Sainsbury's '1914'
‘1914’ is an advertisement by Sainsbury’s released in November 2014. The commercial commemorates the extraordinary events of Christmas Day, 1914, when soldiers from each side unofficially ceasefire and meet in no man's land, sharing gifts - and even playing football together.
Sainsbury’s ‘1914’ is possibly one of the most impactful advertisements that have ever affected me. The first time I viewed the piece, it struck the emotion within me to make me feel sentimental – which is rare for a piece of media to do. This is the same for a lot of the people who saw this as the advert as it appeals to those with a vulnerable, emotional side with its reenactment of the day. As the advert takes place during World War 1 - a time in which there was high tension between England and Germany due to the armed conflict - it was known to be very violent and harsh to those who fought in the war as they often lost their lives while facing terrible conditions of disease and mental instability. This would appeal to those who have an interest in history to intrigue their view of the event and challenge their knowledge of it. The use of the notable Christmas song ‘Silent Night’ presented in English as well as German could spike a sense of nostalgia from those who have heard and sang the song during their years. Sainsbury’s uses this event to portray unity between the soldiers who were previously fighting against each other. The captions at the end ‘Christmas is for sharing’ appeal to the viewers need for affiliation and prominence as they would take the ideology of the advert to follow its key message of sharing to gain respect from others as well as fit in with them or else, they will be disliked. This further appeals to mainstreamers as they would take this ideology to reinforce the ‘we’ rather than ‘me’ belief. They would find security in the advert as Sainsbury’s is an established brand and so would know their authenticity through their popularity among the public. As the advert was insanely popular due to the emotional impact it had left, it was talked about a lot. This fits in with the Uses & Gratifications Model as the viewer would use the social interaction part of it to feel included and therefore watch, possibly being influenced to shop at Sainsbury’s.
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy is an award-winning Netflix series based on
the Graphic novels created by Gerard Way. The show revolves around a family made up of adopted children raised as superheroes who reunite after their father’s death to uncover the mystery and alarming dangers. The show centres around the themes of Family and Trauma which is displayed through the family’s dysfunctional relationship with each other as well as those around them.
The show was released in February 2019 and was highly successful on release as over 45 million households watched it within its first month of release. The show’s concept of family superheroes appeals to the audience with its use of fantasy as well as comedy. The huge cast consists of actors such as Elliot Page, Robert Sheehan, Tom Hopper and more. As a range of celebrities are present within the show, it targets a large demographic of their fans to watch the show. An example of this is Robert Sheehan who is well-known for his role as Nathan in Misfits. He was a huge part of the show and acted as the comedic character, one which I heavily enjoyed as he was chaotic and unpredictable. The Umbrella Academy casts Robert in which he portrays Klaus in the same way as Nathan, therefore fans of the show or even Robert Sheehan would be interested in the comedy part. The main reason I watched the show was because of the Comic Book’s creator Gerard Way. Apart from his work with graphic novels, he was known for being the lead singer for the band My Chemical Romance, until their disbandment in March 2013. As a fan of the band, I was interested in the show solely for how Gerard Way created it. Many others like me would also be interested in the series from being a fan of his work whether from his music or just from enjoying the comics.
The Uses & Gratifications Model would link to this series heavily as a substantial portion of the audience would be watching it for the entertainment aspect. Since the use of fantasy is a large appeal to those fans of the genre, they would watch for the entertainment part but also for escapism as it is only a work of fiction. They could also personally identify with some of the characters as the portrayal of the characters can be relatable to many using the show’s themes of trauma and family. If the viewer has a sibling, they could relate even to bickering among the family as it is a very noticeable trait within families. The Umbrella Academy uses a range of basic appeals to intrigue the audience such as the need for affiliation. Since it was so popular upon release, many would watch to talk about it among friends and feel included. This links back to the uses & gratification model with the social interaction part as it reinforces the feeling included and a part of a fanbase aspect. Also, the Need for aesthetic sensations could apply to the audience through the series' beautiful cinematography as well as its amazing soundtrack. Through Netflix’s renowned popularity, the target audience would be mainstreamers as they would feel security from the streaming service whether it is because of other shows they have watched on there or just because it is well-known. The show may also appeal to explorers as it may offer a new experience to those who are not usually interested in the fantasy genre. The show could offer a new experience and perspective whether that be on the portrayal of ‘superheroes’ or just the show’s plot.
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