Advertising: Maybelline CSP case study

Advertising: Maybelline CSP case study

Our second Advertising and Marketing CSP is the 2017 Maybelline 'That Boss Life Pt 1' mascara video advert.

This gives us an opportunity to explore the idea of gender fluidity in society and the media - plus compare the changing representation of masculinity in advertising. Notes from the lesson are here:

Gender fluidity

Gender fluidity is when gender expression shifts between masculine and feminine. Indeed, gender identity has become a major media and social issue in the last 10 years. 

Young (and some older) people are increasingly identifying as gender fluid – and some have credited the internet for this change. They suggest that millennials grew up with the internet so can easily find information on topics like gender expression.

You can read more on this view and gender fluidity in this CNN article here.

Maybelline 'That Boss Life Pt 1'

The Maybelline ‘That Boss Life’ advert is part of a digital campaign for their ‘Big Shot Mascara’ product. It has now been removed from YouTube but is available for Greenford students at this link (you'll need to sign in with your Greenford username and password).

The campaign is significant as it was the first time Maybelline used a male brand ambassador and digital influencers. The use of YouTube stars Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell means the brand can reach their combined 5.1 million Instagram followers and 2.5 million YouTube subscribers. 

In addition, Gutierrez (‘MannyMua’) is Mexican-Spanish-American and openly gay, offering a very different representation of masculinity and sexuality to the 1967 Score hair cream advert.

Blog task: Maybelline 'That Boss Life' case study and wider reading

Work through the following tasks to make sure you're an expert on the Maybelline CSP and particularly the wider social and cultural context.

'That Boss Life' close textual analysis

Use your notes from watching the video to write about the connotations and representations created by the following technical and audio codes. Write at least a paragraph on each:

1) Narrative & genre: narrative theory and sub-genre

The ad follows Manny and Shayla as they arrive in New York and need to get 'bossed up'. The narrative alludes to stories such as Cinderella, with the mascara presented as a magic wand that transforms the actors into glam stars. Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied, as the actors are in a new city, which is a state of disequilibrium, and are saved by the mascara which leads them to getting 'bossed up' in a state of new equilibrium.

2) Cinematography: camera shots and movement

The camera is almost never still; It's constantly moving, panning and zooming until the shot where they begin to apply the make up. Here it enters a more vlog-like style of camera shots, with extreme close ups and a static camera. This is important as this highlights the hybridity of the advert and how different it is compared to the usual type of beauty adverts that lack the type of progressiveness that this one has.

3) Mise-en-scene: costume & props

The actors initially wear dull white that matches the room the begin in, however after they apply the make up they change into sparkling black and gold. The golden room has more props and set pieces than the duller room before, and the duller clothes of the bell boy have also changed. The gold suitcase has connotations of wealth and is a common symbol that audiences would be familiar with, as a suitcase filled with gold or money is a well recognised trope in media. This further associates the product as being extremely valuable and desirable.

4) Mise-en-scene: actors, setting, lighting and colour

The setting of New York is associated with aspirational ways of living. This would be desirable to the audience, with connotations of wealth and high class and lifestyle. New York is also very modern, which links with the style of the video and Maybelline as a brand. The actors being Youtube influencers and people of colour (With Manny being the first male brand ambassador and openly gay) is also very modern and shows just how much the approach to gender fluidity is changing in advertising. The beginning scene sets up the idea of wealth and riches for the advert to carry on with.

The room they start in is white and minimalist, seemingly a hotel or flat, again contributing to the sleek modern feel of the advert. After they apply the make up, they transition from the duller white room into a golden lit room with an emphasis on the extent of the transformation due to the product, which makes the audience want to desire it.

5) Editing: pace, transitions and visual effects

The advert doesn't use transitions, instead using hard cuts to change shots (If they're not panning the camera). This creates a faster paced advert that emphasises the ideals of luxury and wealth when the footage is slowed down. The ad is sometimes sped up and then slowed down to either normal speed or slower, creating a somewhat hyperactive and adrenaline filled advert overall. When they open the suitcase, a golden glow can be seen on the actor's shirts which could perhaps create intrigue as well as emphasise the wealthy aura the product gives off. When the product is revealed, a golden sparkle visual effect is used to emphasise the magical and luxurious quality of the mascara. When they flip the suitcase, they enter slow motion, perhaps to emphasise the quantity and abundance of the golden product. As they apply the make up, they blink in slow motion and more sparkles appear and when they enter the golden room, the gold is emphasised with more sparkles.

