P1 Media and Rep

26th September, 2018

LO: To develop the language of media analysis 

1.  this is the cover of Time magazine. The product is most probably aimed at males and females aged 18 to 30. The main image of the magazine cover is a medium shot of Kanye West. 
2. the main image is a medium shot of Kanye west. The white background makes Kanye stand out and seem very powerful in a way. Kanye is having direct address w the audience making him seem stern and important. This is added to by the fact that there is little else going on in the cover. The typography is a simple font with a simple colour scheme, the text looks as though its been kept to a minimum to help make him look powerful.

Denotation: elements that are unarguable; The factual elements 

1. Person tipping there hat
2. The image is black and white 
3. The main image is a medium close up

Connotation: Elements that are arguable; Elements that are element to the viewer

1. Its a Album cover
2. Possibly Jazz music based from the image
3. The image connotes wealth and status 
4. The fact we can't see his face but can see the cigar, ring, hat and scarf connotes false modesty
5. The use of black and white makes the image look more sophisticated
6. The image is trying to make Jay-Z look wealthy and at the top of his game
7. the image also connotes the image of a 50s gangster
8. The image also looks as though it could be a cover for a Jazz album, this isn't the style of Jay-Z so this vibe of jazz music is opposed by the Parental advisory sticker.

The image used for the Adele 25 album cover is a big close up of Adele's face. The denotations of this image are of a a 30 year old woman. The image black and white, this helps to connote sophistication. this contrasts the image used for the cover of kendrick Lamar's "Good Kid in a mad city'. The image for this cover is a medium shot of Kendrick Lamar looking as though he is deep in thought. This connotes an element of sophistication within the image. The image uses a colour scheme that is nearly all black and white, this makes the image look worn and as though it has been weathered. This almost dirty looking style connotes the target audience for the album. We can infer from the image used that the target audience for the album are males and females aged 16 to 25 in social grades C2and below. We can infer this because of the grimy street look that the album cover has been given. In contrast to this the 'Adele 25' album which has been given a more sophisticated and upperclass feel to it the Kendrick Lamar album which gives off a street vibe. 

The facial expression of model for the Adel album is one of seriousness. this could connote the fact that Adele takes her music seriously. the sepia tones could represent an older time in adele's life or the time its been since her first album. the colour of the album tiles is red.This could connote love and romance and passion which are all key themes in the songs that adele makes. The lexis used connoted femininity by using a very narrow font. 

3rd October, 2018

LO: To develop the language of media analysis

Denotations:

• Doves 
• Roses 
• woman wearing a stripy top
• halo of stars 
• woman with pink hair 

Connotations: 

• album cover
• from western society 
• red and pink connotes femininity as well as passion and romance
• he facial expression could connote rebellion  
• the doves connote peace 
• the roses connote love
• the parental advisory sticker suggests that she isn't the most typical female pop artist 
• This album cover connotes that P!NK doesn't follow conventions
• the album makes P!NK look feminine but doesn't use it to promote the album, this can be used as a connotation of the artist not following conventions

The album cover has been designed for a target audience of females 

Analysis

In this image we can see that this person is feeling disgust. We can tell this from how his nose has wrinkled up, along with the fact that his eyebrows are being pulled lower and closer together. His whole face is tighten and he looks unamused 

Denotations

• man in a suit calm and cool
• smoking gun
• 'bond girls'

Connotations:

• tropical colours connote where the film is partly set, Jamaica 
• Its a film poster
• the fact that we can only see half of the main villain connotes mystery 
• the smoking gun connotes violence and action.
• the fact the male is bigger than the females which could connote power and authority . 
• The red could either connote danger or romance 
• The formal clothing of bond connotes that he is of high class and status
• the women could be seen as objects in this poster due to there clothing, stances and that they seem to be paying attention to the man.

Task: Testing a hypothosis.

'The products constructed to market James Bond films are designed to offer a clear appeal to a wide global audience of young males aged 17-35' 

Explain where you agree or disagree using evidence from products.

  


I partially agree with the hypothesis that products constructed for the promotion of the James Bond Franchise where designed with a clear appeal to males aged 17 - 35 years old.  

8th October, 2018

Semiotics

LO: to explore the idea of semiotics
 and how it can be applied to media analysis

Denotations

• man in a high end suit 
• man holding a gun
• woman in a silvery blue dress 
• man in skeleton mask and hat
• blurred background

Connotations

• the gun could signify danger and death and is a causal link to violence 
• the suit suggests that the man is high class
• the way he is standing connotes that he is protective other the woman in the image 
• the woman's stance connotes that she is powerful
• the skull in the background connotes death, a key theme in the Bond movies
• the darker colours with orange connote that it is an action film
• both have a serious and stern facial expression which could connote the themes of the film
• intertextuality is used because no where on the poster does it say its a James Bond film just the numbers 007
• the skull mask is a typical day of the dead mask used to celebrate the Mexican festival
• the use of the mask could connote that the villain of the film could be a mysterious character

Ferdinand Saussure 

Saussure first put forward a theory saying that signs are comprised of two elements.  a signifier and the signified.

