Advertising Workbook

TASK 1 (label this on your blog as 30.1.1)

Advertising is everywhere. It is one of the largest sectors of the media industry,adverts being presented in a wide range of media such as television, film, radio, magazines, posters, billboards, the press, and the internet. Of all of these, television advertising probably has the highest profile, some television advertisements being so effective and memorable that they become classics and part of the cultural background for a whole generation of viewers.

Television is used to market almost every product one can imagine from everyday consumables, like washing powder, to extravagant sports cars, whilst some advertisements promote a service such as insurance, banking or vehicle breakdown cover. Television advertising has become more and more sophisticated, utilising the very latest digital production techniques. Content and style can be simple or complex, using traditional narrative structures or less obvious surrealist imagery, and messages can be overt or understated. There seems to be no single approach which can be said to be more effective than another.

1.Explain what TV advertising is?

2. View three different contemporary TV adverts and list three key characteristics of them:

TASK 2 (label this on your blog as 30.1.2)

Advertisers use a variety of techniques to get us to buy goods or services. Some of them are listed below. Can you fill in the gaps and find an example of an advert which fits the persuasive technique used?

Type of persuasive technique Link to an advert which uses this technique

The Anecdote: Personal experience or story which is sold to us as proof.

Adjectives: Crisp, fresh, healthy, nutritious, etc

Repetition: Key points, positives about the product, themes etc

Statistics: Often presented as factually accurate but sometimes they are a bit dubious.

Fact: A statement that is true and can be proven.

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TASK 3 (label this on your blog as 30.1.3)

View this old television adverts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKuEwsEiSp8 and this contemporary TV toothpaste advertisement, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99T-iGcii8U Complete the Venn diagram below, What are the similarities and differences between this advert and contemporary toothpaste adverts?

TASK 4 (label this on your blog as 30.1.4)

According to Gillian Dyer (Advertising as Communication, Routledge 1988) advertisers use among other techniques, the following lines of appeal. They use images of, or make reference to things to tap into our desires or fears. View the Powerpoint called Lines of Appeal which is available on Moodle.

Analyse three different TV adverts and state which persuasive skills and lines of appeal have been used:

Advert1

Product Name: Link:

Persuasive techniques:

Product USP

Advert 2

Product Name: Link:

Persuasive techniques:

Product USP

Old Ad New Ad

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Advert 3

Product Name: Link:

Persuasive techniques:

Product USP

TASK 5 (label this on your blog as 30.1.5)

Audience DemographicsOne of the most common ways of identifying a target audience is the socio-economic model. Although this model has been in use for a very long time, it is still a useful tool in identifying a target audience. The basis for this system is level of earnings. An AB audience, for example, is assumed to have more spending power than a CDE audience.

A Lawyers, doctors, scientists, managers of large-scale organisations – well paid professionals

B Teachers, senior managers, some middle management – fairly well paid professionals (and very poorly paid teachers!)

C1 ‘White collar’, junior management, bank clerks, nurses

C2 Skilled ‘blue collar’ workers such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters

D Semi and unskilled manual workers such as drivers, post sorters

E Students, the unemployed, pensioners

Audience profilingThere are many other ways that an audience can be segmented or profiled. Whenever a TV advertiser is producing a commercial, they will always take care to identify the target audience as accurately as possible. After all, if the audience is identified and targeted well, the product is likely to be successful! That is why audience is considered a key consideration – because it is fundamental to the planning and shaping of an advertisement.

Audiences can be segmented in other ways as well as the socio-economic model above:

Age Gender Demographic (where the audience live) Profiling (this is often done by advertisers to identify ‘types’ of consumers)

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Values, attitudes and lifestyles (in other words the types of products which are likely to appeal to those with these values, attitudes and lifestyles.

Watch a series of adverts and identify as accurately as possible the target audience for each, provide a link and give explanations to back up your conclusions about why the advert appeals to the specific demographic.

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TASK 6 (label this on your blog as 30.1.6)

THE REGULATORS: (Video Cast to be uploaded to your blog). Use the ASA website to help you answer these questions. Answer the following questions in a videocast:

1. Explain who regulates TV advertising in the UK?2. Explain the process of how to complain about a TV advert which you thought was

offensive in some way. 3. Watch this controversial advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzcRSr6PW_o 4. Explain what happens in the video.5. Explain why was this advert banned?6. Do you think the regulators were right to banned this advert. Back up your argument

with clear points. 7. Summarise your main points.

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