We have now completed our work on Advertising and need to publish a final index to demonstrate we have finished every blog task.
Every index you create is an excellent way to make sure you are revising the course as we go - as well as highlighting if you've missed anything. Your index should include the following:
For your index, the text should link to YOUR blogpost for that topic so you can access your work quickly and easily for checking and revision. This also means if you have missed anything you can catch up with the work and notes and won't underperform in assessments and exams due to gaps in your knowledge. Look at the video below if you're not sure how to create an index.
Recap: How to create an index To create an index on your Media blog, first copy the list of tasks above and paste it as plain text into a new blogpost called 'Advertising & Marketing: Final index'. Then, open your Media blog in another tab and use your blog archive to open up all your work from last term. For each post, copy the URL - this is the web address that will end .blogspot.com/name of the post. For example: https://mediamacguffingcseyear1.blogspot.com/2020/01/representation-introduction.html Once you've got the hang of it, you should find the index only takes 10-15 minutes to produce. Here's a short video showing you how to create a blog index in Media in case you've forgotten:
Our final close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 2016 NHS Blood and Transplant online campaign video 'Represent' featuring Lady Leshurr. This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, class, age, disability and ability and place. It's also a different type of advert as it's not promoting a product but instead is a campaign designed to influence the audience's behaviour. Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these: 1) Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks] 2) Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks] Think about how you might answer those questions based on the CSPs we have studied.
Advertising campaigns
Some adverts are produced in a series as a campaign. An advertising campaign is a series of advertisements that share a singular theme, message or idea. These are used to raise awareness of an issue or of the brand itself. The best campaigns have an emotional impact on audiences.
An advertising campaign will usually appear across multiple media platforms - print, broadcast and online.
Represent: background information
Lady Leshurr is an English rapper, singer and producer. She is famous for her freestyling rap style and has her own clothing line. This is the advert CSP:
The two articles we read in the lesson provide details on the campaign and how it was developed. This also gives information on why blood from people with a BAME background is so vital. GLOW words to use in connection to this campaign
Literal – the actual, obvious meaning
Semiotics - the message behind what you see (hidden messages)
Reinforce stereotype – when a representation is what we expect
Challenge/subvert stereotype - When a representation goes against what we normally see in the media
Mass - A mass audience is made up of a large group of people (men, women, children, elderly)
Niche - A niche audience is a small subset with very unique interests or characteristics
Codes and conventions of rap music videos
There are many low-angled, close up shots in hip hop videos, to imply the artists’ power over their audience. The low angle gives them the power, because they look down on the audience and the close up gives status because it implies they’re important enough to have a frame to themselves.
Sections of direct contact with the camera (the artist usually spends a lot of time looking straight into the camera as if to talk or have a conversation with the audience and relate to them)
Props regarding costume tend to be used, for e.g. gold jewellery (male rap artists are commonly known to wear heavy chains or prominent rings)
Show a clear display of emotions – if the tone of the song is angry, the artist is likely to present this through their gestures and facial expressions.
Strong editing cuts between concept / performance and narrative.
Represent NHS Blood & Transplant campaign: blog tasks
Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.
Re-watch the Represent video and then watch the 'making of' video: 1) What does BAME stand for? 2) Why is there a need for blood in the BAME community?
3) What does this advert want people to do once they've seen it (the 'call to action')? 4) Why is the advert called 'Represent'? 5) Why have the producers chosen famous BAME celebrities to feature in the advert? Give an example of three well-known people who appear in the advert and why they are famous - make sure you write their names and spell them accurately. 6) What are the connotations of the slow-paced long shot of empty chairs at the end of the advert? 7) How does the advert match the key conventions of a typical urban music video? 8) How does the advert subvert stereotypes? Give three examples (e.g. ethnicity, masculinity, femininity, age, class, disability/ability etc.) 9) How does the advert reinforce certain stereotypes of the BAME community? Could there be an oppositional reading where some audiences would find this advert offensive or reinforcing negative stereotypes? 10) Choose one key moment from the advert and write an analysis of the connotations of camera shots and mise-en-scene (using CLAMPS). Grade 8/9 extension tasks
2) How is celebrity endorsement or star power used to make the campaign stand out? 3) Research the following stars in more detail: Lady Leshurr, Ade Adepitan, Kanya King. Why are they famous? How do they help the campaign reach different segments of the niche BAME audience? 4) How does the advert use genre and intertextuality to appeal to the target audience? You may need to research these key terms first in order to answer this question. You will have lesson time to answer these questions but will need to complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
Our second close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 2016 Galaxy chocolate advert 'Chauffeur' featuring dead Hollywood film star Audrey Hepburn. This product provides an excellent opportunity to explore a range of different representations: celebrity, place (Italy), gender and more.