6) Graphics: text/graphics on screen

The video starts with anchorage text and the brand name Maybelline, cluing in the audience to the name of the ad campaign and the two influencers used in the advert. The maybelline logo can be seen in the bottom left hand corner throughout the video, switching to the hashtag #BIGSHOTMASCARA when the product is revealed and other times throughout the video. This obviously is utilised in order to create a viral buzz on social media and to get people talking about the product. The font used is a modern and sleek sans serif, pairing well with the Maybelline brand. The black and gold text used in the anchorage also has connotations of wealth and high class.

7) Sound: dialogue, music and sound effects

The dialogue is quite forced and unrealistic in my opinion, but it helps emphasise the narrative of the advert in getting 'bossed up', give exposition of the setting and praise the product they're trying to sell. The music is sort of club-like and the beat drops when the mascara is applied. The music helps set the pace and tone of the video. There are glittering, magical sound effects used (like those tacky ones on vlog youtube channels) when the make up is applied and when a sparkle effect is shown.

Maybelline 'That Boss Life': wider reading

Read the following articles on this campaign:

Glamour: Manny Gutierrez Is the First Man to Star in a Maybelline Campaign, and It’s a Huge Deal

Your Story: Cosmetics giant breaks gender stereotypes by choosing male model as a face of the brand

Complete the following questions/tasks:

1) Why was this campaign such a landmark for beauty product advertising?

"Not only has it teamed up with beauty influencers for the first time, this also marks Maybelline's first-ever partnership with a man as the star of a campaign."

2) What do the articles suggest regarding the changing representation of sexuality and masculinity?

There's still a long way to go in the beauty industry, but the field has become more diverse and inclusive with black and asian supermodels, plus size models and transgender models.

3) Read this WWD article: Maybelline Taps Digital Makeup Influencers for New Mascara Campaign. Why might 'digital influencers' be so attractive to companies?

As industries evolve and everything becomes digitised, companies would find characters that have large and direct influences over their fans to be very attractive, as getting them to endorse a product means almost guaranteed support from the influencer's fanbase.

4) Why do you think Maybelline chose to use MannyMUA and MakeUpShayla in particular?

Because they both have a large following and are make-up artists, with Manny being a gay man and Shayla being a black woman. Companies that are trying to be more progressive and inclusive would find these two perfect candidates.

5) What does the WWD article suggest is the crucial factor for brands regardless of whether they use influencers or more traditional celebrities?

A wide social media following and reach.


Media Magazine: The Changing Face of Masculinity

Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature 'The Changing Face of Masculinity' in MM63 (page 15). This will allow us to compare our two advertising CSPs - the Score hair cream advert and the Maybelline digital campaign. Answer the following questions:

1) What message does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert is trying to communicate to the 1967 audience?

If you buy the product you'll become the idealised male fantasy and can have whatever you want.

2) How does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert uses narrative to sell the product?

The advert is using female sexuality to show men they can have power: you can conquer, you will be desired... "The narrative is clear: the consumer can have everything they want in the world if they buy the hair product."

3) What 1967 stereotypes does the article suggest the Score hair cream advert reinforces?

Women are objectified are portrayed as serving a man, being inferior objects that men can own. It also enforces the typical portrayals of masculinity, being overly macho and aggressive.

4) Applying Stuart Hall's reception theory, what does the article suggest the preferred and oppositional readings could be for the Score hair cream advert?

The preferred reading is that the product will make you desirable and give you power as a man. The oppositional reading is that the macho-laden ideas presented in this image are damaging to male self esteem and present women as passive and merely decorative.

5) Moving on to the Maybelline advert, why is the background of Manny Gutierrez and Shayla Mitchell significant?

It shows that the make-up industry is becoming more inclusive by having less represented groups lead their adverts.

