October 29, 2010

Analysing an Ad

-      looking for the manipulating and the tricks

-      discussing the tricks and how they work

-      figuring out whom the ad is aimed at and thinking how it works on them

-      finding the funny or ridiculous messages

-      pointing out the inconsistencies and stupid logic

-      what is the message?

-      What is the underlying message that is communicated to the audience?

-      Negative effects? 

- think about all the things we've discussed over the last week and apply those 

-      We will be doing an analysis quiz next week. 

We will watch an ad or two and you will have to write a few hundred words on each. 

Samples we looked at and discussed:

October 27, 2010 - Advertising Gets Manipulative

How Did Advertising Get So Manipulative?
1950s
-    the world was much different than today
-    a time when advertising started to get serious and ad companies started using new ideas to “work people over”
A Couple of Preconditions
-    in order to know how ads changed in the 50s, it helps to know a bit about that time
-    Post World War II – people were in shell-shock over that war, people were still afraid to spend money and be wasteful, people were used to saving and being resourceful
-    After those years of being thrifty, people weren’t spending and this was a problem, so thought the gov’t and corporations
-    The economy works on spending by the people – if they don’t buy, the economy stalls – after the war, the gov’t wanted to get things rolling, keep the economy strong
-    Advertising became a way of making the people buy stuff to get the economy moving
Another precondition
-    technology was starting to boom in the 50s
-    list a few things: TV, early computers, many kitchen appliances, cars, vacuums, stuff that was handy and household, etc
-    stuff that makes life easier and more modern feeling
Last precondition
-    Baby Boomers – this is a big point
-    1947 – 1961 – a HUGE boom in births
-    these kids were born into a world that was much different than previous times – more tech, more leisure, more fun, more everything
 Advertising starts to use the tools of science and some tricks from psychology warfare
Rosser Reeves – a key figure in advertising
-    he work in New York on ads for TV
-    he told people who worked for him – “get in debt – buy everything you want or think is awesome – get so deeply in debt that you can bear it, and then work your guts out to pay it all back”
-    this was his recipe for success
-    who does this actually benefit?
-    This benefits everyone BUT you ad your family
-    This is what the companies want you to do
-    Brainwashing – people were being told “this” is what you want and people were believing it (this could have been anything)
-    Ads started selling lifestyle instead of a product – selling an idea (like we’ve discussed)
-    They started doing something tricky to your mind – messing with the human reward system (endorphin release)
-     Create a way of paying the reward system with something besides food, love, sex, etc
-    companies started giving us these reward buffsfor doing stuff that actually rewarded THEM – example buying stuff
-    How many people feel a surge of pleasure when they buy something?
-    How many people then feel let down when that is over?
-    Companies came up with a way of creating need in people – confusing WANTS with NEEDS
-    Fashion is a created need – style is a created need – we don’t need these things
-    Pants that are “in style’ are called that by the people that make the pants
-    They started to manipulate deep human needs that are inarguable – they take advantage of science and psychology and things like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – they hook their products and ads to those needs and we fall for it

October 26, 2010 - Ad Campaign Prep

An ad begins with the plan that is designed to create a bond between the consumer and the brand

Remember, it’s about feelings and ideas, not necessarily logic

The ad writer needs to know exactly who he/she is selling to – why? – ads are designed to be specific to those key demographics – ie we sell skateboard stuff to early teen boys, we sell pop band stuff to early teen girls

The strategy is to come up with the best way to get the effect from the target audience and stick the brand in their heads

The ad writers will probably focus on a KEY MESSAGE – eg Under Armor – “Protect this House – I WILL” boys and girls – the key message is to be strong and determined

Often a slogan or tagline will be written that helps put out the message or the feeling

Good slogans and taglines have THREE qualities:

1. Mention the “clinching benefit” – or convey the feeling in the message – this means the benefit that makes the buyer spend the money (that clinches the sales)(clinch means to grab and hold)

2. Short and catchy – has “a ring to it” – these stick in your head and last – “Tastes good like a cigarette should” – Winstons from the 50s

3. Have some meaning beyond the brand – this is kind of tricky – the slogan above about Winstons means that cigarettes are good and tasty in general

eg – Wendy’s – “Where’s the beef?” – the amount of meat is more important than taste or whatever else – this is “beyond” message

Think about those beyond messages 

When moving from the page to the screen, you have to think about what to show – what is the shot?

