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The A-Team

COMM 2411 (Communication and Social Relations) – Assessment Task 3 [ADVERTISING]

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COMM 2411 (Communication and Social Relations) – Assessment Task 3 Draft

Discipline: Advertising

Kit Harvey (s3285863), Chris Soderstrom (s3233655), Timothy Cheok (s3176484)

and Winnie Loo (s 3266349)

Thursday (9.30-11.30am Tute).

Attention: Matthew Loads.

Artefact One: “Neighbours” tour offer window advertisement:

This is a window advertisement located on Flinders Street close to the corner of

Spencer Street, its message is communicated using chalk on a blackboard. This

implies that it may be communicating a limited time offer. In Ad Worlds, Myers

adopts the definition of advertising used by Guy Cook: “the promotion of good or

services for sale through impersonal media” (Cook, 1992, see Myers, 1999). This

artefact, as a sandwich board in a window, fits well within this definition because

promotion by this means requires no social interaction.

In Advertising in America, Ulanoff reveals that the first ever advertising was done

“out-of-doors” via media including posters, billboards and outdoor displays – outdoor

media. The fold-out, standing blackboard/sandwich board is one of the simplest types

of outdoor display still commonly used today – typically seen on footpaths. The

Bunyip Tours advertisement is one of the aforementioned fold-out blackboards,

however it is not positioned on the footpath and instead sits in a sparse and somewhat

gloomy window display. This is possibly due to council regulations that do not permit

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the blackboard to be located on the footpath near a busy corner with lots of pedestrian

traffic.

Myers states that outdoor media advertisements are designed to have “visual impact”

to make them memorable and enticing to potential customers (Myers, 1999). Bunyip

Tours have used several different colours of chalk and also included craft stars and

their own business logo in an attempt to make the advertisement as eye-catching as

possible when viewed from the street. However, unless a passer by stopped to read

the Bunyip Tours Blackboard, they are unlikely to take in much information from it.

It is also unlikely that the sign will be visible to people on the opposite side of

Flinders Street due to distance and traffic in between. These flaws reflect Myers‟

beliefs that signboards are usually only “seen briefly”, and often “…from a distance”.

The word “FREE” appears in very large block letters to give it emphasis, while all

other text on the blackboard is written in comparatively smaller size. The word

„FREE‟ acts as a communication „code‟. It infers value to people that view the

advertisement. This can, in turn, have a positive affect for Bunyip Tours as the

advertiser, as it acts as point of enticement, encouraging people to make use of their

tour service. In Persuasion in Advertising, O‟Shaughnessy and O‟Shaughnessy

concern themselves with the content of advertisements and the psychological

concepts applied by advertisers to achieve effective persuasion. They describe the

“principle of reciprocity” (O‟Shaughnessy and O‟Shaughnessy, 2004), a notion that

can be described using the common saying: “You scratch my back and I‟ll scratch

yours” - an extra incentive is offered to customers to purchase goods or utilise

services. Bunyip Tours offer customers a “FREE Neighbours Tour or Night” when

two full day tours are purchased, as a bonus for customers.

Ulanoff outlines that a distinguishing feature of outdoor advertising is that “it is seen

by the observer on foot, or, at greater speed, in a vehicle”(Ulanoff, 1979). The tour

office where this advertisement is located is in close proximity to back-packers‟

hostels. Bunyip Tours are counting on passers by noticing the sign, particularly those

that are tourists. This particular “Neighbours” Tour is likely to be attractive to

Melbourne‟s visitors, some of whom will be staying in the nearby hostels. Neighbours

itself is a long running, quintessentially Melbourne TV institution that is famously

broadcasted in England and other countries. The TV show is a unique aspect of

Melbourne that many tourists will be hoping to learn more about.

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Artefact Two: Royal Exhibition Building brochure:

The Royal Exhibition Building brochure is a valuable artefact for illustrating ways

that advertisers can engage their audiences. The building is shown as a place of

importance through the use of the colour purple in the brochure. This observation

links to Medieval Europe, where blue dyes were rare and expensive; only the wealthy

or aristocracy could afford them. The piece is a testimony to the building's importance

in Australia's identity throughout history. Also, the structure is illustrated as a

showpiece for all times through its representation in the artefact's images. One

particular image shows the Royal Exhibition Building lit-up at nighttime with

Melbourne's skyline visible in the background. Advertisers assert that the building is,

and always will be, the showpiece and soul of urban Melbourne.

The large dome of the Exhibition Building is strikingly similar to others in the world.

