April 20th Deconstructing advertisements

Learning objective:

You will identify the advantages of using celebrities to promote brands?

Advertising Overview

The Media Studies framework will be used to explore all topics. It is based on:
 texts (genre, narrative and representation issues)
 organisations (marketing and promotional strategies, regulation and control issues and intrusion & privacy) and
 audiences and users.
The convergent and increasingly interdependent nature of contemporary digital media should be studied where appropriate.

Media Texts: Genre, Narrative and Representation
For genre, candidates study:
 generic features, conventions and iconography
 principles of repetition and variation of a repertoire of elements
 hybridity
 intertextuality
 genres – relationship between organisational and audience/user needs.

For narrative, candidates study:
 narrative construction and the role of editing in creating narratives (to include different types of montage)
 implied narratives – visual organisation, hierarchies and compositional codes
 narrative structures (based for example on equilibrium, disequilibrium and restoration of equilibrium; binary oppositions and their resolution; open & closed narratives; interactive narratives; linear and non-linear narratives; multi-stranded or flexi-narratives)
 character functions within narratives
 settings and locations in which narratives take place.

For representation, candidates study:
 what makes representations - images plus points of view about them
 the processes of 're-presenting' mediated versions of the 'real' world
 stereotypes and representations - processes of categorisation, identification and recognition
 the way people and groups of people are represented in the media - in terms of gender, ethnicity, cultural diversity, age and nation
 the way events and issues are represented in the media.
Media Organisations: Marketing and Promotion, Regulation and Control Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions

For media organisations, candidates study the ways in which media organisations create, sustain and expand their markets and the way they are regulated and controlled. They will also ask questions about personal, social and ethical dimensions in an increasingly convergent media world.

(a) Marketing and Promotion
For marketing and promotion, candidates study through their investigation and production work:
 the ways in which media organisations (such as film organisations, television channels, radio stations, newspapers, magazines, websites, social networks and individuals self-promoting) market, promote and brand themselves in a commercially competitive environment.
Consideration can be given to such issues as:
 competition
 use of stars/celebrities in marketing
 cross-media campaigns
 schedules and ratings
 audience/user research and targeting
 distribution strategies.

(b) Regulation and Control
For regulation and control, candidates study through their investigation and production work:
 how different types of media are regulated and controlled
 the reasons for media regulation and control and the problems of regulating within an increasingly global media environment
 the way individuals can manage their own media.
Consideration can be given to copyright and fair use, initiatives such as the 'creative commons' and taste and decency.

(c) Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions
For Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions, candidates study through their investigation and production work:
 conflicts between individual freedoms and media organisations
 the personal, social and ethical dimensions of online environments.
Media Audiences/Users
For media audiences/users, candidates will study:
 issues raised by the media for a range of audiences and users, including fans, both in terms of audience/user engagement and audience/user response and interpretation.

This is likely to involve consideration of:
 ways of categorising audiences/users and audience/user composition
 organisational issues such as how audiences are targeted, appealed to, created
 audience/user response issues such as everyday uses and pleasures together with the different ways audiences and users interpret and interact with a variety of media.

_______________________________________________________________

Men in Advertising
 Fragrance ads – the ‘beautiful man’, notions of body image, attractive to both
sexes. Explicit nature of some campaigns e.g Aspirational appeal for both
genders. Lynx campaign is interesting in looking at man as the ‘object’ for the
woman.
 DIY, Homemaker ads – ‘it does what it says on the tin’. ‘basic’ man. Often
featuring inept, challenged representation of a man e.g. Flash who needs an
easy solution to domestic problems.
 Car adverts – man in control of machine, ideas of power, often seen to be
overcoming adverse environment e.g. fire, desert etc.
 Family man – cereal ads etc. still usually good looking.
 Consider adverts that play upon and also challenge conventional stereotypes
 Audience issues: How do the persuasive techniques used by advertisers work
upon a range of audiences?

______________________________________________________________________

The Media Students’ Book, Branston
and Stafford. Good chapter on advertising and audience categories

Evaluation

Learning objective:
You will produce an evaluation of your own coursework.

Key words: 
Representation, Narrative, audience, codes and conventions.

To gain at least a level 3 for your evaluation you must:

• Evaluate the typical codes and conventions used in the production.
• Show simple awareness of audience.
• Communicate using appropriate terminology related to your production.