• The Signifier is the physical form the thing that is being considered
• The Signified is what our culture has decided this form means  

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretations. 

A CROSS - Signifier  - a wooded cross

                     Signified - Christianity, Jesus's crucifixion, religion

A RED LOVE HEART -  Signifier - a red love heart 

                                            Signified - love, romance, passion

A SKULL AND CROSS BONES  - Signifier - a skull and cross bones 

                                                            Signified - pirates, danger

ROLAND BARTHES was a french theorist who said that some connotations are so widely used they reach the level of MYTH

Charles Pierce argued that there where three types of signs... 

PEIRCE'S THREE TYPES OF SIGN

ICON 

Signified by - Resemblance [looks like]

Examples - Pictures /statues 

Process - can see what it is 

INDEX

Signified by - Causal connection 

Examples - Fire/smoke

Process - Can figure out what it is

SYMBOL

Signified by - convention [we learn through out culture] 

Examples - Flags

Process - must learn to know what it is

10th October, 2018

Applying Semiotics

LO: To apply semiotic theories when creating media products

• a new fasion lable aimed at young adults
• a new tv channel for kids
• a new social media app aimed at ABC1 25-35yr olds

this is the logo i created for the new social media app aimed at ABC1 25-35yr olds. The colour shceme is intended to represent that the app will be a traditional social networking app but whilst still being modern and interresting. This theme is continued through the way that the logo has a combination of sharp and curved corners.

 

This is the new fashion label logo I designed aimed at young adults. 

28th October, 2018

•   Simple close up of Rita Ora used as main image

model looks serious which could connote that the brand being advertised is a very professional label

• the use of a modern and popular celebrity shows that the brand is used by celebrities which will make people want to buy the product more as they want to be like the celebrity.
• the use of the word superstar connotes not only the name of he shoes being advitised but also the factthat rita ora could be seen as a super star in the pop world
• the ad works on the asumption that the audience knows who rita ora is
• Model looks as though she has just done some sport 

• heavy reference to the Lord of the Rings franchise 

• makes there product seem powerful and superior

• aimed at predominately males audience aged 18-30 years old

• the ad relies on the assumption the the target audience enjoys the lord of the rings saga  

• the green colour scheme could connotes freshness, natural ingredients 

• the ad tries to make the product seem as popular as the Lord of the rings trilogy 

• conventions followed by the use of condensation on the bottle and having images of the bottle

• assuming the target audience understand the intertextuality of the poster

7th November, 2018

Subversions

• followed light beer conventions by use of the colour green
• convention of condensation used
• convention of using glass bottles followed
• the conventional colour scheme connotes freshness and natural  ingredients 
• target audience of 18 plus males

Cadburys 2007 Gorilla Ad

The advert tells us that Cadburys wanted to be different, new and exciting whilst still staying true to its roots.

the intention of the ad was to boost the sales of Cadbury products by projecting the image that there products are quirky and exciting.

the ad is aimed at the generations that listened to the song used, which was released in the 1980s, this means that the intention of the ad was to boost the sales of a specific age of people who would have listened top the music when it was released

for me the impact of this advert shows to me that Cadburys wanted to redesign its advertising but without complete rebranding. This shows that cadburys wanted to do something new and different to grab the attention of the audience

Beneton Case Study 

Analyse how this advert has been constructed and what meaning it is intended to convey? explain why you think it was banned

12 november 2018

LO: to explore the set texts 

the representation of the Barbie franchise has clearly changed when comparing the 1996 advert and the 2018 advert. in the older advert it shows young girls plating with a barbie doll by braiding her hair and doing stereotypically 'Girly' things with the doll.  however in the new 2018 advert it shows young girls doing more adult things such as lecturing, being a practising vet and coaching a football team. this shows that the branding of barbie has changed from selling their product as more as more of a girly product that encourages

girls to become focused on things such as make up, hair, and general looks to becoming a brand that shows that it wants to help girls achieve whatever their dreams are.