Riddett, an architectural historian, says the building's architect, Joseph Reed, drew on

parameters of Filippo Brunelleschi's great exemplar at Florence Cathedral and the

Crystal Palace in London (Riddett, 2000). This emphasises the notion that Melbourne

is a world city; it shares connectivity with other cities in the world. The Royal

Exhibition Building isn't the only Melbourne structure sharing similarities with

buildings around the world. Other examples include: Princess Bridge and Blackfriars

Bridge, London; Russell Street Police Station and the Empire State Building, New

York; the SBS Building, Federation Square and Berlin's Jewish War Museum.

The building is promoted as nationally significant in the brochure, noted as the

location of Australia's first Federal Parliament in 1901. Emphasis is placed on the

event to promote it as not only a defining moment in Melbourne's history, but

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Australia's (Lennon, 2006). Federation aside, the Royal Exhibition Building has been

the scene of several other defining moments in the nation's history: it was used as a

fever hospital in 1919 to cope with the deadly influenza virus; housed a collection of

war memorabilia after the First World War; it was used for temporary troop

accommodation in 1940; and it was a major migrant reception centre from 1949 to

1962. The building's importance was verified when it was heritage listed in 2004,

becoming Australia's first man-made structure to acquire such recognition. From an

advertising perspective, the listing bolsters promoters' claims of the building's

significance and ensures it will be maintained in the future.

The building is a reminder of the Exhibition movement of the late 19th century. It was

conceived in the tradition of large, open-plan exhibition buildings typical of the

international exhibition movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

It remains one of the few intact examples of its kind in the world. In the brochure, the

building is advertised as a place where people can step back in time and imagine the

city over a century ago. The gold rush helped fund lavish celebrations putting

Australia on the map - particularly with the Victorian Exhibition of 1861, which

served as a preliminary exhibition for a London one in 1862. It was a scene of

limitless possibilities, lavish and decadent celebrations. Contrary to common beliefs,

the Exhibitions of 1880 and 1888 were enormous financial failures (Morrison, 1995),

though, their worth in heightening Victoria's status as a part of Britain's ever-

expanding global empire is undeniable.

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Artefact Three: Green Day graffiti advertisement:

The American rock band Green Day is well known internationally. They have won

countless awards and many of their albums have hit „Platinum‟ status. When they first

announced their 2009 Australian tour it is not surprising that fans were excited. This

artefact is a graffiti artwork showing the cover art from their latest album, „21st

Century Breakdown‟. This may show the passion that one street artist has for the

band. However, with street art now being used for other reasons than to just

communicate the ideas of the artist, the question is: is this the work of a fan or an

advertiser?

The fast pace of modern life affects the way people consume advertising. People have

less time to sit in front of their television sets and watch advertisements, or they

simply skip ads using new TV technologies, such as „Tivo‟. These pressures have

forced advertisers to find new advertising media, such as creative outdoor advertising.

In his book Advertising, MacRury contends that outdoor advertising often gains a

larger audience that first assumed. Those that catch only a glimpse of an

advertisement can often absorb the message unconsciously (MacRury, 2009).

Therefore, graffiti advertisements like those used by Green Day, can gain significant

„bonus‟ exposure, which advertisers now believe they can count on.

Today, many see graffiti as an act of vandalism on private or public property,

however there are people who think otherwise. Christine Dew, in her book

Uncommissioned art: The A-Z of Australian Graffiti‟, states that a mixture of art and

culture in one place helps the city to stay lively (Dew, 2007). It can be argued that

such art is the act of an artist who wants to „speak out‟ and be „heard‟ through their

artistic impressions. A city that is clean and free of any form of street art may be

perceived as being plain and boring. The presence of graffiti art in a city can make it

appear vibrant and attractive. Viewing the famous street and laneway graffiti in

Melbourne is a popular tourist activity.

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A shift has occurred in recent years. Graffiti artists no longer use their artworks just to

communicate their own opinions and ideas. Some artists favour a more „profit

minded‟ approach – people now not only commission graffiti art for private

enjoyment, but also for use as an effective advertising medium. In Heitor Alvelos‟

book, Cultural Criminology Unleashed, (Alvelos, 2004) he describes the impact

graffiti art has had on advertising companies, many of which see such art as a

potential medium for advertising their client‟s messages.

Popular music acts such as Daft Punk, Robert Miles and Massive Attack have also

used graffiti as a form of advertising their new releases. These advertisements have

ranged from a simple image, to a lyric and, like Green Day, the front cover of a

recently released album. This form of advertising depends on a target audience

deciphering the meaning of the message. Fans are very likely to know when a piece of

art is being used to promote their favourite artist‟s music. However, to those that

remain unsure about the message and its purpose, graffiti advertising may appear no

different to the everyday pieces.