6) What is the narrative of the Maybelline advert?

The product will transform you from plain to 'boss'.

7) What does the article suggest the Maybelline advert's message is?

You don't need to conform to masculine or feminine ideals to be comfortable in your skin.

8) The final section of the article focuses on masculinity. What do the Score advert and the Maybelline advert suggest regarding the changes in society and media between 1967 and 2017?

There have been significant changes in depictions of masculinity and gender since 1967. The score advert celebrated the patriarchy and the power of men over women, whereas the maybelline celebrates the fluidity of gender between men and women and that both genders can be equal in expressing themselves.

Advertising: Score case study

Blog task: Score advert and wider reading

Complete the following tasks and wider reading on the Score hair cream advert and masculinity in advertising.

Media Factsheet - Score hair cream

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #188: Close Study Product - Advertising - Score. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets - you'll need to save the factsheet to USB or email it to yourself in order to complete this at home. Read the factsheet and answer the following questions:

1) How did advertising techniques change in the 1960s and how does the Score advert reflect this change?

Visuals took on a greater importance, with agencies relying less on market research and more toward creative instinct; attempting to win over consumers with humour, candour and, above all, irony.

2) What representations of women were found in post-war British advertising campaigns?

Ironically, campagins reinforced the idea that a woman's place was in the home after the propoganda during the war encouraging them to work in farms and factories.

3) Conduct your own semiotic analysis of the Score hair cream advert: What are the connotations of the mise-en-scene in the image?

A man is held above women, which are scantily clad and grasping towards him, reinforcing the gender patriarchy and to appeal to the male target audience. He wields a gun, which can be seen as a phallic symbol that further reinforces male dominance. The Jungle setting gives empowering connotations of British colonisation.

4) What does the factsheet suggest in terms of a narrative analysis of the Score hair cream advert?

The Score advert identifies the man as Propp’s ‘hero' archetype and that he is 'exulted’as the hunter-protector of his ‘tribe’.

5) How might an audience have responded to the advert in 1967? What about in 2019?

Due to 1967 being the year to decriminalise homosexuality, the advert may be in response to the fear that society is changing and created to reinforce the heteronormative narrative. The fact sheet says that a male audience would read the narrative as ironic and humorous but the underlying ideology would remain implicit. Females of the time may take offence however regard it as normal in the patriarchal society.

Today, we are aware that this advert is an artefact of the 1960s and aware of the sexist and outdated narrative. However, teenage boys may find the ad appealing and not see the offence in it due to modern advertisements sometimes using similar iconography.

6) How does the Score hair cream advert use persuasive techniques (e.g. anchorage text, slogan, product information) to sell the product to an audience?

The slogan "Get what you've always wanted" implies that men who use this will get scantily clad women, reinforcing a heteronormative and sexist narrative for modern audiences but appealing to a 1967 male audience familiar with this traditional representation of gender and masculinity.

The Anchorage text uses the persuasive technique of inadequacy marketing, reinforcing men about their sexuality and masculinity with phrases like "made by the men" and "masculine scent."

7) How might you apply feminist theory to the Score hair cream advert - such as van Zoonen, bell hooks or Judith Butler?

Butler's theory that gender is a performance - socially constructed - can be applied. The advertisement is an example of the media reinforcing stereotypical gender roles and heterosexuality and it helps reinforce male and female roles in society. Van Zoonen's belief that women are objectified in the media is also reinforced here.

8) How could Stuart Hall's theory of representation and David Gauntlett's theory regarding gender identity be applied to the Score hair cream advert?

This links to Gauntlett's theory that representations of masculinity are changing in the modern era, as advertisements today aren't as overtly sexist and heteronormative as they were in the 1960s. However, it could be argued that this goes against Gauntlett's belief that masculinity is not in a crisis, as the advert may be in response to the fear that society is changing and created to reinforce the heteronormative narrative.

9) What representation of sexuality can be found in the advert and why might this link to the 1967 decriminalisation of homosexuality (historical and cultural context)?

The anchorage text reassures men about their masculinity and sexuality, perhaps in fear of the decriminalisation of homosexuality and the gradual changing of masculine values.

