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Analysing Advertising
Advertising tends to follow a basic format - a slogan or a striking image catches our
attention, the body of the ad contains more factual information about the product, and a
pack shot1 or logo reinforces the brand identity. The combination of these elements, even
though we may only look at them for the average time of 1.5 seconds, leaves us with an
impression of the values that are attached to that brand, and a sense of who the target
audience for the product is (male? female? pensioner? teenager?).
When first analyzing an ad you need to decide:
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WHO the ad is aimed at - describe them demographically and psychographically
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WHAT is being advertised and WHAT is specifically highlighted about the
product (the benefits) in this ad?
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WHY this helps sell a product
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WHERE/WHEN this ad might appear in order to reach its target audience
Lines of Appeal
Then you need to decide what techniques are being used to communicate with the
audience. According to Gillian Dyer (Advertising as Communication Routledge 1988)
advertisers use, among other techniques, the following lines of appeal. They use images
of or references to these things to tap into our desires - and fears:
 Happy families - everyone wants to belong
 Rich, luxurious lifestyles - aspirational
 Dreams and fantasy
 Successful romance and love
 Elite people or experts
 Glamorous places
 Successful careers
 Art, culture & history
 Nature & the natural world
 Beautiful women - men AND women like looking at beautiful women, so the
thinking goes: men admire them, women admire what makes the men admire
them.
 Self-importance & pride
 Comedy & humour
 Childhood - can appeal to either nostalgia or to nurturing instincts
These lines of appeal are effective because they deal with our social needs.
Children and teenagers are considered a special target groups when it comes to
advertising, and strategies are used to especially target them.
When analysing an ad you need to consider what kind of appeal is being made - does this
ad tap in to your desire to be considered successful by your peers, for instance, or is it
1
A packshot (also pack shot) is a still or moving image of a product, usually including
its packaging and labeling, used to portray the product's reputation in advertising or other
media.
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more about making you feel as though you will belong to a happy group if you own a
certain product? Often advertising creates need - in order to sell a product that we did
not know existed, advertisers have to make us aware that we need it.
The Language of Advertising
The purpose of advertising language is to persuade. Whereas the slogan and the image
can be humorous or attention-grabbing, the body copy is always to extoll the benefits of a
product and thus persuade the audience to buy buy buy! In his influential book,
Confessions of An Advertising Man (Atheneum, 1988) David Ogilvy lists the most
persuasive words in advertising as:
suddenly
now
announcing
introducing
improvement
amazing
sensational
remarkable
revolutionary
startling

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miracle
magic
offer
quick
easy
wanted
challenge
compare
bargain
hurry
These words act as triggers to interest audiences in a product. They are also overused, and may, these days, be counted as clichés.
Advertising makes use of a direct mode of address (the most commonly used
word in advertising is 'YOU') and short, active words.
When analysing an ad you have to identify the key persuasive words and consider
their effect on an audience. Be critical: are the advertisers taking a tried and tested
approach or are they being original? Does the approach work?
Images in Advertising
Understanding the image is key to understanding the message of the ad, which may work
on many different levels. You must consider the following:
Denotation
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What is it of? How many images are there? Is there a main image plus a
pack shot? It is a literal representation of the product or is it a metaphor?
How is the image positioned – i.e. what is the camera angle and where
does this place the reader? Is it neutral (an eye level shot) or is the subject
give authority over the audience through a low angle?
What kind of image is it - high quality, full colour, lovingly enhance
image or fuzzy black and white shot? If a TVC, is it shot on tape or film?
Non-Verbal Communication - what is being said without words by the
body language of the model?
Connotation
Once you have explored the basics you must consider the connotations.
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Content Signs - what information is imparted by the mise-en-scène? The
costume and accessories of models? The setting? What do we infer from
these signs?
Intertextuality - does this ad refer to any other media text? Is it a parody?
Through the use of music or characters does it evoke, for example, a major
motion picture or a novel
Combinations of signs - what does the image, together with any music, or
with the anchorage provided by the caption suggest, as opposed to the
image just by itself?
Stereotypes in Advertising
Ad campaigns often make use of stereotypes - as a shorthand way of communicating a set
of meanings. Sometimes the stereotype is deliberately set up and then challenged, to
comic effect. However, given that a considerable proportion of our self-identity comes
from the images and messages in the advertising that surrounds us, stereotyping in
advertising is seen as potentially harmful.
Gender stereotypes are the most common. Men are shown as primarily functional,
associated with heavy machinery, business decisions, wearing executive suits and
watches, being taller than women etc etc. Women are decorative, associated with kitchen
equipment and domestic financial decisions, often shown lying down on beds and floors.
Female Stereotypes in Advertising
A recent study showed that ads targeted to women were mostly cliched and
offensive. The Belfast Telegraph agrees and lists five typical clichés of woman (as
portrayed by advertisers). There's super-granny, The Beauty Bunny, Alpha females,
The Fashionista and good ol' Perfect Mum - but do these women really exist in
reality and do real women identify with these caricatures?
Male Stereotypes in Advertising
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Men are shown as primarily functional, associated with heavy machinery,
business decisions, wearing executive suits and watches, being taller than women
etc etc.
Women are ‘rewards’ for successful men.
Source:
http://mediaknowall.com/gcse/advertising/advertising.php?pageID=analysis
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