A city with empty spaces can draw attention to the litany of infamous „tags‟ common

in many urban environments. Tags are the often illegible, „messy‟ marks left by those

in a hurry to avoid being caught desecrating another‟s property. These empty spaces

are being used, more and more, as locations for graffiti promotion.

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Artefact Four: Moomba Festival balloon advertisement:

This artefact is a balloon advertisement promoting the 2010 Moomba Festival, which

was held between the 5th

and 8th

of March this year. Many replications of the artefact

were distributed to spectators at the Moomba Festival Parade, which is held annually

from 11am on the Victorian Labour Day public holiday. The Moomba Festival, also

known as the Melbourne Moomba Waterfest, is one of Melbourne‟s many well-

known and heavily advertised festivals. The festival, originally dubbed the

“Melbourne Autumn Festival” by the Melbourne City Council, was officially founded

in 1955. A host of events take place during the Moomba festival, the most popular

being the aforementioned Parade, which consists mostly of themed floats traveling

down Swanston Street.

This advertisement, uses large font printed on brightly coloured balloons, which were

handed to spectators at the Moomba Festival Parade to promote the festival and to

inform those who had not yet heard about it. In Semiotics of the media: state of the

art, projects and perspectives, Rozik asserts that pictorial advertising is a form of

iconic communication, because most products and their qualities are embodied by

easily recognizable printed images, printed labels included (Rozik, 1997). He reveals

that most advertisers believe pictorial advertising is more effective and persuasive

than verbal advertising, as one is more able to recall pictures or designs in the mind,

than words.

The colour, design and font of an advertisement play important roles in conveying a

message to a designated audience. The “Moomba Festival” font and the placement of

words depicted on the balloon are the standard font and design used in every

advertisement about the Moomba Festival across different forms of visual media.

Beasley and Danesi state that creating an image for a product is like giving it a

character and personality so that consumers can differentiate it from the others

(Beasley and Danesi, 2002). In this case, a similar logo was used so that consumers

and tourists could differentiate the festival from the various other festivals that

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Melbourne stages, such as the Melbourne Comedy Festival, which also has its own

unique logo.

Events like the Moomba Festival aid in branding the city of Melbourne – an example

of place branding, which, according to Donald and Gammack, is a „rational and

emotional engagement with place, aesthetics and everyday life‟ (Donald &Gammack,

2007). The functions of place branding have evolved from being used only to fuel a

city‟s tourism industry to brand evolution in a nation state. Donald and Gammack also

state that brand image is moulded not just by „marketing programs that make strong,

positive and memorable associations‟, but also via word of mouth and by

identification with particular events, people, or places. Because Moomba is an annual

festival, it has come to form part of Melbourne‟s brand image, helping to boost

Melbourne‟s reputation as “The Event City” – one of the main ways the city is

advertised to the rest of the world.

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References:

1. Ulanoff, S.M PhD 1979, “Outdoor Advertising” (pp. 378-394) from Advertising in

America: An Introduction to Persuasive Communication, Hastings House Publishers,

New York, USA.

2. Myers, G 1999, “What do ads do?” (pp. 3-16), “The Media Mix” (pp. 75-94) and

“Glossary of Keywords” (pp. 216) from Ad Worlds: Brands, Media, Audiences,

Arnold Publishers, London, UK simultaneously with Oxford University Press, New

York, USA.

3. O‟Shaughnessy, J and O‟Shaughnessy, N.J 2004, “What Facilitates Persuasion and

What Inhibits It?” (pp. 1-25) and “Persuasive Advertising Appeals, 1” (pp. 55-93)

from Persuasion in Advertising, Routledge, London, UK simultaneously with

Routledge, New York, USA.

4. Riddett, R (2000). Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building – A case for World

Heritage Significance. Historical Environment, v.14 No. 5, pp. 75-78

5. Morrison, I (1995). The Accompaniments of European Civilisation: Melbourne

Exhibitions 1854-1888. La Trobe Library Journal, v.14, No. 56 pp. 6-11.

6. Lennon, J (2006) Gothic silence or postmodern deconstruction? Presenting the

values based stories of heritage of national significance. Historic environment, Vol.

19, No. 2

7. MacRury, I 2009, „Chapter 3: Marketing, media and communication‟, Advertising,

Routledge, Great Britain, pp.104-105.