10) How does the advert reflect Britain's colonial past - another important historical and cultural context?

The mise en scene of the jungle setting envokes this, as well as the costumes worn by the women and man.


Wider reading

The Drum: This Boy Can article

Read this article from The Drum magazine on gender and the new masculinity. If the Drum website is blocked, you can find the text of the article here. Think about how the issues raised in this article link to our Score hair cream advert CSP and then answer the following questions:

1) Why does the writer suggest that we may face a "growing 'boy crisis'"?

2) How has the Axe/Lynx brand changed its marketing to present a different representation of masculinity?

3) How does campaigner David Brockway, quoted in the article, suggest advertisers "totally reinvent gender constructs"?

4) How have changes in family and society altered how brands are targeting their products?

5) Why does Fernando Desouches, Axe/Lynx global brand development director, say you've got to "set the platform" before you explode the myth of masculinity?

Advertising - Gauntlett and masculinity

Advertising - Gauntlett and masculinity

David Gauntlett has written extensively about gender, identity and the mass media and is a key theorist for A Level Media Studies. 

The Advertising and Marketing topic is a great opportunity to apply some of these ideas and give us some degree-level knowledge and theory.

David Gauntlett: Media, Gender and Identity

There is a huge amount we can take from Gauntlett's work across the mass media but these are three key ideas that we can apply to our Advertising and Marketing CSPs.

Idea 1: Identity is becoming more fluid 

David Gauntlett writes that there is a “decline of tradition”.

“The mass media is a force for change… The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low-status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons. Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity.”

Idea 2: There are generational differences

Gauntlett highlights the differences in views on identity between young and old – e.g. on homosexuality or masculinity.

“The mass media has become more liberal, and considerably more challenging to traditional standards… and this has been a reflection of changing attitudes, but also involves the media actively disseminating modern values.

Idea 3: Things change over time

Gauntlett talks positively about the media and audiences changing over time.

“Views of gender and sexuality, masculinity and femininity, identity and selfhood, are all in slow but steady processes of change and transformation.

“These things are not stationary. To discuss gender and media is to aim arguments at moving targets - which, again, is just as well.”

Gender, identity and advertising: blog task

Read this extract from Media, Gender and Identity by David Gauntlett. This is another university-level piece of academic writing so it will be challenging - but there are some fascinating ideas here regarding the changing representation of men and women in the media.

1) What examples does Gauntlett provide of the "decline of tradition"?

Gender representation: "The traditional view of a woman as a housewife or low status worker has been kick-boxed out of the picture by the feisty, successful 'girl power' icons." and "Meanwhile the masculine ideals of absolute toughness, stubborn self-reliance and emotional silence have been shaken by a new emphasis on men's emotions, need for advice, and the problems of masculinity."

2) How does Gauntlett suggest the media influences the way we construct our own identities?

He talks about how, in modern society, you are constantly at work constructing your identity and the media provides "tools" that can be used to create your lifestyle. Magazines give advice and information on sex, relationships and lifestyles with the overall promotion of self-confidence, and Television programmes, pop songs, adverts, movies and the internet subtly imply ways of living that guide us in forming our identities.

3) What does Gauntlett suggest regarding generational differences? Is it a good thing that the media seems to promote modern liberal values?

He suggests that, generally, the media is adopting more liberal views. Younger generations tend to have anti-traditional views and Gauntlett assumes these attitudes will carry on into later life; however maybe suggests that conservative attitudes, rather than literally 'dying out' with the older generations, develop throughout the population as it gets older.

I think it's good that the media is promoting modern liberal views, as it shows society is growing more tolerant and perhaps suggests that the younger generations are beginning to lead the media.

4) Why does Gauntlett suggest that masculinity is NOT in crisis?

Gauntlett argued that men's magazines have an almost obsessive relationship with the socially constructed nature of manhood and so there was no sign of a 'crisis' in either the magazines or their readers.

5) Does advertising still reinforce the "conventionally rugged, super-independent, extra-strong macho man" that Gauntlett discusses? Offer examples for both sides of the argument from the wider advertising industry.

