Shaqaya Bambury, AS - 2017

Component one: Advertising and Marketing Textual Analysis

1. Who advertises and why? (think of at least 4 examples)

Magazines often us advertising to update their audience on less serious (like the news[papers]) current affairs. It zooms in
and focuses on specific people rather than entire populations. It can vary fro updates of the fashion industry to updates
concerning TV show gossip. Magazines will often use written codes and consider their mis-en-scene quite efficiently.
Awareness raising campaigns use advertising to create emotion for the audience. For example, they often use technical
codes such as NVC (Non- Verbal Communication), including expressions of desperation or sadness to elicit audience
sympathy, or sometimes even empathy via Anchorage.
Product endorsers, like Celebrities become brand ambassadors and eventually end up in the same ad fir the same campaign
repeatedly. They are used as a code to see a product; to sell the service; to raise awareness.
Social media platforms, like YouTube upload movie Trailers in order for people to see if they (dis)like a movie. It allows them
to consider if they would recommend the movie to anyone etc.

2. Name at least 3 conventions of print advertising:

Print adverts often use technical codes to convey an idea to their audience, including camera angles/shots, lighting, and editing
techniques
Print adverts often use written codes to convey an idea to their audience such as Anchorage and/ language of persuasion
Print adverts often use their unique selling point to convey an idea to their audience. This is the element that makes the product
different from its competitors and will be used in marketing, i.e. beauty adverts often say reduce the sign of ageing.

2.b. In which ways do these two adverts subvert conventions of the perfume advert sub-
genre and the car advert sub-genre?
The first advert subverts the conventions of the perfume advert sub-genre since although it represents women (follows gender-
specific convention), there are several codes which subvert the conventions. Firstly, the androgynous clothing of the model. This
subverts the conventions as perfume adverts usually present women using effeminate signifiers such as seductive costumes and
NVC.
The second advert subverts the conventions of the car advert sub-genre because it does not involve any demonstrative action.
No one is using the car in this advert, let alone iconic representation. Car adverts usually have a logo which is a tiny recognisable
design that becomes associated with the product this advert does not use this and therefore subverts the conventions further.

1)

33. Find another cosmetics advert online and conduct a full textual analysis. Copy and paste it into
the box below and use all the bullet points to analyse how the advert uses media language to
create meaning and how the advert represents groups, individuals or concepts.

Visual codes
Written codes
Technical codes
Representation
Extension: Can you find a contemporary and historical advert for the same product and
find3 or 4 differences in the codes they use to create meaning?
 Visual codes
The fact that her lips and the actual lipstick are most prominent suggests the advertisers purposely want to
foreground it for attention
The model is in a position of which we often associate with seduction since she has her finger latched onto her
bottom lip
A lot of her skin is showing to present maturity
Her hair is out of her face to perhaps foreground her face
Denotation: she is wearing glasses;
Connotation: the lipstick is for smarter women
She has no jewellery or drastic highlights on her face to further foreground the lip
In terms of colour, the black and white background makes the lips foregrounded and in-turn present this idea to
the audience that nothing else matters. This is a soft sell technique whereby the advert sells a lifestyle to its
audience, which in this case is to tell women (representation), that their hair does not matter, nor does their
clothes if they were the lipstick.
Her body language intertwines with the word cherry since they both connote seductiveness.
Written codes
The added colour to the word cherry in the slogan is to emphasise on it; connotation: the lipstick will complete
her look
The pun used here is smart as it will help people remember the lipstick
The slogan for the colour of lipstick is predominantly monosyllabic which is a significant lexical choice to help it
penetrate the consumers mind
The typography used here is good because it is a soft font, it almost looks as if it is dripping off of the page. Perhaps
to portray the lipsticks liquidity
Technical codes
The model is being shot from the side putting her bone structure in the foreground to suggest maturity since it is
a make-up advert
The lighting accentuates her bone structure to appeal to audiences of her size. She is used to portray an idea that
there is nothing wrong with being skinny. Thinks links to the written code (cherry) since it is a healthy food:
nutritional.
 Representation
This advert fits the conventions of the lipstick sub-genre since it is gender-specific
The advert presents the same race of woman which adheres to the conventions (ethnocentric)
Extension

3 differences in the codes:

Contemporary vs. Modern;

1) Visual codes: The contemporary advert for lipstick only shows the models neck-up which leaves the
audience wondering if she is nude or not. Her face has a shocked expression which is almost satirical
and cheeky. It looks like a male hand which is holding her head which could suggest the lipstick draws
male attention. Since we cannot see any other part of the characters body, we are left wondering who
this person could be forced to create our own images. Representation: The illustration of the female
modelling the lipstick is a white woman with blonde hair which fit the conventions of make-up adverts
back then. Women had these generic features. This is an ethnocentric representation and is therefore
directed at white females only. Written codes: The PINK A BOO slogan is a pun which is always a good
language device for the audience to find humour in the ad and in-turn, most likely, remember the ad.
This is an engaging technique. Coincidentally, the entire slogan for this particular advert is monosyllabic
which does the same trick; the diction is plosive (p and b sounds) creating the same effect. In terms
of colour, the text is in pink which helps to reinforce the colour of the lipstick a reminder, even though
it is explicitly written. The font is far from fancy which denotes simplicity, but connotes the idea that by
purchasing the product, you will be simple/ ordinary fit the conventions of how women were
supposed to look back then.
2) Visual codes: Unlike the contemporary advert, this lipstick advert is more explicit in its message. Janelle
Monaes costume is very her. In other words, the suit and tie (androgynous style) screams Monae!
This springs up a dual interpretation whereby if you do not know of Monae, you would get a different
interpretation via her costume. From an audience that knows Monae perspective, the advert seems as
if it is implying that by wearing the lipstick/s, you will adopt this feeling of wanting tio unleash your
bold-ness like Monae. The lipstick will ignite confidence in any woman, or man (the attire denotes a
male element since we are socialised to attach clothing to gender) who decides to purchase it.
Moreover, Monae has an expression of upmost delight which denotes positivity and therefore connotes
the idea that the lipstick is able to make you feel amazing. Her skin has been airbrushed and her lipstick
has been edited to reflect an exaggerated glossy tone. Representation: This CoverGirl advert is
representing the black race. They have explicitly foregrounded a black female to sell their product.
Although this is a convention of CoverGirl adverts, it still subverts the conventions of product
endorsement in media texts overall. Perhaps Monaes expression reflects this matter. I back this up by
saying that usually the NVC of make-up ads do not show the model smiling at any point, whether it be
print or audio-visual. This contrasts severely with the historic lipstick advert. Written Codes: The font
is predominantly white, apart from the title of the company. This could suggest purity; maturity.