8. Alvelos, H 2004, „Chapter 15: The desert of imagination in the city of signs:

cultural implications of sponsored transgression and branded graffiti‟, in Ferrell J,

Hayward K, Morrison W & Presdee, M (eds.), Cultural Criminology Unleashed, 1st

edition, The GlassHouse Press, United Kingdom, pp. 181-191, retrieved on 18 April

2010,

<http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MkcaQb_8dJUC&oi=fnd&pg=P

A181&dq=graffiti+as+advertisement&ots=1Y863xAVL1&sig=6Z-

qbYxdX8DCo_E1U-

EVNFF5veY#v=onepage&q=graffiti%20as%20advertisement&f=false>

9. Dew, C 2007, „C=City‟, Uncommissioned art: an A-Z of Australian graffiti, The

Mengunyah Press, Australia, pp. 43-50.

10. Beasley, R & Danesi, M 2002, “Positioning and image-creation” (pp. 11-13) from

Persuasive signs: the semiotics of advertising, Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin,

Germany

11. Donald, S & Gammack, J 2007, “Branding the City” (pp. 45-61) from Tourism

and the branded city: film and identity on the Pacific Rim, Aldershot, England;

Burlington

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12. Rozik, E 1997, “Pictorial metaphor in commercial advertising” (pp. 159-174)

from Semiotics of the media: state of the art, projects, and perspectives, Walter de

Gruyter & Co, Berlin, Germany

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COMM2411 – Communication and Social Relations

Assessment Task#3, Semester 1, 2010

Map of Revisions

GROUP NAMES & STUDENT NUMBERS:

1. Kit Harvey (s3285863) 2. Chris Soderstrom (s3233655)

3. Timothy Cheok Vee Ming (s3176484) 4. Winnie Loo (s3266349)

Referee Comments

KEY TUTOR FEEDBACK (on WRITTEN

ASSESSMENT TASK #1)

RESPONSE/ACTION

Artefact#1

Descriptions and references worked

well.

The authority of references should have

been more explicitly discussed.

Artefact#2

Expand on finer details of the Royal

Exhibition Building brochure itself.

Be more specific in presentation of

larger arguments.

Artefact#3

Stewart 2008 reference is not scholarly

Artefact#4

Good artefact descriptions. Strong

discussion of object, but references

(Alomes 1985, Arcodia & Whitford

2007 & Moomba Festival 2010) do not

relate to correct field of study.

Kept all references and built upon

descriptions.

Authority of references was considered to

be unnecessary information for the third

assessment task due to word limit.

Deeper analysis of brochure‟s colour

(purple) and images from advertising

perspective; heightens interest and

intrigue surrounding the building by

suggesting its importance.

Provided closer detailing of ideas

presented in the brochure, also

supporting reference information, and

their intended effect on the reader.

Replaced Stewart with MacRury (2009),

which is geared more towards outdoor

advertising.

Replaced these references with Beasley

& Danesi 2002, Donald & Gammack

2007 and Rozik 1997.

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KEY VERBAL FEEDBACK FROM TUTOR

(IN CLASS WORKSHOP AND/OR

PRESENTATION)

Everyone:

Combine references at the end, rather

than at the end of each piece.

Refrain from explaining the context of

referenced information.

Artefact#1

Add a little more communications

theory.

Artefact#2

Work on providing a more level tone

throughout artefact descriptions.

Artefact#3

Tone of the draft was a bit different

Artefact#4

Need to relate second scholarly

reference more effectively to the

artefact.

Combined the 12 references at the end of

the document.

Avoided contextual information in 500

word pieces.

Added a sentence addressing how the

word “FREE” acts as a communication

code.

Through editing of all artefact

descriptions, the final result is more

cohesive.

Adjusted and edited the tone of

description.

Altered a few sentences to include

second scholarly reference.

PEER FEEDBACK

Artefact#1

Add a bit more communications theory

regarding „principle of reciprocity‟

(similar to tutor feedback).

Discussed the role of the word „FREE‟ as

a code.

Artefact#2

Instead of just stating elements and ideas

present in the brochure, explore the

intended affects on the audience.

What events throughout history support

the idea of the building‟s significance?

Explored ideas from brochure and

explained them from an audience

perspective.

Used evidence from the references to

support the significance of the building in

the nation's identity.

Artefact#3

Suggestions to change my artefact as it

did not reflect strongly on advertising.

Changed artefact to one that displays

graffiti advertising more explicitly.

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Artefact#4

Discuss the features of the balloon and

their possible intended affect on an

audience.

Added a few sentences covering the

features and their affects.