READING LYNX

In our lesson on Wednesday we looked at both the Lynx and Dove advertising campaigns. Lynx and Dove are owned by the same company, Unilever, which is an Anglo-Dutch multinational consumer goods company. Unilever owns many brands including; PG Tips, Ben & Jerry's, Lipton, Domestos, Cornetto, Pot Noodle, Marmite, Lynx, Sure, V05, Hellman's, Magnum, Peperami, Persil, TRESemme, Impulse and Flora just to name a few.  


We looked into Lynx in more detail, in particular the 2011 advertisement for Lynx Dry Full Control. One specific ad got banned by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) this advert was banned because the messages expressed in the advert were too sexually suggestive and inappropriate for the regulation standards, not only this but the advert was also rather degrading to women. This advert not only contained frisky content of Lucy Pinder but also the caption at the end read "prevent premature perspiration" which can be interpreted in an extremely rude way. Therefore the ASA banned this from the UK after only very few complaints. Lynx still pushed the boundaries with their adverts including some shower gel adverts which had the line "the cleaner you are the dirtier you get". 

These sorts of adverts are completely aimed at the male population and even the way the adverts are lit make a substantial difference to the sales as the women in them need to look completely flawless, perfection even. The backlighting in the Lynx Dry Full Control image that we looked at in the lesson made the Lucy Pinder's skin look blemish-free and also created a type of glow highlighting her figure in an obvious yet also subtle way. The advert also positions Lucy so that she is in a 'T & A' shot which clearly is for the male audience. One feature in the ad that i noticed was not just the woman and her revealing clothing but the background. The ad was placed in a set that replicated a 50's style home therefore throwing in the ideas of women and their perception as the housewife. This means that subconsciously the advert is telling men that if you purchase this Lynx product that you will be in control of women much like the 50's and they will do anything and everything the men want. The ad is therefore saying that Lynx will mke you the one who is in charge and you can handle anything, including her. This is also very demeaning to women. 


We also looked at another Unilever company which was Dove, this campaign however is very different to the Lynx one as it promotes women in a healthy way. For example the advert we looked at shows average sized women, not super skinny models, smiling and being proud of who they are and what they look like in contrast to the Lynx ad which makes women look like objects and accessories to men. This expresses the ideas of freedom, independence and confidence which was a much more popular advert for the female population as it made them think that if they bought Dove then they would feel all these things even more so than they might have before. 

We found out what Cultural and Technical codes are and all about decoding which is a process in which we work out what the image actually means and what it is about instead of just simply understanding it. Overall in the lesson we learnt a lot of information about all the small things that are considered when making an advert as well as things like how strict the ASA are and how seriously they take complaints into consideration. However this advert was banned for reasons that are very clear to me. 

LUCOZADE AND LARA CROFT

In our media lesson on Thursday we looked at Lucozade energy drink and its advertising campaigns. Lucozade was first formed in 1927 by a pharmacist in Newcastle who wanted to help children with a cold or the flu. It was created as a glucose drink that was both palatable and easily digested which boosted their energy levels when they felt ill and didn't have an appetite. In 1938 the drink became a known cure for energy recovery and was distributed worldwide after it was bought by the company, Beecham. 

Around the 1950's - 1960's Lucozade began heavyweight national advertising support. The classic advertising of the times depicted sick children enjoying the 'nice part of being ill'. A few decades’ later people became healthier and so Lucozade changed its target audience of sick people to healthy people that wanted an energy boost in order to become even healthier. Using the Olympic Decathlete Daley Thompson as a brand icon, Lucozade's popularity increased again in the market as the new re-designed energy drink. 

The increase in sales lead to more flavours being released and mass popularity of the brand. In 1990 the brand then furthered its potential by releasing a range of isotonic sports drinks re-branded as 'Lucozade Sport'. It promised to 'get to your thirst, fast'. Lucozade Sport was the first brand to launch with a sports sponsorship deal and continues to be endorsed by some of Britain's leading athletes including Michael Owen and Jonny Wilkinson.

“Launched in 1927 as a provider of energy during recovery from illness, Lucozade is the original energy drink and has been the category driver ever since. Lucozade Energy is currently the category leader with sales worth £150 million in 2003.”

Even though Lucozade have changed a bit since 1927 their values are still the same they have continued to be known as the reliable drink that gives you a boost, making you feel energised  During several flu epidemics in the past Lucozade became well-known as a trusted household name. The brand is gutsy and committed and truly savvy, offering real performance benefits. The message is simple - whatever your level or sport, preparation is key, and Lucozade Sport is an essential part of this. Lucozade Sport Hydro Active's advertising is different again. The iconic campaign features a female figure made of water running, flipping, diving and swimming.

“Lucozade is a bold and dynamic brand, with an independence of spirit, a 'can-do' attitude and a 'never-say-die' approach to life”

Lucozade also tied their energy product to the well-known video game Tomb Raider series’ character Lara Croft. A female archaeologist-adventuress who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world. Lucozade’s previous advertisements had been more male targeted and they hoped that the Lara Croft advertisement campaign would still attract men but also women who would hopefully aspire to be like Lara and therefore purchase the product. Lara Croft has a curvaceous figure and an unrealistic body image however this appeals to the male demographic. In Lucozade's Lara Croft advert it uses graphics from the game and shows Lara running away from some angry dogs. When she then reaches in her bag for a refreshment as she is low on energy and she selects Lucozade as it is the most beneficial for her in that situation. The screen flashes up with the choices and when the option of Lucozade comes up a picture and caption flash on the screen of the bottle and the words 'glucose hit'.   