Media language for print ads

•  location
• costumes
• props
• makeup
• lighting
• choice of camera shot
• camera angle
• typography
• layout
• address of written context to the audience
• colour

Research and Context

This is an advert that was released for the U.S. brand 'Old Spice'. Old Spice is an american brand that produces male grooming products. the brand was first introduced in 1937. As a result of this, many of the costumers and target audience of the company where older men. The company had the image of being very old school and had very traditional values. However, in this advert it is clear that the company wanted to try and create a new image for itself and try and reach a younger, more broader range of potential customers.  in previous ad campaigns, the company has branded itself as being very manly, traditional and high class. Old Spice have prided themselves on being modern and exciting. this advert keeps that image alive within the brand. The use of a pro american footballer and actor shows that the brand are trying to be modern and keep up with their target audience. the advert consists of a beach scene that is presumably somewhere in the Caribbean, the star vehicle of the advert, text and the product itself. The use of the sunny beach scene will help attract members of the target audience as they will associate the joys and fun of the beach with the product. 

This advert was released for the energy drink brand Lucozade. Lucozade was first produces in 1927 and has always advertised that their drinks give the consumer energy. The brand projects the image of being cutting edge in high performance energy drinks. This advert keeps that image for the brand going. The use of the star vehicle Gareth Bail helps to convey the message that high performance professional sportsmen and women use the product. The consumer will see this and be attracted  by the scene of a warm beach as the majority of their target audience would enjoy traveling to the warm sunny location used in the ad.  

This advert was  created and published the UK energy drink brand Lucozade. the target audience for this ad is male and females aged 16 to 30 years of age who enjoy sport and wish to enhance their sporting performance. The star vehicle of this advert is Gareth Bale, a pro footballer who plays for Real Madrid. The target audience will see that Bale is endorsing the product and will then associate the product with being used by pro athletes, this will then encourage them to buy the product as it has the image of being used by professionals so therefore by buying and consuming the product the consumer will feel good about themselves because their drinking the same drinks as the professionals. 

The colours used in this advert have connotations of being modern, masculinity and having authority. These are all key points to the advert. The ad wants to appear modern and up to date as its selling a product that is used by professional athletes at the top of their game. They will want to make it look as though they are the modern and powerful alternative to other sports performance drinks. the has many clean cut lines which makes the advert look high end and professional. The font used is again used to connote masculinity and professionalism. The slogan 'in a different league' connotes that drinking the product will put you ahead of your competition. It also helps attract football fans and players to buy the drink as they will want to be 'in a different league' themselves. 

                                                                               these three print ads where released for the charity Shelter. The target audience for these adverts are males and females aged 18 to 65 years of age. They are aimed at people who are on the point of being made homeless as Shelter is an organisation that supports people to keep them from ever getting to the point of homelessness.

Unlike the other adverts that i have looked at, these adverts have  have no star vehicle. Having no star vehicle makes the adverts more simple and relatable to many people. The other reason that shelter choose to use the faces of regular people connotes that it is regular, everyday people that need the support of the charity. Showing this through the adverts will help people who need the charities help feel more comfortable and less afraid to contact them. the adverts are simple but effective. They represent the brand effectively. Viewers of the advert will see that the adverts have a form of question and answer on each poster. This will make the target audience feel reassured that the charity will be able to help them.                                                                                       

The Hypodermic needle theory

• developed in the 1920s and 1930s
• linear communication theory
• passive audience
• no individual differences
• 'Buy this product and you'll look beautiful'  leads to consumer buying product thinking it'll make them beautiful.

Cultural Effect model

the thinking behind this theory centres on the long term affects of particular ideological representations on out beliefs and values.n media representation of beautiful women have ben influence in both giving both men and women a view of 'An Ideal woman'

Two-step flow theory

• the hypodermic needle proposes that the media has a direct and powerful influence 
• the two step f;ow theory acknowledges communication is a more complex process 

Uses and gratification theory model

• four reasons for watching media
• ads - identify a need, E.G. someone needs a cleaning product they will look for a cleaning product that works 

Reception Theory 

• the three ways that the ad could be read by the audience
• Dominant or Preferred reading - how the producer wants the audience to receive the media
• Negotiated - you see the message the the producer wants people to see but your not interested or don't like the media.
• Oppositional - the audience don't understand the message or miss read the message

26th November, 2018

Representation

• age 
• race/ethnicity
• sexuality
• nationality

Gender

Lucozade - gender represents by the use of a male football player

Old spice - gender represented by the use of male fishing and a female sunbathing

Shelter - gender represented by the picture of the male having a quote about it being someone fault 

Age

• babies and infants - cute, vulnerable, happy, innocent, vulnerable, messy, clumsy, noisy

• children and teenagers - excitable, troublesome, loud, out of control, rebellious, uninformed, immature, always on their phones, active playful, stubborn

• young adults - adventurous, lot of parties, drugs and drink, Larry, privileged compared to older generations

• middle aged - stressed, always at work, finically stable, happy families

• elderly (60+) - fragile, old, telling stories, slow, lonely, sad, smelly

Lucozade - age represented by using a young athlete at the top of their game

Old spice - Age represented by using a man aged 30-35 to represent maturity

Shelter - age represented by using middle aged people who would stereotypically own a house 

RACE 

Lucozade - athletes are white as represented within the ad

Old Spice - black man in the Caribbean

Shelter -British charity and all three models for the ads are white

Sexuality

OLD SPICE - this is the man your man can smell like

28th November, 2018

Social context

LO: to review and apply context and representation to old spice adverts 

• 'Become on of the freshest places on earth'

how does the product use and subvert the conventional genre stereotypes of masculinity associated with the adverts for such products and brands?

