Research

This is my research on advertisements. 

Advertisement 1 - MoneySuperMarket “That’s How I Roll”

Brand/Product: MoneySuperMarket

Duration of the Advertisement: 1 Minute

Brief Overview/Summary: 

1. Target Audience

The target audience would be young-adult men in their 20s-40s (who should be able to drive). The advertisement shows several appearance of grown men doing activities that are allowed at a certain age (legal age), such as driving and partying in a "club". The use of humor is also age-based and would only make sense to older boys. The advert promotes insurance, in this case, car insurance, which is sensible that the audience should be adults especially ones that are middle-classed. This can be identified hence high-classed individuals wouldn't be concerned enough to own an insurance because they are wealthy.

2. Message and Purpose

Through the advertisement, the company is trying to promote people to own an insurance from their site. Furthermore, in the advert, it makes the stereotypical nerd (Phil) believes that he is cool just by being able to own and drive a car. By that, the company is trying to persuade their audience to get insurance from them to be able to manage financials and be able to own an accessible luxury (which can boost self-confident).

3. Meaning and Interpretation

As the advert starts, Phil enters with a hip-hop music while driving an invisible car, looking confident. The settings shows a suburb neighborhood as Phil drives by since it's usually seen to be cool, this portrays Phil's confident as he believes that he is cool. Afterwards, Phil enters a club and leave with a few women as passenger to his invisible transportation, again, this is one of the typical ways for a guy to be confident. However, at the end of the advert it is seen that all of the events happening was false and is an imagination of Phil.

4. Effectiveness

The advert includes millennial/adult humor which supports the company targeting adult male audience. Snoop Dogg’s star appeal would help in targeting them as his fanbase is mainly male adults. These appearance may persuade more of the target audience as it is more relatable to adult men.

5. Personal Response

The humor in the advert is funny enough for audience to be persuaded to wanna feel that way. Although, content-wise, I personally didn't get what the company was even trying to promote in the first place. It may be a creative way to hook audiences' attention though slight misunderstandings can be made as it also includes stereotypes.

Advertisement 2 - Cadbury’s Gorilla

Brand/Product: Cadbury

Duration of the Advertisement: 1 Minute 30 Seconds

Brief Overview/Summary: A gorilla plays drum to rock music and appears with a purple background (as representation of Cadbury by using their color, purple).

1. Target Audience

The advertisement is targeted for a younger audience, mostly in the age of 10+. The comedically odd-content of the advertisement hooks the attention of youths as it represent their humor. Not only for kids, the appearance of the gorilla (which is quite abnormal) brought smiles to many families, regardless of their socioeconomic class. 

2. Message and Purpose

The advertisement only includes a gorilla drumming to a song without any literal presentation of the product (Cadbury's Chocolate), although the humor included in the advertisement which is joyful to the viewers' as it hooks their attention. This indicates that the company is trying to make people smile with their advertisement, it will hopefully does the same when we purchase a Cadbury chocolate bar. 

3. Meaning and Interpretation

The context of this advertisement is quite random as it only shows a gorilla playing drums to music. However, the rock song played in the advertisement is well known in the 70s which may hook older people's attention but it is also catchy enough for the kids to enjoy. Although there were little visual of the actual product (Cadbury's chocolate), a purple backdrop behind the gorilla is shown and it bluntly represent Cadbury since the color purple is their significant color. The use of a wild animal for the advertisement is also considered as it appeals to the younger audience as comedy.

4. Effectiveness

The appearance of a wild animal hooks youth audience as a comedic act, it may attract more viewer because of it. No presentation of the actual product were seen but with the obvious purple backdrop may alert audience to recognize Cadbury easily. The family-friendly content of the advert makes people smile which should increase their interest on Cadbury.

5. Personal Response

The advertisement appeals to me because of the humor used. The advert does creates a light-hearted emotion which may win the audience's heart, thus it makes it memorable for audience and may influence audience to purchase the product.

Advertisement 3 - Barbie So In Style

Brand/Product: Barbie

Duration of the Advertisement: 30 Seconds

Brief Overview/Summary: 

1. Target Audience

According to the company itself, the targeted audience is mostly for minority girls. However, the company made slight changes from the stereotypical blonde Barbie doll to a Barbie doll of color, and created this advertisement to aim for more various ethnicities to be inclusive. This may attract girls of color to be interested in Barbie dolls that represent them.

