Analysis of Our Produced Advert

Being Able to Develop Responses to Media Products

Unit 6: Critical Approaches to Creative Media Products – Task 4

Presentation Notes

The Advertisement

n  It is promoting the book ‘The Definitive Guitar Handbook’

n  In the advert we see three young men fighting over one girl by basically showing their guitar skills. The one who has read the promoted book, wins her heart.

Genre

n  Style – Humorous (mostly expressed through the actors’ expressions)

n  Codes and Conventions:

n  Visual (the use of picture of the book and the logo)

n  Audio (the music, ambience and guitar music)

n  Symbolic (the rose is red like the book)

n  Technical (computer graphics for the hearts)

n  Techniques used:

n  Computer graphics for the hearts when the two actors fall in love with each other

n  Type of audience:

n  Niche Audience – the book is for guitar lovers and those who are interested in learning the instrument

Narrative Structure

n  Form – Realist narrative

n  Style – Humorous

n  A clear message from the middle of the advert onwards

n  Emotional responses or association: 

n  Solution to a problem – enhancing your guitar skills to be able to impress others

n  Celebrity endorsement:

n  The first cool guy is a real guitarist from a Maltese band

n  Characteristics of the product

n  Benefits offered:

n  It is implied that you will become a very good guitarist by reading this book and attract people to you even by playing a very little piece of music

n  Advantages over similar products:

n  The book is a solution to enhance your guitar skills and solves a lot of problems that one might have when learning how to play the guitar

n  Brand identity:

n  The publisher’s logo ‘Flame Tree Publishing’

n  Lifestyle appeal:

n  For guitar lovers or those who are learning this instrument seriously

Representation

n  The usual story of a number of men trying to win the heart of the same girl is used in the advertisement.

n  We also have one of the men who acts in a nerd way that is being made fun of by the two other men who act as being cool.

n  In the end we see that it is not how you act that is important, but the skills you have.

n  Regulation:

n  The advert is of a G rating and doesn’t break any broadcasting rules. All people and locations used are with their consent.

Semiotics

n  Signs used:

n  Signifier (material thing) – the actual book, the rose, the actors’ clothes and expressions

n  Signified (mental concept) – even if the third man is portrayed as a nerd, the princess chooses him as her favourite.

n  Layout:

n  A simple, one minute advert which is normal paced and without a lot of computer graphics or special effects, but which passes the real message just the same

n  Captions and anchorage:

n  Near the end to show the book and a caption, and in the very end to show the publisher’s logo

n  Moving Image:

n  Music is used in the beginning to introduce the characters, then we use just ambient sounds and the guitar playing. In the end, from the twist onwards, we use happier music

n  Interactivity:

n  It is said that the book is available in all leading bookshops, but no contact details are given.

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