Gauntlett argues that the ideal symbol of manhood put forward by the media has changed to about men finding a place for themselves in the modern world. The masculinity put forward by the biggest-seller, FHM, we saw to be fundamentally caring, generous and good-humoured, even though the sarcastic humour sometimes threatened to smother this. Somewhat contrastingly, there has been an increase in the sexualisation of men in advertising - although it could be argued that presenting a shirtless muscular man as a spectacle could be empowering to a male audience rather than demeaning.

6) Gauntlett discusses the idea of 'girl power' and offers examples from music and film. Does advertising provide evidence to support the idea of 'girl power' or is the industry still reinforcing traditional representations of men and women?

Advertisements targeted at younger children still conform to gender roles, with girls typically playing with pink dolls and make up kits. Although these representations aren't necessarily harmful, toys that are more playful or 'gross' rarely ever have girls in the ads, which creates an unnecessary divide between the genders as children grow up. The idea of 'girl power' is present, as many of these toy advertisements similarly empower young girls, however it also seems to be refusing to demolish the divide between the genders (which may be equally as harmful in society.)

7) Do you agree with Gauntlett's argument under 'Popular feminism, women and men' where he suggests that younger generations are not threatened by traditional gender roles and are comfortable with social changes? Does advertising provide examples either reinforcing or challenging this idea that younger generations are more comfortable with changing gender roles?

8) What examples from advertising does Gauntlett provide for the changing nature of gender in society (from the section on Judith Butler's Gender trouble)?

9) Why is advertising such a good example of the 'contradictory elements' that Gauntlett discusses with regards to the mass media? In other words, how does advertising continue to both reinforce and challenge gender stereotypes?

10) Finally, Gauntlett makes a clear case that things change and modern identities are increasingly fluid. What is your opinion on this debate - do you agree that the media reinforces the changing attitudes towards gender and sexuality in society?

MIGRAIN Assessment 3 - Learner response

Your learner response is as follows:

Create a new blog post called 'MIGRAIN 3 Assessment - Learner response' and complete the following tasks:

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

TOTAL = 18/20 = A

WWW: Superb... a real understanding shown of media debates and theory.

EBI: For full marks, more specific textual analysis of your examples using media terminology could push you up - CSPs will help with this.

2) Read the mark scheme for this assessment carefully. Write down the number of marks you achieved for the two questions: _/8; _/12. If you didn't achieve full marks in a question, write a bullet point on what you may have missed.

7/8:
>I could have talked more about Gauntlett's theory that representations of masculinity are changing.

11/12:
> Different media presents masculinity differently; the gillette advert provides evidence for his theory whereas the Carolina Herrara adverts provide evidence against it.

3) For Question 2 on the social and cultural contexts of gender representations, identify three potential points in the mark scheme that you didn't include in your answer.

> The Carolina Herrara advertising campaign reflects a more traditional approach to
representation than found in many modern campaigns. This perhaps reflects the recent
cultural backlash against ‘woke’ or ‘PC’ (politically correct) causes as evidenced by right-wing
political campaigns such as Trump or Brexit.

> The campaign reinforces Judith Butler’s work in Gender Trouble – particularly the idea that

gender is culturally and socially constructed – not ‘natural’. The construction of the adverts

supports Butler’s idea that we are conditioned to adhere to social norms – both in terms of

gender roles and heterosexuality.

> The Carolina Herrara advertising campaign may be seen as an attempt to reclaim traditional
gender roles in response to an increasing tolerance of gender fluidity and non-binary gender
identity.

4) Having read the whole mark scheme, pick out one media theory that you didn't include in this assessment and summarise it briefly here so you can use it confidently in future.

Van Zoonen’s theory regarding the representation of women; she believes strongly in the patriarchy and suggests women in media they objectified, passive and presented to reinforce gender ideals.

5) Based on your experience in this assessment, identify three aspects of Media (e.g. skills/particular theories/examples) that you need to work on for your next assessment.

In general: Using more direct media terminology to a broader and more in-depth extent when talking about media texts. 

I think I should work on memorising Gauntelett's various theories and viewpoints, as well as some quotes in order to grasp a better understanding on his viewpoints of the media. 

