Deadline: December 1st
When watching this video containing the most effective adverts, I found the most effective videos were relatable and shocking towards the audience. Not only effective due to their horrific statistics, but in fact the visuals matching.
The most effective advert I found was made by the 'Motor Neurone Disease Association' this video consisted of a woman falling to the floor, choking and being lifted in the air, it was suppose to resemble some of the pain endured by people with motor neurone disease. This advert was made by charity to gain awareness of the disease by showing it in a gruesome and horrifying light, by being truthful and showing the real pain it allowed us as an audience to empathies with Sarah. We were sorrowed by her pain and thus would more likely donate to the charity. This advert made me feel sad, angry and also uncomfortable as I saw the pain Sarah was in but couldn't help her. The target audience for this video is mainly those with motor neurone disease or those effected, yet I think this video is effective to anyone as they know this can happen to them one day and they could feel the same as Sarah. This video can relate to a lot of people. The second video is which I thought was effective was the Bernardo's story of a boy throughout his youth. The advert is set in a counselling session with a young man and shows a montage of videos through out the years of him getting younger which justify his past. We see the boy as no longer an angry delinquent but as scared child abused, This advert is trying to show to people that the people who Bernardo's aren't problems of society as it isn't their fault they are the way they are, its due to their upbringing. This advert made me feel sad especially at the end when the little boys said 'I'm Scared' I empathised with him as I no longer saw his character as a lost caused more as a child who needed help but didn't get the support be needed. This advert makes me want to support the charity more. I think the target audience for this video is adults and parents who have children as they will feel an emotional attachment to the boy. As a parent you want to protect your child and the fact this boy has endured neglect and heartbreak at such an early age will really make this group of people saddened. |
The third advert which I thought was very effective was from the 'Helen Bamber Association' which was the sex trafficking awareness advert. The video consists of a woman lying on the floor speaking directly to the camera but with sexual assault also happening. This video is very disturbing due to the graphic images and the rawness of the advert. The advert is trying to stop sex trafficking by showing how horrific is and illustrating that these woman don't enjoy it, they are people who are suffering and are in pain. The advert gives these statistics in which we see names and stories so we can empathise with them. The title at the end 'women enslaved by sex trafficking lose more than just their names' leaves a harrowing feel as these women are objectified, I feel saddened due to their being cases like this out there. I also feel angry that people have to endure this lifestyle with no hope for a future, by the advert conjuring up my emotions it makes me want to make a change. This videos target audience I think is mainly woman, as the advert is about a normal woman who has no choice to turn to sex trafficking. Woman can empathise with the character as this woman could be anyone they know or even themselves one day.
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Language used in advertising
Pathos
This type of advertisement will use emotion either positive or negative to evoke an emotion from the audience and make them feel as certain way. Pathos comes from the work pathetic which means a tragedy, this tragedy will cause sympathy or empathy and thus make the audience align with the advert. An example of this could be a dogs trust advert.
Ethos
An advert which involves ethos will try to convince you that their company is reliable and can be trusted by viewers. The advert appeals to creditability and shows celebrities in order for us to trust in the advertisement more, companies such as John Lewis tend to use this type of advert
Logos
This type of advertisement appeals to the logic of the audience, it tends to use statistics and facts in order to convince their viewers that their product is worth of buying and it is good. For example quite scientific adverts about products such as hair or toothpastes use this style of advertising. For example they make say ‘75% of people have seen the whitening effects of this mouthwash’
This type of advertisement will use emotion either positive or negative to evoke an emotion from the audience and make them feel as certain way. Pathos comes from the work pathetic which means a tragedy, this tragedy will cause sympathy or empathy and thus make the audience align with the advert. An example of this could be a dogs trust advert.