2. Message and Purpose

The product (Barbie S.I.S. doll) promotes inclusivity from the company as it does not just produce stereotypical blonde Barbie dolls. The company offers Barbie dolls of color which may symbolize varieties of race being included to defy the stereotype standards and that women are a variety. Young girls of color would feel included and represented by the company, as they can play pretend with the Barbie dolls that resembles them.

3. Meaning and Interpretation

The name of the product itself is called So In Style, which could be abbreviated to SIS. This may be a symbol to promote sisterhood as women because women come in variety, as the company tries to defy stereotypes and adds inclusivity. The catchy hip-hop music in the background along with the names of the Barbie doll may be a typical representation

4. Effectiveness

A representation by another variety of Barbie doll may make the targeted audience feel more included and may attract more buyers for the company. The castings made for the advert also makes sense as a young girl. With catchy hip-hop music that may be representation to the targeted audience community which could be a familiar thing for their childhood.

5. Personal Response

The advert's representation is very nice to set an example for children. 

Advertisement 4 - The New Kid | Doritos Commercial

Brand/Product: Doritos

Duration of the Advertisement: 30 Seconds

Brief Overview/Summary: 

1. Target Audience

The advertisement appears to be in the setting of a school bus which indicates that the advertisement is shown in the circumstance of a student. Moreover, the characters shown in the advertisement is most likely in the age of pre-teens 12-14. This can be interpreted by the conditions and activities done typically by students (bullying, kissing, etc.). The advert shows a very common experience as a new student being in a new environment, incapable of making friends and being included making it relatable to students. The humor added to this advertisement is immature enough to make pre-teens find it funny. Socioeconomic-wise nor educational-wise doesn't matter for the audience as children of many would find this advert funny and relatable enough regarding to its content. 

2. Message and Purpose

The purpose of this advert is clearly to persuade children to buy some Doritos. The product itself is very known especially to pre-teens/children. The content of the advertisement shows a circumstance of a new student being secluded, while the next scene shows him being surrounded by all the students in the school bus looking happy. It can be deduced that Doritos is popular enough to shift our surroundings attention to grab and enjoy a piece of Doritos. This can be shown as all the other subject's attention with doing their activities changes as the new kid opens a bag of Doritos and shares (even the driver). 

3. Meaning and Interpretation

The bag of Doritos chips is in a bright red color which makes it appeals to the rest of the scene, this alters most of the focus towards the bag of chips itself. 

4. Effectiveness

The use of humor fits to the target audience sense (kids).

5. Personal Response

I find it funny and I would be persuaded to purchase the product from its humorous elements.

Advertisement 5 - Barbie® A Doll Can Help Change The World 

Brand/Product: Barbie

Duration of the Advertisement: 30 Seconds

Brief Overview/Summary: 

1. Target Audience

Parents of daughters in the age 6+. Socioeconomically, parents who are employed and may be middle-classed or so. Barbie dolls are quite high-priced and is usually purchased by those who are sufficient. Parents who cares about the growth of their daughters' values may be more interested to this ad hence how the dolls are promoted.

2. Message and Purpose

This Barbie advert is aimed for parents hence the use of phrases and words as persuasion. Several scenes with children playing with Barbie dolls are described to nurture developments in character of youths. This message is mostly intended for parents hence no children would even understand it. Barbie's brand image may shows better values which attracts more parents to purchase their products.

3. Meaning and Interpretation

Promoting Barbie dolls to ensure a nurturing childhood and creating positive impact to the world.

4. Effectiveness

- Able to persuade parents by persuasive and bolded text which appears on the ad.

- Inclusivity of children actors used to promote product - represents a good brand image to the target audience (parents)

5. Personal Response

I personally find it not persuasive because I may not be their target audience (age), although if I were a parent, I would feel persuaded to but this product as it may ensures a positive impact to my (hypothetical) children.

𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝑹𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:

Analyzing the target audience and the meaning of technical elements included in those advertisements is very fun. I was able to identify important message from the advertisement along with my friends. Although, as I was supposed to write only 1 hugely developed answer and briefly described answer, I got carried away as writing is not a significant ability/strength that I have. But,  I'm still able to get the main points to identify media meaning on each technical elements. I just still need to focus on time management so I can get my researches done on time next time.