COCA COLA ADVERT ANALYSIS

Hilltop Advert - Click Here

The Hilltop advert from 1971 was definitely one of Coca Cola's most famous advertisements and publicity gaining campaigns. The song in the advert includes the lyrics "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" which promotes the company as it uses the brand name and also promotes the idea of sharing, sharing together and sharing a Coke. 'Share a Coke' has also been used very recently in current Coca Cola adverts in which they have put names on the bottles and people are encouraged to 'Share a Coke with...' so the theme that was used in the 1971 advert is still used today. Some other lyrics in the song are 'I'd like to teach the world to sing, in perfect harmony" this has two hidden meanings in it. One meaning being the obvious which is 'harmony' as in singing together, the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions with a pleasing effect. As well as the second meaning which ties into the theme of war and living together in peace and harmony. 

This also promotes "Make love, not war" which is an anti-war slogan commonly associated with the American counterculture of the 1960's. It was used primarily by those who were opposed to the Vietnam War, but has been invoked in other anti-war contexts since. The Hilltop advert was also good for Coca Cola's publicity as it was telling the world how to love and share and that we didn't need to fight, but if we had to we would fight side my side. This helped Coca Cola's popularity as it became a positive product which was opposed to the Vietnam War but also supporting all the men fighting for our side. 

The Coca Cola slogan for that advert was 'It's the real thing." This slogan was not only saying that Coke had a nice, good, original thing but was also for the soldiers who were fighting in the Vietnam War which was the reason the Coke was quickly scattered around lots of countries as there were bottling plants set up in all these countries just so that the soldiers would always have a Coke. No matter where they were in the world there would be a Coke which was something from home. Reminding the soldiers of their homes and families and also reminding them that they had a little bit of home with them whilst they were fighting. Hence, "It's the real thing." meaning that it's something from their own home and it is comforting to the soldiers. 

Coca Cola has gone on to make many memorable advertisements and still to this day are known for being one of the most powerful companies in the world. An example of the companies power is in the London 2012 Olympics where Coca Cola managed to make a deal as a sponsor so that their drink products were the only ones allowed to be advertised in small shops throughout the whole of London during the games. Coca Cola will probably always be an incredibly powerful company and has been going for about 100 years which is an impressive amount of time for a drink to go on for, especially one that was originally created as a tonic to help sick people made from cocaine and wine. However it has and i think Coca Cola will always be a recognizable brand, certainly for another few decades. 

SHOT TYPES

We looked at camera angles in our last lesson and took a few photographs of these shot types in the lesson. As homework we had to find an example of some of the shots, these were; establishing shot, two shot, over the shoulder shot, close up, extreme close up and point of view shot. 

 This is an establishing shot, it is usually used in the opening of a movie introducing the viewer into the scenery and world in which the film lives. It gives the viewer an insight into where the movie is set and the genre of the movie as well. This establishing shot is from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It shows us Hogwarts from the outside, most of the film is shot inside so it gives us an idea of the size of the castle. 

 This is a two shot, it is mainly used when showing a conversation, a kiss or a moment where there are only two people needed in the shot. This two shot is from Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and is during a conversation between two characters it helps the viewer keep focus on what is happening between the two people.

This is a close up, it focuses on one person and it shows the viewer the reactions of the character and the detail as this would be hard to see from another shot types like an establishing shot for example. Close ups are more for focus on a particular character or object instead of capturing atmosphere or setting the scene. This close up was taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 

 This is an extreme close up. This shows the viewer reactions and details in even more depth and closeness. It completely engages the viewers attention and makes sure there is nothing to take attention away from the object or person they want to show. 

 This is an over the shoulder shot. It is, like a two shot, commonly used in conversations or moments between two people and gives a more interesting view for the viewer and makes them feel as though they are in the same room as the characters in the movie. These shots can also be used if a character is looking into a mirror. 

This is a POV shot, also know as a point of view shot. It is taken from the characters perspective so that the viewer is seeming to be looking through the eyes of the character and therefore becoming the character. 

OUR FIRST MEDIA LESSON

Today was the first media lesson of 2013. We looked into advertising and how companies tie their products to another franchise to create an effective advert. We looked at a Coke Zero advert from 2008 which also promoted James Bond's new movie Quantum of Solace. The advert contained lots of links between the drink product and the movie. Including; some Bond girls, car chases, gun barrels, bubbles and the bottle of Coke Zero. The angles used in the video made it more exciting as there were diagonal shots of cars chases like in actual action film making the advert into more of a mini action movie. This advert made its target audience obvious. The target audience was clearly men, young men. To get the attention of the target audience the Coca Cola company chose a movie which was also aimed at the same audience, there were girls, flash cars, drinks and secret agents therefore appealing to men. What the audience get from this advert is if you buy this drink you will be as cool as James Bond, get all the girls, be a smooth secret agent and people will aspire to be like you. This of course makes them go out and buy the product.

We briefly discussed the GCSE course that we would be taking over the next two years and what we will be covering over the next two years. We also created our own blog which we would use to post media assignments on and make a digital document of our work.