Ethos
An advert which involves ethos will try to convince you that their company is reliable and can be trusted by viewers. The advert appeals to creditability and shows celebrities in order for us to trust in the advertisement more, companies such as John Lewis tend to use this type of advert
Logos
This type of advertisement appeals to the logic of the audience, it tends to use statistics and facts in order to convince their viewers that their product is worth of buying and it is good. For example quite scientific adverts about products such as hair or toothpastes use this style of advertising. For example they make say ‘75% of people have seen the whitening effects of this mouthwash’
Persuasive Techniques
Patriotism
This technique is usually used in America as their country is very patriotic and in England our culture is very cynical on advertisements with patriotism. This technique plays with patriotic emotions in order to get their audience to buy the product they are selling, if the audience hear that the product is made in their country by people in their country then they are more likely to buy it. It shows country spirit and is very a powerful tool for selling, people want to stand by their country. There are many examples of this technique in advertisement, for example the brand Harley Davidson, which is an American brand, illustrate themes of patriotism in order to sell their motor cycles to clients. |
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Bandwagon
This technique comes from the saying 'jump on the bandwagon' and is about if you don't buy this product you will be left behind. It's persuading people to buy something by making their fearful of being left alone, as nobody wants to be the only one without a certain product. Its a very clever technique generally used by big companies such as free view. Free view's advert with balloons of different channels lifting people up into the sky, it suggests if you don't get free view you will be left on the floor and not floating up like the rest of society. Basically, you will be left behind. This makes people want to buy into this product more as they want to be on the same level as everyone else, even if they don't need that product necessarily. |
Snob appeal
This technique is basically advertising that if you buy their product they are selling that you will automatically become better then anyone else. Like a snob. This will make people want to buy the product as they want to be above everyone else and look down on others. Many high end brands do this style of editing as they are seen as luxury, for example M&S, car and perfume adverts. This advert is Giorgio Armane perfume, you can tell that they are selling a lifestyle as well as the perfume. People who by this perfume due to it being high end they will think they are above others. |
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Weasel Words
This technique is when you use 'Weasel Words' to suggest a positive meaning without actually really making any guarantee. This to get around the rules of advertising as you can't fake advertise anything, so you suggest. It tends to be used within diet products, they tend to say it 'might' help you lose weight rather than it can. This makes your advert more convincing then what it would be if you didn't suggest your product could do anything. Therefore, this makes people more likely to buy the product as they think it can do all these amazing things without their being any guarantee. |
Magic Ingredient
This is the advertising technique when the company discuss a product or ingredient which no other product or brand has. This makes them different from any other company and allows them to stand out, it works as a great unique selling point. The ingredient is usually something scientifically in which makes it sound more renowned and unique, thus meaning people want to buy this product more. In Elle Goulding's Pantene hair advert she discusses the 'smart pro-v formula' this is the magic ingredient. This will make the audience more likely want to buy the product as it stands out better. |
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Transfer
Positive words, images, and ideas are used to suggest that the product being sold is also positive. This makes the advert more appealing to the audience as they see the product in positive light. People buy the product because of the feeling of positivity and how the product is shown, not necessarily because they need the product in their life. |
Plain Folk
This technique uses actors within the advert who are just normal people or plain folk. They use this style of advertising to show normality and products in which every day people use. It makes the advert more relatable and realistic to every day life, this persuades many to buy the product as some see celebrities or super models advertising products not realistic. This type of style of advert is more for brands such as 'Bisto family advert'. The advert consist of a normal family where the mum cooks dinner, but she always ruins it, yet the bisto always manages to save it. The normality of the video makes people want to buy the product as they trust this family and the company |
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Bribery
This technique uses bargains and sales in order to persuade people to buy their products because there are extras. This makes the deal and price seem so much better and therefore people want to buy the product so much more. This uses logos as its applying that logical part of our brain, which sees deals that could save money. This is a west country advertisement having a 'buy one get one free' advert. This definitely makes the audience engage more with the advert and causes them to actually wan to buy the products. |
Avante Garde
This technique suggests that by using this product it puts the user ahead of the times. It suggests that they have the latest technology and thus stand out. This makes people want to buy the product as they want the opportunity to have the newest products. Companies big on technology usually do this kind of advert and also car companies. The advert always explains the new updates on the products which differ from everything else. This advert for the new iPhone 8 makes the product look luxuries and new. This therefore will help to encourage people to buy the product. |
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Rhetorical questions
This is when a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer. It can be used in advertisements in order to give a dramatic effect an get the audience to question their lives or previous products they have been using. This technique works well as it speaks directly towards the audience and makes them feel like they are being directly addressed. Thus this makes the audience more likely to buy the product in which is being advertised. A lot of advert have rhetorical question such as makeup or skin care. |
Unique selling point
This technique is something within the product which makes it stand out compared to other products and this is reinforced greatly through the advert. This makes people want to buy the product more as it has big unique selling point usually health brands or toothpastes. |
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Emotional appeal
This technique is pathos, when you use emotion in order to persuade someone to buy a product. The emotion can be either positive or negative, it just needs to cause an impact to anyone who is watching the advertisement. This advert by RSPCA is very emotional and thus causes you to feel empathy towards the animals and want to help them out, this style of advertisement works effectively in achieving a result. |
Semiotics
What is a Semiotic?
