MP3 player advert shot list

Shot list -

Pictures of my MP3 player advert - storyboard

My first choice of music for my MP3 player advert

Collage of IPod adverts

ipod collage

Elements of advertsing

Short sentences for impact on the reader.

Weasel words are often used. These are words which suggest a meaning without actually being specific. One type is the open comparative: "Brown's Boots Are Better" (posing the question "better than what?")

Humour. This can be verbal or visual, but aims to show the product positively.

Glamorisation is probably the most common technique of all. "Old" houses become charming, characterful or unique. "Small" houses become snug or manageable. Houses on a busy road become convenient for transport.

Use of well known music in order to familiarise the viewer with the product and provoke feeling towards it. It represents the nature of the product and the type of consumer who may use it.

Exaggeration: to generate feeling towards the product in the eyes of the viewer, may it sounds much better than it is in order to sell it.

Use of background/mis en scene: clapping or cheering so the viewer is subconsciously reassured that others use and are pleased with the product.

Use of celebrities to persuade the viewer that they can be like those in the advert if they use the product.

Use of Alliteration: "Buy Brown's Boots Now!"- An element of humour or increased likelihood of remembering product.

Lack of negatives: advertising normally emphasises the positive side of a product.

Simple and Colloquial language: "It ain't half good" to appeal to ordinary people.

Familiar language: use of second person suggests a friendly attitude.

Repetition of the brand name and the slogan.

Neologisms may have novelty impact, eg Beanz Meanz Heinz.

Analysis of Cadbury and L’Oreal advertisements

The brands Cadbury and L’Oreal are both widely recognised house hold names all over the world; however they advertise very different products. Cadbury have been known for years for being the dominant chocolate bar brand that people of all ages love. One factor which is likely to have contributed to this success is their use of inventive, imaginative advertising. Their televisions advertising always uses unusual idea’s which attract the attention of the viewer, making them remember it and therefore remember the product as well. One example of this is their advert from 2007, named ‘Gorilla’ where a gorilla plays the drums to a well known song. The use of such an unusual situation is likely to appeal to the viewer and amuse them in some way or other. Also, the use of a well known song is likely to make the viewer reflect on how they feel when they hear the song, hopefully resulting in a positive reaction. The fact that Cadbury do not narrow down their target market in their advertising, using sketches which are likely to be appealing to all ages means they are able to maximise their sales.

Similarly, the brand L’Oreal has also targeted the mass market, advertising in a reasonably general sense. Their TV adverts include ones for both female adults, and younger children. However, in contrast to Cadburys, L’Oreal has a very different approach to the advertising in terms of creativity and use of celebrities. Unlike Cadbury, L’Oreal tends to use celebrity endorsements in order to attract the attention of the viewer, spending a lot of money on this aspect. The fact that celebrities or ‘ideal’ looking women are featured in these adverts persuades the viewer that she too can look and feel this good after using the L’Oreal product. It is seen to women as a privilege to be featured in a L’Oreal advert, therefore a privilege to be able to use the product, enhancing the L’Oreal name even further.

L’Oreal have an instantly recognisable catch phrase, ‘Because you’re worth it’ which has been used on pretty much every advertisement they have produced, in all countries. This maximises the brand recognition globally and is an easy way of advertising the L’Oreal products for free, due to the catchy saying that everybody wants to be able to say. In contrast to this, Cadburys do not have a globally recognised catch phrase or saying. This could be seen as a flaw in their advertising as it does not generate so much (essentially free) advertising as ‘because you’re worth it’ may do. However, Cadburys did have an early phrase of ‘eat more milk’, which was an amusing play on words and could have escalated into a recognised catchphrase but for some reason it did not. Despite this, Cadbury are widely recognised for their colour purple, featured in every advert and product they have produced. This may essentially be more effective than a catchphrase, as every time a potential customer see’s the colour purple, it is likely to remind them of the brand that is Cadbury.

Analysis of portable music system adverts

I looked at some Sony Walkman adverts from the years 1970 to 1980. I noticed that one advert, ('the WM-10 super walkman'- 1983) showed the cassette player being made, informing the viewer of the complicated internal machinery of the product. This allows the viewer to appreciate the product fully and realize how cutting-edge and innovative it is.
i found the main message in these adverts to be that you have the ability to listen to your music wherever you are. This is shown in the advert below, where a young woman is shown doing aerobics whilst listening to music. the size of the product is often mentioned and shown, with clips such as 0.01 seconds (in the advert for WM-10 super walkman) with a hand holding the device. This gives the viewer something to compare the size of the product with, making it possible to imagine how portable the product is.
I have found these adverts to use a lot longer shots and a variety of shot types, in contrast to that of modern day MP3 player adverts. The length of these shots suggests a calm, relaxed atmosphere, putting the viewer at ease. The music adds to this feeling of relaxation, with classical instruments playing in the background.
The voiceover was heard over the classical music, which is relatively unusual nowadays. it adds to the slow, reassuring vibe of the advert, with a deep, masculine voice in which the viewer is likely to feel safe and secure, making viewing more comfortable. the fact that all of the adverts i have looked at feature a male voice rather than a females is significant, as the feeling of safety may not be as widely received if a women was talking.