An ad needs to be visually compelling

You need to SHOW the idea and demonstrate the product or the key message

The product should be shown in action, in the best way possible, and any concepts or feelings should be VISUALIZED

-      even things like love, fun, surprise, hunger, etc – eg Pizza Pops ad with the stomach in the brain represents hunger

The script is written in a specific way to show Visuals on one side and Audio on the other

One of the key shots that is in most TV spots is the product shot, also called the beauty shot

This is a shot that shows a perfect version of the product, lit and beautiful

Show the product, in use if possible at it’s best, OR show something else that captures the feeling and fills that role – Beauty shot = GSP in the Gatorade ad

Magazine Assignment 1 - Oct 21 - 2010

Magazine Assignment #1 Oct 21/10

1. Find a magazine that you know has ads that will be worth talking about.
2. Pick 1 ad that you think is effective.
3. Identify 5 reasons why it is a good ad. Try to explain each reason a bit.
4. Identify who the Target Audience for this ad is. Try to explain your reasons. How do you know who the ad is for?
5. Explain the kinds of manipulation that are at work in the ad. ie like we discussed yesterday

How do we get Level 4?

Details – explain the WHY of everything
Use good logic.
Refer to the material we discussed in class.
Have some deeper thinking – what does the ad MEAN? – what messages are hidden in the ad?

This should be about one page in length (250 words).

Print Ad and Structure October 20th, 2010

Print Ad Design
(good examples for this note come from http://www.clioawards.com/)
How are most print ads designed?
-    1. many have a catchy slogan – what is a slogan? a saying that grabs your attention and conveys a feeling, not necessarily any important information
-    eg “I’m lovin’ it” “Just do it” “Das Auto” “Drivers Wanted” “Eat Fresh” “Always Fresh”
-    some do have meaning – some have very little, all are designed to convey a feeling
-    Eat Fresh – healthy, nutritious
-    I’m lovin’ it – enjoyment, tasty, love
-    Just Do It – freedom, determination
-    Slogan is in a prominent place, not always in top half, but often
 2. Central or Dominant Image –
- an image that fills most of the page up and conveys – the dominant message of the ad
- this may or may not be the product itself – some products are best sold by focusing on something else – often a sexual image, something beautiful or shocking, something visually arresting
- the idea behind an effective dominant image is one that really hits the eye and very easily conveys a message – the product is less important in a way that that feeling, concept or moment of eye-catching
3. Composition, Colour, Light, Balance and other artistic elements
- use of colour theory, layout and so on –
- ads needs to not just catch the eye but be visually appealing and well done
4. Information
- Somehow the viewer has to get enough info to understand the product and a point of view about it – ATTITUDE
- sometimes you have to THINK about the message and the information in the ad, because it isn’t obvious
in-Class Assignment
Examine the magazines for 4 good examples of ads that have a clear:
Use of a dominant image that conveys a message
Use of a slogan (describe what it suggests)
Conveys an overall attitude or point of view
Write down a bit on each.
5. The Product
- the key to the ad is not always showing the product – usually the key is creating some kind of response in the viewer – having an impact
- this seems weird, but it’s the way ads work
- when the product is shown, it is usually in what is called a “beauty shot” – this is a highly perfected photo of an often “hyper” or exaggeratedly perfect version of the product
- eg – food ads

Claims and Strategies, October 19, 2010

Recap on Demographics:
-    we can categorize people into groups
-    those groups have common elements
-    we can manipulate them based upon those common elements
-    advertisers use data to figure out how to sell stuff better
Claims and Strategies:
-    these are just a few ways that advertisers and producers use to manipulate audience specifically
1. Weasel words
- more, better, best, tastes, fun, improves, helps, new
- these words all have something in common – they are all used in ads and they all don’t mean exactly what we think they do
- More – does more = something good?
- if a product “gives you more” what does this really mean? – could be a bigger package of product, could be more X (cleaning agents, fat, sugar, who knows?) – it’s only good if they tell you what you get more of, and if it’s good
- Better and best – these words only have value if you have a reference to compare with – better at what? You need the specifics – but ads don’t give them
- Tastes and Fun – what’s wrong with these? –
- Mr. Lobb is allergic to green peppers. However, Megan Little loves them. She says they taste good. He says they taste like crap. Who’s right?
- taste is an opinion, and so is fun, and they don’t add value in ads – it’s a trick
- when a product is described as tasting great, this is useless
- Improves and helps, “can be a part of” – these are all misleading because they aren’t the active part of what is being sold
- helps fight cavities – doesn’t actually fight them, just helps
- virtually – Special Weasel Word – there are more like virtual (almost, nearly, can be, may, might, etc)
- all these words mean the same thing – Not, or not really or could be
- we hear the word as meaning something that it really isn’t
- Cool is the same – this is a catch all  on kids and their need to fit in. Cruel is better.
In the old days (1940s, cool meant that someone who was addicted to heroin had scored drugs)