The product use in these three adverts for the Old Spice brand both use and subvert the conventional genre conventions for this style of brands and products. The brand decided to break away from one of the main conventions for the genre and decided to aim their adverts at females instead of males, as they realised that more females by products for their male partners than males do for Themselves. This lead to massive success for the ad campaign and subsequently the company; the ads lead to massive sales increases for the brand. this broke one of the main conventions for this genre of advertising, pitching male grooming products to females instead of males. 

despite the fact that Old Spice decided to break the mould and aim their adverts for a male product to females, they did however keep to some long standing conventions. one of these was having a traditionally masculine male to represent and endorse the product and brand. the use of an american pro footballer represents the masculinity of the customer and the brand. Keeping in line with this convention helps to counteract the bold move of marketing the products to women instead of men. 

subverting the convention of marketing to males helped the brand boost its sales and gain lots of good press in the media as the adverts became a massive success with parody being made from it and there being a cry for the adverts to return.

• star vehicle - Gareth bale
• 'better than water' slogan
• 'I belive' hashtag
• blue and yellow colour pallet that matches product and connotes energy and masculinity, lighter shades of blue help to lead attention to Gareth Bale and a bottle of Lucozade
• text and information
• 'scientifically proven' will encourage men and women to buy the product
• star vehicle looking at the camera with a stern expression connoted seriousness, professionalism and power
• 'Do you believe?' the use of rhetorical questions will make the target audience think about the positives of buying Lucozade
• traditional lay out for an advert
• charts and diagrams help make the ad look 'scientifically proven' 
• the idea that lucozade can 'fuel' you suggests it has a real purpose, more than just being a drink
• personal pronouns with facts being presented based on scientifically proven
• direct adress to audience

5th December, 2018

Analysis: 

Celebrity Endorsement - brand ambassadors, influencers

through the 'ibelive' campaign lucozade used a range of people for different ethnic backgrounds and a woman as brand ambassadors. the campaign also exampled a number of contextual issues such as technological changes by using the hashtag, impact of social media, and changes in social attitudes towards health.

How is the advert an example of changes in media representation of brands?

the advert is an example of this because they used a wider ranch of people for their advert. They used a white British male, a white British female and a mixed heritage British male. This shows that brand representation has changed in the media to shift towards favouring those who have more diversity within their brand, over those who only use one ethnic group of people as Brand ambassadors. 

What does the advert tell us about changes in media access and consumption?

the advert tells us that there had been changes in media access and consumption. The advert used a hashtag slogan which shows that this product and campaign are intended to be exploited on social media. If the campaign didn't have plans to move to social media then they wouldn't have used a hashtag as they are a social construct used only on social media platforms. This shift in marketing place is because more and more people are using social media so if an advert is put on social media more people will see the advert.

How does the product use conventional stereotypes associated with the adverts for such products and brands?

The product uses conventional stereotypes for such adverts and products in the 'i believe' campaign. These stereotypes are that the star vehicle is a pro athlete, the colours used are also very conventional for such adverts. The blue connotes power and masculinity. The representation of the advert are that if you drink Lucozade sport you will become a peak athlete.

SHELTER - Social context

LO: to review and apply context and representation to the shelter ads 

Charity adverts are different from commercial advertising.They are designed to trigger an emotional response from the audience. the adverts tend to have direct address with the audience to help trigger that emotional response from the audience to get them to take action and/or donate.

12th December, 2018

DIRT

LO: to reflect and improve on exam style questions

Representation in adverts are chosen to help sell a product or brand. in the Lucozade 'i believe' campaign, they used Gareth bail to try and represent the drink Lucozade sports. By using Bail as a star vehicle in the ads help to represent to the audience that Lucozade is a high performance sports drink. The consumer will see Bale, a strong, respected and accomplished football star and associate Lucozade with being a pro athlete. this then will encourage the consumer to buy the product, believing that it will help their sporting performance.

The old spice adverts also use representation to sell their product. The Old Spice ads use a pro American footballer to sell their product. However, by doing this old spice where able to represent two groups of consumers, men who would recognise the footballer, but more importantly the women would buy products for their men. these women would see this 'macho man' and be compelled to buy the product for their men because its been endorsed by the idealistic man'. 

By the use of representation, both of the adverts manage to sell their  product through the representations given through the adverts.