Intertextuality: When one media text refers to or suggests another media text
Semiotic codes: The media language choices (‘signs’) that create connotations for the audience.
Historical context of confectionary advertising
Nostalgia, or a "yearning for yesterday," is a frequently used advertising tool. It is particularly common in the chocolate industry. This classic Flake advert from the 1980s creates a nostalgic atmosphere of a more innocent time:
Galaxy brand identity The Galaxy brand identity has focused on luxury and indulgence for over 25 years. This 1995 advert is a good example of the Galaxy brand and also features a nostalgic soundtrack: Audrey Hepburn Audrey Hepburn was a huge Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s. She was associated with Hollywood glamour and style and was also a fashion icon and model. She died in 1993 at the age of 63. For the Galaxy advert, the advertising agency used a CGI-version of Hepburn from 1953, the year of her hit film Roman Holiday. The advert is set on the luxurious Italian Riviera which creates intertextuality and nostalgia – two key audience pleasures. Intertextuality in Media Products
Intertextuality is where one media product (e.g. Galaxy) makes reference to other media products (e.g. Audrey Hepburn movies such as 1953 film Roman Holiday) to interest and engage the audience.
Narrative theory
We also need to learn narrative theories in GCSE Media Studies and the Galaxy advert is an ideal time to learn these. Narrative theories help us understand how media texts are constructed to engage an audience and keep them watching or reading until the end.
Propp’s Character theory
Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character functions when he analysed 100 fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:
Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.
They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.
Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium
This can be applied to most media narratives.
Galaxy advert: Representations The TV advertisement for Galaxy uses a range of stereotypes. Stereotypes are used so that information can be quickly communicated to the target audience. What stereotypes are used in this advert and why? Are they reinforced or subverted? Place: Italy
Celebrity: Audrey Hepburn
Product: Galaxy chocolate
Time: 1950s
Gender: Men & Women
Galaxy 'Chauffeur' advert: blog tasks
Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.
Re-watch the Galaxy advert then answer the questions below:
1) Why is the advert set in the 1950s? What audience pleasure does this provide?
2) Which of Propp's character types are represented in the advert? (Note: just choose two or three character types that are definitely used in the advert - it does not use them all). 3) How does the advert's narrative (story) follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium? 4) Who is Audrey Hepburn? 5) Why did Galaxy select Audrey Hepburn for this advert?
6) What is intertextuality?
7) What Audrey Hepburn film is suggested in this advert and how is this effect created (e.g. mise-en-scene - CLAMPS: costume, lighting, actors, make-up, props, setting)? 8) What are the connotations of Audrey Hepburn and celebrity in this advert?
9) What representations of gender can you find in this advert? 10) Are stereotypes reinforced or subverted in the Galaxy advert? Give examples. Grade 8/9 extension tasks Read the Framestore case study and the Guardian feature again. How did they recreate an Audrey Hepburn film using location, casting and CGI? Now read this Vintage Everyday feature behind the scenes of the Galaxy advert. What other background information do you learn here regarding the construction of the advert? Women in the 1950s are represented very differently in two of our advertising CSPs: OMO and Galaxy. What similarities and differences can you find by analysing the two products?
The first close-study product for Advertising and Marketing is the 1955 advert for OMO washing powder that appeared in Woman's Own magazine. This product provides an excellent opportunity to analyse the changing representation of women in advertising over the last 60 years. Sample questions for Advertising and Marketing In your Media exams, you are likely to get questions similar to these: - Why do advertisers use stereotypes? [6 marks] - Explain how advertisements reflect the historical context in which they were created. [12 marks]
OMO advert CSP (1955)
OMO was a popular washing powder brand in the 1950s. This advert was from 1955 and needs to be studied both in terms of historical context and how it would be received today.
In 1955, British society was still adjusting after World War Two in which women took on many traditionally male jobs with men off fighting. This led to advertising in the 1950s often trying to reinforce traditional female stereotypes of housewives and mothers in order to protect male power both at work and at home.