Your evaluation must be between 300 and 500 words long.
If you feel you are going over the limit then consider annotating images, this will save you words.
When you have completed your production you will need to evaluate it.
Your evaluation is worth 10 marks.
Within the evaluation, the following areas need to be explained:

Have you met your aims and purposes?

How have you used the appropriate codes and conventions of your chosen texts?
For example, if you have produced a CD cover and insert, does it look like existing products?

Have you used representations and stereotypes?
For example, if you have produced a CD cover and insert, have you considered how how to represent the new band's style of music through the use of images, the name of the band, the font, the colours?

Have you used narrative?
For example can the characters be related to Propp?
Can the story arc be related to Todorov?
Have you used a linear or a circular narrative?

Does the work appeal to and engage the audience and users?
Did you consider Uses and gratifications theory?
Is the text for a mass or a niche audience?
What age group is the text for?

What organisational issues are raised by the text?
For example, how will your CD be marketed and distributed?
Are there any interactive elements?
Links to social media.

You will receive feedback on the first draft of your evaluation before submitting the final draft.

[Assessment task]

You will prepare your coursework for assessment signing off the relevant forms and documents.
[Final assessment task]

Production - GCSE coursework.

Learning objective:

You will use your research and planning to produce your individual coursework.

Key words:

Genre. Narrative. Representation. Stereotypes. Audiences. Regulation.

Everything in your production must be considered. 

Decide early on who your target audience is and what message you want to send out.

Do this using visual and technical codes to incorporate all the concepts you know from Media Studies.

Genre. Narrative. Representation. Stereotypes. Audiences. Regulation.

Coursework is 60% of your mark and how hard you work between now and March 20th will decide your grade.

Deadline for coursework is March 20th.

As you proceed, write down how you arrived at decisions about your coursework, this will help with your evaluation.

Approaching Production. Research and Planning.

Learning objective:

You will interpret your research and planning in preparation of the production of your individual coursework.

Key Terms: 

Research - Annotated texts. Surveys. Questionaires. Bar charts.

Planning - Mood boards. Scripts. Character profiles. 

Task 1:
You are required to organise the research and planning that you have done so that it can be assessed.In your yellow folders you have separators and punched pockets to help you organise.
_____________________________________________________________________
If you don't have much in the way of planning and research then see me during this lesson and we will discuss how you can put this in place.
Production can not continue without these elements of your coursework which will make up 20 marks of your controlled assessment.
______________________________________________________________________

For research, individual candidates must provide at least two and no more than four types of evidence of appropriate research. This may take the form of the exploration of comparable examples but may also include some survey work into audiences/users if wished. The evidence may be presented as annotated comparable products, tables, charts and/or digital presentations. 

Examples include:Annotated textsSurveys / Questionnaires presented as a bar chart or pie chartFocus groupsIndustry research

For planning, candidates must show evidence of at least two and no more than four planning stages. 
Examples include:ScriptsStoryboardsCharacters profiles for your own productionMood boardsDesigns for sets / costumesStoryboards

You will meet for feedback throughout the lesson. This will take place in groups if you are working collaboratively.

Print based ads revisited.

Task 1: Read this blog post.

Before returning to the production aspects of your coursework, you will complete a series of refresher tasks on Print based adverts.
In your exam,
Section A will be Print Advertising.
Section B will be Television Advertising.

In responding to both sections, you will need to consider three elements of Media Studies Framework.
Texts - Genre, Narrative, representation
Organisations - Promotion, control and regulation
Audiences - Targeting, appeal and categories

Learning objective:
To analyse and annotate a print based ad using media terminology

Key words: 
Name - The name of a new product may suggest something about it's image. Think about what the name Jaguar suggests about the car.

Marketing - The promotion and selling of products and services.

Logo - The design used on all promotional materials for a product. The audience come to recognise it.
This Nike example shows only the logo and the slogan with no clue to the actual product. The audience will instantly recognise the brand.

Endorsement - This is when advertisers use celebrities or ordinary members of the public to say how good a product is in the hope that it will persuade the audience to buy it.

Ordinary people are used to endorse everyday things such as washing powders and DIY because we believe they are actually know about the product. Celebrities are used to endorse more glamorous products, they will attract audiences to the product quickly as they are easily recognised, like KIera Knightly and Chanel.

Unique Selling Point - This is the part of the product that makes it different from other similar products. A new feature on a mobile phone or a new ingredient in a food for example.