2. Science and Numbers
- many ads use scientific terms and phrases to trick the audience into thinking that the product is awesome because it is complex or over their heads – they would even invent words that sounded scientific to do this
- eg – Certs – an old candy that had Retsyn.   
- modern example – Gatorade – electrolytes
- what are electrolytes? Salts and sugars and some minerals – like potassium
- who needs electrolytes when they work out?
- Gatorade sells flavour in water – electrolytes aren’t necessary for 95% of athletes or more
- the best sports drink is actually water and having a balanced diet
Three out of four dentists recommend Trident gum
-    this makes you feel like it’s healthy and you need it – the person at home feels like the product is not only safe, but important to have
-    the dentists and doctors used recommend these products because they are paid – they come in to a panel and are paid –
-    The reason why there is one who doesn’t agree is to make it more believable
There is a similar trick done with numbers and percentages –
-    Tide has 33% more cleaning power – what does this really mean?
-    How do you measure cleaning power?
-    It likely really means more Tide and more laundry done – bigger box
-    You can’t measure cleaning power, or pain relief, or lots of other stuff that ads try to suggest they can measure
-    Some ads have words like maximum, plus, etc that suggest more, or a greater amount of X
-    Wherein X is not measurable

Association – 
-    some ads try to link or associate their product with a famous person or sports star to create an association in the viewer’s head –
-    ie I love Michael Jordan and he is the best basketball player in the world and when he is associated with Hanes underwear, some of my love for him transfers to that underwear
-    this sounds stupid, but it seems to be true
-    the flaw? We don’t necessarily see the link between the celebrity and the product and this can make cynical about the ad
-    eg – sport stars and junk food – they really can’t afford to eat that crap, but they shill it

October 18, 2010 - Intro Advertising

Oct. 18 - 2001

I'm Back!



Steps to Get Lobbed Up:

1. You NEED to send me an email with your name and blog URL and a pleasant greeting.
www.thelabcoatguy@gmail.com

2. You should tell me a little bit about how you’ve been doing – your impressions – strengths, weaknesses, awesomenesses

3. Upcoming Projects:
a) Magazine Ad for an existing product
b) TV Ad Script for an original product
b)  Ad Analysis of an Effective Advertisement (your choice what kind)

How To Manipulate Your Audience

Manipulating an audience requires that you are thoughtful and analyse the people you want to manipulate

Knowing who they are can tell you what they want and then you can figure out how to do it.
It’s also good to know why.

Demographics (literally - people data)

-    information and data about people that allows us to categorize them
-    we can group people into categories by age, where they live, sex, race, religion, hobbies and interests, jobs, hair colour, personality, clothes, there a lot of ways we do it.
-    Advertisers HAVE to do it so they know how to target people
-    Backpack example – a backpack might have some different elements that make it more suitable to onegroup than another –
-    example? – teens might have an iPod holder or headphone cord hole, some play music, etc – a kids’ backpack might be smaller, have Dora on it, or a dinosaur, etc

We Can Find Some Categories and We can Identify Some “weaknesses’ of those groups:

Tweens and Early Teens –11/12 up to 15/16

1/- insecurity – low self-esteem and uncertainty about one’s own value and place in the world
- why is this a weakness that we advertisers can take advantage of?
- they will buy things that make them look cool and allow them to fit in
2/ - they want freedom and independence – they want to feel like they are their own boss
-    they will buy things that make them feel like they are separate from their parents – I’m a Rebel, Mom! – the clothes, the jewelry, the items that parents don’t necessarily agree with
3/ - they think that they already know everything – they trust too much in their own opinions
-    someone who thinks they already know doesn’t allow new info into their brains in a natural way – but, they can be tricked more easily into believing advertisers
-    these people are nervous about being wrong and looking foolish, so that can be manipulated

In Class Thing to Do:

Make a little Chart with a Partner – Boys und Girls

Early Teens
Find 3 specific ways for each that they can be manipulated
-    Sex Sells
-    Design for specific appeal
-    Famous person they would want to be

Middle-aged People – 39 – 64
-1/ - Make them Feel Younger
- sell them products and services that promise to “reverse aging” or “rejuvenate” and so on
- clothes, makeup, plastic surgery, hobbies, cars (for men), pleasure products of all sorts
2/ - Safety and Security –
-    sell them a feeling of security in their future and with their health
-    vitamins, insurance, certain foods, programmes, etc
3/ - Rewards and “earned luxuries”
-    this group feels like they’ve worked hard, now they deserve X and Y – vacations, cottages, boats, other luxuries (fashions, trips to Banff, etc)
-    restaurants, nightclubs, alcohol companies

Advertising is about selling an image, an idea, a lifestyle, a feeling, and maybe more often a SOLUTION to a problem we my not know that we have (that we, in fact, don’t even have)
Eg – can we fight age? Nope. No product will fight it.
Is there any product that will give confidence to a young teen? Nope. It’s all in the head.
That’s where advertising is. In the head.