Project One
Advertising is a Public Promotion of a certain Product or Service. In 2006, spending on advertising had been estimated at $155 billion in the United States and $385 billion worldwide, and is expected to go up $500 billion by 2010.
Some typical Advertisements
David Beckham in a Gillete Razor Advertisment
Britney Spears in a Pepsi Drink Advertisement
Nowadays, Advertisements use a lot of celebrities to endorse their products, whether it’s paying them to wear their brand or physically having them in advertisements. This is because nowadays especially, Celebrities are people who influence people the most. For example, a young girl may see an Advertisement with Kate Moss on it wearing a certain type of makeup and the girl will think that the makeup is the ‘cool’ thing to wear and go out to buy that type of makeup.
Advertisements Around Norwich
Messages and Values
Both these Advertisements play on people's insecurities, the printed Avertisement does this by showing a 'Proper' man is one who is good-looking and muscled. The TV Advertisement by saying that an Effeminate man is not a 'Normal' man.
I showed these two advertisements to a few of my friends and here’s what they had to say about it:
(On the Print Advert)
“Well it makes me feel kind of low, because I know I don’t look like that. And the fact that it’s called ‘Man’ just makes it worse because it’s saying that this is what a proper man looks like.”
“I think it would be quite appealing to women and homosexual men obviously, but for straight men it just makes them feel inadequate and sad because that guy is so attractive and that’s what women want”
“It’s quite inspirational to me because it sort of gives you something to look up to and aspire to look like, but for the blokes who don’t look like that, it would make them feel pretty bad.”
(On the TV Advert)
“I personally do not find this video offensive, but rather the fact that people have decided that the speed walker is a gay man is the real offense. While he may be effeminate, there is nothing to indicate his sexual orientation other than stereotypes.”
“This advert isn't homophobic, and as a gay man I think it's funny. I don’t think anyone should take this seriously, and just get a sense of humour”
“I'm gay, and I can’t see what is so bad about this? I think it’s funny.
To all the sensitive souls out there...’Get some nuts!’”
Adbusters
Adbusters are a Media Foundation who are well-known for their “Culture jamming campaigns”. They promote ‘Real’ Freedom and Anti-Capitalism by making Advertisements that promote their views which are that the world should be less Consumerist and should stop buying ‘useless’ things. Adbusters constantly insult huge companies such as McDonalds, Nike, Coca Cola etc, saying that companies like this take over everything with their advertising and promote un-ethical and unhealthy lifestyles.
McDonalds Anti-Advert and Actual Advert
This is an Adbusters Anti-Advert against McDonalds. It is representing a McDonalds Big Mac as a fatty product in very few words yet still make the product un-appealing and disgusting. Comparing this to the real advert (below), it shows that the Real Advert seems to avoid the topic of Healthy eating and seems to run on the idea that McDonalds is Fast, Tasty Food and everyone enjoys it; whereas the Anti-Advert is simple, straight to the point and shows that Mcdonalds isn't as good as it makes out to be.
This is another AdBusters Anti-Advert this time spoofing The MasterCard Advert. It represents Mastercard as 'Debt Creators' and basically says that while it's nice to buy things, they will put you in debt if you are not careful whereas the real advert (below) practially says that if spending money makes you happy, then why not spend it and get all those special little moments in life. The Real Advert avoids the topic of debt whereas the Anti-Advert shows you the reality of spending large amounts of money on a Credit Card.
1 comments:
Hi Bronwen,
Really good work so far. Hope to see you in class on Wednesday.
Guy
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