Annotations
In the lesson, you'll have a chance to annotate your own copy of the OMO advert and make notes of the key conventions and what they communicate to the audience.
Here are some of the questions we discussed when we annotated our copy of the advert in class:
OMO advert: blog tasks Work through the tasks in this blogpost to make sure you're an expert on this CSP.
1) What year was the advert produced? 2) How were women represented in most adverts in the 1950s? 3) How does the heading message ('OMO makes whites bright') and the typography promote the product? 4) Analyse the mise-en-scene in the advert (CLAMPS): how is costume, make-up and placement of the model used to suggest women's role in society? 5) Why is a picture of the product added to the bottom right of the advert? 6) What are the connotations of the chosen colours in this advert - red, white and blue? 7) How does the anchorage text use persuasive language to encourage the audience to buy the product? Give examples. 8) What representation of women can be found in this OMO advert? Make specific reference to the advert and discuss stereotypes. 9) What is the preferred reading for this advert - what did the producers of the advert want the audience to think in 1955? 10) What is the oppositional reading for this advert - how might a modern audience respond to this text and the representation of women here?
You will have lesson time to answer these questions but will need to complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.
Grade 8/9 extension questions 1) How much do you think things have changed over the last 60 years with regards to representations of women in advertising? Give examples from a variety of adverts 2) How is the aftermath of World War Two reflected in the Omo advert? Why did many adverts in the 1950s strongly reinforce the stereotype of women as mothers and housewives?
There is a long history of adverts featuring a sexist or negative representation of women.
We need to learn how adverts represent different people and groups and also how these representations have changed over time. Today, the focus is on the representation of women and the gender stereotypes that appear in many adverts. This builds on our work on social and cultural contexts - the way the media influences people, society and British culture.
Key words
Representation: the way a group or individual is portrayed in the media.
Normalised: when something becomes considered ‘normal’ or ‘usual’
Stereotype: viewing a group or individual in a fixed, over-simplified way.
Conventions: typical features of a media product.
Reinforce a stereotype: the representation supports our usual expectations.
Subvert a stereotype: the representation goes against our usual expectations.
Social, Cultural and Historical contexts
Another aspect we have to consider whenever we study a media product is how it reflects British society and what message it may be sending to audiences. Our exam board AQA calls this 'social and cultural contexts' and those words will appear in several exam questions in our final exams. Similarly, when we study media products from history, we will also need to consider historical contexts - how the media product reflects the time period in which it was created. These are the key questions to ask:
Social contexts: How do media products influence or affect people in society?
Cultural contexts: How the media reflects the typical ideas, opinions and beliefs in society and the media industries.
Historical contexts: How has society (and the type of media product) changed over time?
The representation of women in advertising is a great example of all three of these contexts. The way women are presented in adverts says a lot about the culture the advert is created in, it may well affect the way both women and men feel and behave in society and it also has changed over time.
How are women represented in advertising?
The stereotype of women in advertising is often negative. Representations through the history of advertising have suggested that women are inferior to men, bad drivers, powerless, sexualised or focused on domestic work (e.g. cleaning). This potentially influences media audiences and the views in wider society.
Oxo TV adverts Explore how the representations of women have changed through these two adverts for Oxo. Are they really as different as they first appear? 1980s Oxo advert 2017 Oxo advert: Change of Plan
In 2017 Oxo launched a 'new family' to advertise some of their recent products and released a TV advert called 'Change of Plan'. There are definitely some significant changes between the 1980s Oxo family and the updated version - although perhaps the gender representations on display haven't progressed quite as much as it first appears.
Gender representation in advertising: blog tasks Create a new blogpost called 'Gender representation in advertising'. 1) Find three adverts featuring women that are from the 1950s or 1960s. Save the images to your Media folder as jpegs and then import them into your blog post. Hint: You may wish to look at car, perfume or cleaning products but can use any product you wish. 2) Find three adverts featuring women that are from post-2000. Save the images to your Media folder as jpegs and then import them into your blog post.
3) What stereotypes of women can you find in the 1950s and 1960s adverts? Give specific examples. 4) What stereotypes of women can you find in the post-2000s adverts? Give specific examples. 5) How do your chosen adverts suggest representations of gender have changed over the last 60 years?
Extension tasks
Find three adverts that subvert gender stereotypes, post the images/links to your blog and write a paragraph about how they subvert the way women or men are usually represented in the media.
