”, and “Can you open windows?”. All resulting in you asking yourself if you have the qualities of a teacher.

The final vice over is “Those who can, teach”. This is right at the end of the advert and is the last thing you hear, leaving it fresh in your mind. This creates great emphasise on the questions you answered previously, and that if you could answer them you almost feel it is your duty and obligation to be a teacher and give something back to your country.

The second advert is again different to the first advert in that it only has one a voice over, “Use your head. Teach.” This is a much more simple message and sums up the point of the advert, which is that all jobs (except teaching) do not require you to use your head. The voice over and the teacher is male, in my opinion this is because there is a shortage in male teachers, so they are trying to get rid of stereotyping.

The first and second adverts voice-overs both emphasize the points of the two adverts. They differ in that the first adverts voice-overs help it to promote its message a great deal more effectively, making the viewers interact by asking questions, Where as the voice over for the second advert simply ends with the closing message only emphasizing the point rather than promoting it.

The music and sounds in the adverts help create the atmosphere in the two adverts.

The first adverts music is a classical piece of music and contains sounds from violins and pianos. The music provides a calm, thoughtful, delicate and soft atmosphere. Ii is a very serious piece of music, and promotes relaxation and is very thought provoking, but is defiantly an acquired taste.

The second adverts music is from the Disney film, “Snow White and the seven dwarfs”. This makes the adverts’ atmosphere come across very light hearted and fun, but maybe a little immature. This music makes the advert feel more familiar and less threatening, which is what the first advert lacks. This is because everyone knows the theme tune because it originates from an extremely well known film. The music can also come across as mocking the headless people. We can tell this because it stops when the teacher shown on screen.

The sound of the teacher saying “I don’t think I would be much good at that.” again draws attention to the fact that he has a head, and brings humour to the advert because he is telling a joke. The teacher has no hair, therefore it won’t go static.

Another significant sound is made when the TV presenter laughs. It is almost as if she is laughing at everyone going to work, and is an unpleasant sort of evil mocking. This is contrasted against the fun and cheerful laughs of the children and the teacher and makes the TV presenters laugh appear fake and sarcastic and indicates how rewarding teaching is.

The music and sounds from the adverts are completely different.

The first advert has slow, even depressing music, whereas the second advert has fun, lively and happy music. The first adverts music appears to be aimed at the older generation because the music is classical, unlike the second advert, which is fun, and from a children’s film.

The first advert has no significant sounds, whereas the second advert has quite a few. This could be because the second advert only has one voice over, so has other sounds to even it out when compared with the first advert, which has many voice-overs but no sounds.

Both adverts have very similar graphics. Each displaying the slogan, website address, phone number and logo at the end of the advert. Thus to keep the contact addresses and numbers fresh in the viewers mind in case they want to find out any more information.

The first advert is more calm and serious, where as the second advert is more fun, cheery, happy and weird. The first advert is mort intellectual requires you to interact as opposed to the second advert being more visual and easy to watch though it does keep the viewer in suspense, waiting to know the significance of the headless bodies. Both adverts use puns. In addition the first advert brings up modern relevant issues unlike the second advert, which is a lot more jokey and immature. Furthermore the second advert has a very simple, uncomplicated message whereas the first advert has a deeper more hidden meaning. Another point is that the first advert is more personal because it asks questions whereas the second advert is more familiar and less domineering because it has a theme tune that everyone knows and is more light hearted.

Of the two Teacher Training Agency adverts, the second advert is the one I think is most successful. I think this because in my opinion the adverts are aimed at pupils who have just done there GCSE’s or their A levels, and are at a cross roads in their lives where they want to decide what the want to be when they grow up. Therefore I think the second advert would be best suited to them because it is more fun, colourful, happy and humorous, which is what a young person of that age, is attracted to watch.

Another point is that the fist advert might appear boring to someone of that age because of the classical music, which is associated with the older generation, the dull and dark images and the deep questions. I believe that because of these things the first advert is more likely to put young people off from teaching, rather than persuade them to start. It is also my view that the first advert has a very inappropriate heading, because it originates from the quote “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”. However some might argue that the advert is saying that the quote couldn’t be more wrong.