Advertising: The representation of women in advertising

The following tasks are challenging - some of the reading is university-level but this will be great preparation for the next stage in your education after leaving Greenford. Create a new blogpost called 'Representation of women in advertising' and work through the following tasks.

Academic reading: A Critical Analysis of Progressive Depictions of Gender in Advertising

Read these extracts from an academic essay on gender in advertising by Reena Mistry. This was originally published in full in David Gauntlett's book 'Media, Gender and Identity'. Then, answer the following questions:

1) How does Mistry suggest advertising has changed since the mid-1990s?

Since the mid-1990s, advertising has increasingly employed images in which the gender and sexual orientation of subjects are markedly (and purposefully) ambiguous. There are also a growing number of homosexual images.

2) What kinds of female stereotypes were found in advertising in the 1940s and 1950s?

The creation of the 'Feminist Mystique' led to the belief that the sole goal of women were to full fill their femininity. As a result, the stereotypes that arose were about the importance of women having a domestic role in the house hold.
3) How did the increasing influence of clothes and make-up change representations of women in advertising?

Women were being increasingly portrayed as decorative/empty objects, and used as tools to sell products.

4) Which theorist came up with the idea of the 'male gaze' and what does it refer to?

Laura Mulvey. She claimed that Male power means that any social representation of women is constructed as a spectacle for the purpose of male voyeuristic pleasure.

5) How did the representation of women change in the 1970s?

The representation of women changed with the 'new women' label. Women were supposed to be independent, confident and assertive while finding satisfaction in the world of work.

6) Why does van Zoonen suggest the 'new' representations of women in the 1970s and 1980s were only marginally different from the sexist representations of earlier years?

Deconstructing an advertisement promoting the 'Jenni Barnes Working Style' range of clothing, van Zoonen points to its claim that: 'A woman should look forward to dressing for the office.' Having a job is seen merely to provide 'another happy occasion for women to dress up and present themselves.'

7) What does Barthel suggest regarding advertising and male power?

There is no real threat to male power as today young women can successfully storm the bastions of male power without threatening them... 'no serious gender defection has occurred'

8) What does Richard Dyer suggest about the 'femme fatale' representation of women in adverts such as Christian Dior make-up?

He claims that a woman is still displayed as a spectacle. There is a misrepresentation of woman's liberation: advertising agencies miss the point when attempting to employ feminist messages and instead equate feminism to 'aggressive sexuality and a very unliberated coy sexiness'.
Media Magazine: Beach Bodies v Real Women (MM54)

Now go to our Media Magazine archive and read the feature on Protein World's controversial 'Beach Bodies' marketing campaign in 2015. Read the feature and answer the questions below in the same blogpost as the questions above.

1) What was the Protein World 'Beach Bodies' campaign?

Are You Beach Body Ready - Launched Spring 2015 on the London Underground.

2) Why was it controversial?

It was a weight loss ad campaign and featured a tanned, skinny blonde woman in a bikini and in a full frontal pose.

3) What did the adverts suggest to audiences?

It shamed women who weren't skinny into buying the slimming supplement in order to feel confident wearing swimwear in public.

4) How did some audiences react?

Audiences were protesting the advert by posing next to the ad in their bikinis to offer a more realistic depiction of woman's bodies.When people began to campaign against the poster’s sexist portrayal, a change.org petition signed by 71,000 urged the ASA to take the adverts down.

5) What was the Dove Real Beauty campaign?

The campaign features real women with real bodies of all races and ages. Dove created an interactive Ad Makeover campaign that put women in charge of the advertisements, where they themselves would choose what they saw as beautiful, not the advertisers. The campaign’s mission is to "create a world where beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety."

6) How has social media changed the way audiences can interact with advertising campaigns? 

It has given audiences a large platform to voice their anger at ad campaigns, and also spread their support for them.
7) How can we apply van Zoonen's feminist theory and Stuart Hall's reception theory to these case studies?

We can apply van Zoonen's feminist theory to the beach body campaign as the woman is sexualised for the male gaze, despite being targeted an ad at women, and depicts unrealistic western beauty standards. Stuart Hall's reception theory also applies as there was a wide backlash from audiences who had an opposition reading from the advertisers.

