Advertising, Marketing, and Media Representations

Flashcards covering advertising techniques, media language, semiotics, brand image, representation of outsider groups, and cultural context across Shelter, Baby Dove, and River Island campaigns.

What are the four main purposes of advertising outlined in the lecture?

To make a brand more memorable/establish brand awareness, persuade new users, cater to existing users, and differentiate the brand from others.

What are the key aspects and goals of charity advertising?

To raise awareness for a charity issue, build a brand image that promotes positive associations in the mind of the public, and persuade new supporters to donate to the charity.

How does Shelter apply each stage of the AIDA model in its campaign?

Attention: uses faces and bold copy; Interest: highlights issues the public could face; Desire: creates the desire to be helped or to help/make a difference; Action: urges audiences to search 'Shelter Housing Advice now' or donate by texting.

How does Unique Selling Point (USP) advertising differ from brand image advertising?

USP advertising concentrates on the product and explains why the audience should use it (e.g., Shelter's 'we can help'), whereas brand image advertising focuses on building brand values through advertising quality rather than highlighting product features alone.

What shared brand values do Baby Dove and River Island transfer through their advertising?

They transfer values of heart-warming empathy and inclusivity.

How does Shelter adapt lifestyle advertising compared to conventional aspirational campaigns?

Instead of depicting aspirational consumer lifestyles, Shelter depicts ordinary people who reflect their target audience—specifically individuals who may experience homelessness.

What advantages of print advertising do billboards, posters, and glossy fashion magazines exploit?

They use print to convey detailed information, produce high-quality images, and utilize striking layouts to create visual impact and connote novelty, humour, and glamour.

How is visual consistency and intertextuality established across Shelter's poster campaign?

Through three separate posters featuring three different people and problems that are linked recognizably by using the exact same layout, typography, and colour scheme.

How many photographs were taken by photojournalists for the Baby Dove campaign, and how many were selected for online use?

120 photos were taken by photojournalists, and only 5 photos were used online.

What specific headlines and straplines are used in the Baby Dove and River Island campaigns?

Baby Dove uses 'REAL LIFE. REAL BEAUTY', while River Island features 'SMOOTH MOVES ONLY' and 'LABELS ARE FOR CLOTHES'.

How are consumerism and individualism expressed through media language in River Island's advertising?

Consumerism is expressed through quality, glamourisation, and aspiration offering identity through goods and services, while individualism is expressed through personal sporting achievement by highlighting sports stars.

Why does Shelter feature ordinary white individuals at risk of homelessness?

To demonstrate that housing issues can affect every dominant group within society.

How does River Island represent disability in its campaign featuring a basketball player?

It depicts sportspeople striving for excellence to uplift people with disabilities, representing a range of ethnicities with a strong bias toward young adults.

How does Baby Dove represent motherhood in a 'negotiated way'?

It avoids clichés of motherhood being entirely messy while continuing to celebrate the ideal of motherhood.

How is realism used 'as a weapon' to construct authenticity in Baby Dove and River Island ads?

Baby Dove uses unstaged photojournalism capturing 'real time action' to earn trust, while River Island features models with disabilities who appear more authentic than traditional able-bodied models to differentiate the brand.

What social and cultural restrictions characterized advertising representations in the 1970s?

Representations were almost exclusively white (reflecting racism), portrayals of gayness or effeminate men (e.g., wearing a pink shirt) were prohibited, and depicting men doing housework was considered unrealistic.

How have modern advertisements changed regarding multiculturalism and gender roles?

Modern ads destabilize traditional gender roles, evolve and celebrate disability representations, and incorporate multicultural casting to appeal to broad audiences (e.g., Baby Dove features an Asian family; River Island features Black models).

How does River Island's 'Smooth Moves' advert use stereotypes positively?

It focuses on the athlete's sporting achievement rather than their disability, encouraging the audience to feel inspired rather than sympathetic.

How do Baby Dove and Shelter subvert stereotypes in their representations?

Baby Dove balances positive, creative nurturing with a dose of chaos to undermine sweetness, while Shelter depicts mature individuals to show that homelessness can happen unexpectedly.

How have conventional magazines historically failed outsider groups?

They restricted Black characters to limited roles, lacked LGBTQ and disability representation, depicted young women in revealing clothes for the male gaze (men as spectacle, women as object), and prioritized nuclear families over single parents.

What is Baby Dove's relationship with patriarchal ideology and feminism in its campaign?

It maintains an ambiguous relationship with patriarchal ideology and femininity by celebrating women coping and performing successfully without the aid of men.

How does Shelter position its audience through media language?

It positions the audience as empathetic and concerned for the plight of people who could face homelessness, encouraging them to be willing to donate.