A semiotic is the study of signs. We understand the signs and therefore this help to create meaning behind them. This is used in advertising to get people to understand the message of what their advertising or their product, thus helps in making people buy the product at hand. What is a signifier? A signifier is the sign being shown in its physical straight up form, for example people holding hands. It will be the physical form which results in creating an connotation of the product. What is signified? Signified is the meaning behind the signifier, what it connotes and message it brings to the advertisement. This is where meaning and understanding come from the sign. Why is semiotics useful in advertising and why do advertisers use 'signs'? Semiotics are useful within advertising as they are a powerful way of spreading a message, through the use of an image or sign. Advertisers use signs as it better format of getting a message across to the audience rather than explaining in verbal way to the audience, his way it allows the audience to come up with the feeling and emotion on their own without force. This can persuade you into buying products. |
Animal Testing-Case study
THINK biker- Case Study Two
What are the signs which have been used?
The advertisement uses signs such as the people on the motor cycle with the actual physical signs. This is what draws our eyes in. They signify the personality and character behind each cyclist, without the sign we would just see the motor cyclist without an identity due to them wearing a helmet and covering up in leather. However, now that we see the physical signs attached to their motor cycles we feel an emotional attachment to these bikers and sympathise with them. As drivers we want to protect them as they are vulnerable whilst cycling, this allows us to empathise with them. We want to protect the newly weds, the father and just a normal person, we have that emotional tie to them now. Which persuasive techniques have been used? The persuasive technique 'Plain Folk' is used within the advertisement as the bikers are portrayed as normal people who have normal lives, like Nick and Helen who met online and Paul who is retired. This technique shows the audience that bikers are just like them, they wouldn't like to be frightened on the road or even get into a road accident, so why would bikers? This allows the audience to realise we are all people and we should look out for each other, this uses pathos as the audience gain an emotional attachment to the advert. Also, this advert shows 'Transfer', its portraying a positive message that drivers should be careful and look out for bikers on the road as we are all humans. This positive message is trying to enforce positive behaviour and works effective due to it showing that bikers are people too and deserve the same level respect on the road. |
Ethos, Logos and Pathos?
Pathos is used within the advertisement, due to the audience empathising with the motorcyclists as they see them as more then motorcyclists now. We have a emotional attachment to the cyclist due to the signs we know that they have lives and they are people. Ethos is also illustrated amongst the video, we see an ethical and moral side, as an audience this makes us trust in the video and actually learn the lesson its teaching, be safe on roads drivers. Is it effective?- Would the advert persuade viewers to change their behaviour? The video is effective as it changes the audience perspective towards motor cyclist, before cyclist didn't have an identity as you don't see what they look like or even hear them speak. To many car drivers motor cyclist are very annoying, they are loud, they come out of nowhere when you are driving and always over take. Yet, now we see the human side to them, beyond the bike and helmet, and learn we should respect them on the roads. It changes behaviour as we learn car drivers and cyclist the only difference between them is there mode of transport. |