8) Through studying the social and historical context of women in advertising, do you think representations of women in advertising have changed in the last 60 years?

I definitely think that representations of woman have changed in the last 60 years. Although there are still many advertisements that sexualise women, there is a broader and more fluid representation of gender and a greater acceptance of women's bodies and appearance. As highlighted by the backlash from women about the beach body campaign, advertisers find it harder to get away with sexist portrayals of women without backlash.

Advertising: Persuasive techniques blog task

Advertising: Persuasive techniques blog task

Create a new blog post called 'Advertising: Persuasive techniques'. Read ‘Marketing Marmite in the Postmodern age’ in MM54  (p62). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here.

Answer the following questions on your blog:

1) What does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?

All publicity works on anxiety; Advertising seeks to make us dissatisfied with our present selves and promotes the idea that we can buy our way to a better life... The magazine specifically quotes him saying "Publicity is always about the future buyer. It offers him an image of himself made glamorous by the product or opportunity it is trying to sell. The image then makes him envious of himself as he might be.

2) What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? Which persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?

We refer, either knowingly or subconsciously, to lifestyles represented to us (through the media or in real life) that we find attractive.

3) How was Marmite discovered?

German scientist Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer’s yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.

4) Who owns the Marmite brand now?

the Sanitarium Health Food Company.

5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?

> Marmite’s 2003 ad featuring Zippy from the children’s television programme Rainbow
> Paddington Bear advert in 2007
These characters would invoke nostalgia and emotional appeal

6) What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?

High culture is the consumption patterns of the 'elite' in society vs pop culture targeting the masses. Marmite plays on this by juxtaposing the Royal Warrant of Appointment with common, popular culture.

7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?

Not only does it stroke the audience's ego, but a post modern audience may be fully aware of the technique of basically being groomed by brands and play into it.

8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?

The use hyper-reality in its #marmiteneglect campaign which communicates how the brand is self aware by using recognisable scenes and documentary/police show style editing in its advert.

Narrative in advertising: blog task

Narrative in advertising: blog task

Nike has received critical acclaim for its February 2018 advert ‘Nothing beats a Londoner’. Embed the advert in your blog and answer the following questions:

 


1) How does the advert use narrative? Apply at least three narrative theories to the text, making specific reference to specific shots or key scenes in the advert.

The advert uses Barthes action codes to create a fast pace entertaining experience for the viewer, with the use of movement and sport being indicative of success. Levi-strauss's Binary opposition also drives the pace of the advert through conflict: The different sides of London and it's multiculturalism are represented. Todorov's theory of equilibrium can be applied as the characters overcome conflict - creating a new equilibrium - with the nike product.

2) Read this BBC feature on some of the people in the advert. How does the advert use celebrities and less well-known people to create stories in the advert?

Fans of celebrities featured in the advert would be more inclined to buy nike products as their favourite celebrities are supporters of it, as well as broadening the appeal of the advert. A wider audience would see themselves in the non-celeb characters and relate to their struggles.

3) Read this AdWeek feature and interview on the Nike London advert. [Note: this may now be behind a paywall - you can find the text from the article here]. How did the advert use technical codes (camerawork, mise-en-scene, editing etc.) to help create narratives that could connect with the audience?

In order to create narrative, the scenes are edited together by having one character slip from one scene seamlessly into another, over and over. The characters talk directly into the camera and the camera shots and pans are extremely dynamic as it finds ways to follow them. This all connects the different narratives of each person together and creates a wider and grander narrative that the audience can easily follow.

4) What representation of London does the advert offer?

It's extremely diverse, with people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds being prevalent. It also depicts London as having many flaws and being unpleasant due to aspects like the weather. Despite this, it shows that anyone can do sport no matter what their background is.

5) Why might this advert appeal to an audience?

The advert depicts creates an accurate and diverse representation of London that a London audience would easily relate to, as they could see themselves represented in the advert through the people in the advert. Sports fans would find the different types of sports represented appealing, and the celebrities would appeal to fans of them.