There are many iconic adverts that we may have seen on the television in our childhoods. They may be memorable for different reasons. It may have had one of your favourite songs on it, it may have used provocative imagery that really spoke to you, or it might have been particularly funny when you were a child. But there is one advert specifically that I can remember from my childhood that I can specifically recall having all three elements. This.
The advert starts out in a completely purple room, followed by a piece of text: "A Glass and a Half Full Production". This lets the audience know exactly who this advert has been made by: Cadbury's. The purple used in the room is such an iconic shade of purple, that you can instantly recognise the brand. This could be an example of imagery, as you're able to think about the connotations of the shade of purple, and link it to a brand that most people know and love. The tagline "A Glass and a Half Full" is also iconic to Cadbury's, as it's used on pretty much every advert they have made. The audience that are being appealed to are probably the mainstream, as Cadbury's is a very popular brand of chocolate, and the mainstream will most likely recognise the shade of purple used, and the tagline for the brand.
As the advert runs on a little bit more, some viewers may be able to recognise the drum beat in the background as the beginning of Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight, and as the camera pans towards a gorilla, giving it a nice extreme close-up shot, the viewer may be taken aback by seeing an actual (not actual) gorilla on the TV. The audience being appealed to here are the kinds of audiences that are able to appreciate weird, subversive humour, and may be able to be fit into the explorer category in the 4C's theory, where they like to discover and experience new things and ideas. This advert would be right up their alley, as you don't often see gorillas on adverts, especially associated with a chocolate brand. As well as this, those who are able to pinpoint what song is playing in the background are being targeted too, as the use of the music plays on the appeal of nostalgia of a lot of people.
Afterwards, a slow pan out of the camera lets the audience have a look at the surroundings, and the things in the room. Most may be focused on the gorilla in the centre of the camera, but a few viewers will be able to see musical equipment, like amplifiers and the hi-hat of a drum slowly come into frame. This is where the viewer knows exactly what they're going to be seeing next, as the peak of the song draws closer and closer, until you hear the iconic drum beat from In the Air Tonight, and the gorilla springs into action, hitting each of the drums to the beat of the song. This panders to the crowd that are amused by surreal, obscure humour, and the people who like the song that's playing, appealing to their nostalgia. And as the scene pans out, a purple screen fades in and the audience is presented with the Cadbury's chocolate that is so iconic to so many people, and the slogan "A glass and a half full of joy", again appealing to the mainstream's knowledge and trust of the Cadbury's brand.
Compare this... to a fashion magazine cover. Yes, that is quite a bit of a difference. From drum-playing gorillas to fashion icons. But what I'm here to do is compare their audiences, more than anything. Now, take, for instance, Vogue, one of the most iconic, recognisable names in fashion today.
Vogue is, without a doubt, huge. They don't mean much to me, personally, but I know that a lot of people practically worship it, buying every magazine from them as much as humanly possible. They can get some of the biggest celebrities on Earth on their covers. Case in point, Rihanna above. However, what is the point of this? Who does this appeal to? Well, the entire point of Vogue magazines is to have a flashy, famous celebrity on their cover to attract the mainstream, but also the aspirers of society. Yes, the mainstream will see the celebrities and recognise them. After all, who HASN'T heard of Rihanna? But for aspirers, they may, quite literally, aspire to be like their idol on the cover.
Aspirers usually seek status. Their main appeals are fashion, big-name brands, and the appearance of both themselves, and others around them. And for them, appearance means so much more to them than personality. Vogue magazines are perfect for attracting conventional aspirers. They have attractive people on the front, always celebrities, they have all the latest gossip advertised on the cover, and they have their brand name. And as I said before, not only aspirers will be appealed to by these covers, mainstreamers will be too. Mainstreamers will be able to see the celebrity on the page, and the Vogue logo at the top, and recognise that this is both a famous and trusted brand, if they're able to get these highly coveted celebrities to use for their front pages.
Commenti