Iconic Representation - This is where the picture of the product appears in the advert. The audience will then know what to look for if they decide to buy. This technique is common in adverts for fragrances, like this one for Tresor by Lancome.

Demonstrative action - This is where you see the product being used. Often this is to show how easy it is to use a product. For example hair straighteners.

Language - The written language on a print based ad is very important in selling the product.

Advertisements have to use persuasive language to sell. They will use hyperbole and join words together to make the product seem interesting, for example; Taste-tempting'.

Hyperbole - This is the over exaggerated language used to make the product seem better than it is.

Task 2: Copy the above terms into your orange books under the heading 

'Print Based AdsAnalysis - Media Terms'.

Task 3: Using Word or Power Point, annotate the advert below using key media terms that you have learned including the terms above.

E-mail your work to me at the end of the lesson with your surname_Oscar Mayer ad in the subject bar.

aealey@de-la-salle.co.uk

Year 11 Written task success criteria
Knowledge of the concept of genre/narrative/representation
Awareness of relevant theories
Demonstrates knowledge of the convergent nature of contemporary media
Use of media terminology/key words
Quality of written communication

Textual Investigation 2

First, a nice little animation to start us off.



Learning Objective:
To correctly format your coursework essay before submission.

Key words:
Conventional; this means that the representation in the text is what is expected by the audience. For example the representation of the woman in horror films is as a victim.
Challenging; this means that the representation goes against the the recognised stereotypes.
Enigmas; these are mysteries or puzzles in the narrative that keep the audience interested.

Textual investigations require you to include the following information on the front page:

• Name
• Candidate number
• Centre number: 34251
• Word count
• Title (this should be taken from this blog post with the name of your text inserted).

Consider the feedback you have been given and alter your essays accordingly.

You must write about one main text and compare it to at least one other.

Use media terminology throughout; 

connotations, implies, visual codes, technical codes, audio, iconography, pace of editing, target audience (very important), regulation, Maslow (hierarchy of needs), Todorov (equilibrium theory), Propp (character types), Barthes (enigma and action codes), Levi Strauss (binary opposition).

Your conclusion should discuss whether the main text conforms to or challenges the (narrative or Representation) conventions for the target audience.

Use illustrations to support your point.

If you are having trouble staying within the word limit you should annotate an image which will cut down the amount of words you will use.

Email Mr Ealey with your latest draft before the end of the lesson.

The deadline for this essay is Friday 6th Feb. End of lesson 4.

All students are invited to work in the media room after school in order to meet the deadline.

18 Organisations

Learning Objectives:
To include a paragraph about organisations in textual investigation 2
To look at competition for audiences and how organisations try to attract new audiences

Key words: 
Marketing and Promotion, Regulation and Control,  Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions, convergent.

• Marketing and Promotion, 
• Regulation and Control
• Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions

Your textual investigation must include some information about the organisations that the text is involved with.

For marketing and promotion, look back at our lesson about the Irn-Bru campaign
(We looked at how the Leith Agency promoted the brand using social media).
How else do media producers market and promote their texts?
Pseudo events, radio, TV chat shows, social media.


For regulation and control, consider one or two of the following around your text

• competition
• use of stars/celebrities in marketing
• cross-media campaigns
• schedules and ratings
• audience/user research and targeting
• distribution strategies.

For Personal, Social and Ethical Dimensions, consider

• Conflicts between individual freedoms and media organisations (BBC TV license or subscription to Sky for example). How does this impact on audiences?

• The personal, social and ethical dimensions of online environments. 
• How annoying are adverts on the Internet? How can they be avoided?

Task 1:

You should discuss how else the text you are investigating brings in revenue (money).

One paragraph of between 50 and 200 words. To be included in your textual investigation.
Orange books or digital with print out pasted into orange books.

• If you are investigating a trailer that has been shown on TV, then you should discuss how the makers have paid that channel to show their promotional short film.
• If you are investigating an opening title sequence to a TV series, then you should discuss how advertisers would pay the TV channel to advertise their brand around that programme because they realise that the target audiences may be the same. The audience of the programme may be interested in buying the product being advertised.
• If you are investigating a TV show then consider how that show is scheduled, is it shown before or after the watershed? Why?
• If you are investigating a game, what PEGI rating has the game been given? Why? What is the content?
• If you are investigating an advert, then you should discuss how the brand is further promoted through its website and on social media. What opportunities are on the website for the users?

View the exemplar work here to help with this.