4. What I have learnt about the content and appeal of television adverts and how I intend to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding in my production in order to communicate meaning successfully with the target audience.

My target audience consists of males and females aged between 16 and 25 years old and I will explore how other TV adverts appeal to them below. Through my analysis of specific personal hygiene TV adverts, I will pick out a few features that ensure it appeals to my specific TA and establish common trends.

Uses & Gratifications Theory (theorises how audiences are appealed to in the media)
1. Entertainment/escapism- people use the media to escape daily life and for simple enjoyment
2. Social- people use the media to enhance their social relationships
3. Identification- people use the media to find relatable or aspirational figures that they can identify with
4. Information- people use the media to become informed and educated

'Face the city and protect your skin with the NEW NIVEA Urban Skin Defence & Detox range'

• The music is upbeat and fast, 'Miss Campbell' by 'The Shoes Time to Dance (Sebastian Remix)' and makes the advert interesting for the TA. After building up from the beginning when the protagonist is getting ready for her night out, it continues throughout the advert and finally fading out right at the end.
• Neon lighting is very prominent in the advert and features throughout, with catch-phrases on the walls as the advert advances such as 'Don't wait up for me.' This use of light and phrases would attract the audiences' attention if they saw the advert on TV.
• The locations used would also be relatable or aspirational to the audience as back-streets of London are used towards the end and if the TA have not been to those areas, they would aspire to go there
• The protagonist is a blonde young female, possibly in her early 20s, similar to the TA. Although this advert does not challenge stereotypes and essentially shows young women partying, it works to sell her lifestyle and attractive looks, although the product is a face cream.
• Although there is no specific narrative with a complete lack of voiceover or dialogue in most of the advert, the eye-catching imagery and aspirational lifestyle in the montage style would ultimately be the factors that would persuade the TA to buy the product.

'Lynx Black Casual Styling Clay Presents: Daily Life'

• In contrast to the previous adverts, this features a voiceover that almost works to speak the protagonists' mind, as there is no actual dialogue in the advert. The voiceover is both comical, comparing a man with too much product looking like "one of the extras of Goodfellas,' and informative, telling the audience how to use the product.
• The protagonist again reflects the TA of young males, but is the only character seen whereas in the other adverts there is often a main protagonist but their friends are seen too. He is also suggested to be a model so this would be aspirational for men, or their close family and friends
• The location is also simplistic in this way, as there is only one interior studio setting used
• This advert works mostly in closer shots, using many medium shots, close-ups and XCUs but only a long shot right at the beginning. These shot distances may be used to pull the audience into the story and show them intricate details of the situation, portrayed both in the videos but also the polaroid imagery.
• The whole advert is also desaturated in colour, with black & white pictures in between which give it an alternative aesthetic but may establish it as unique when shown on TV in between many other adverts
• The music is minimalistic and instrumental, with guitars, drums and saxophone but much quieter than the voiceover and is only used to set the atmosphere/tone.

My Demonstration of this Knowledge to appeal to my TA:

Music: appealing when either instrumental to provide atmosphere/tone, or have meaningful lyrics or a build-up that help the visuals to portray meaning
Voiceover: this is a very common convention, if not throughout the advert then at the end, informing the audience about the product and if used throughout can provide emotive appeal

Protagonist: there is often more than one protagonist to reflect the target audience, and therefore often are of the target audience demographic- their age or gender and is used to create either aspirational or relatable representations of the demographic
Costume: the costume can either be aspirational or relatable to match the representation of the protagonist
Locations: generic locations that the target audience recognise and are aware of are used to appeal to the target audience

Editing: the editing is often in a fast-paced or montage style to attract the attention of and keep the attention of the target audience of young people


As I hope to also have generic hybridity in my adverts, I have researched an advert for a dating app to enhance the first date and lifestyle aspect of my campaign, despite the fact it is advertising a deodorant.

'Total Boar' - eHarmony.co.uk

• The above advert was shown on E4 and is advertising the dating app 'eHarmony'
• The whole advert takes place in a restaurant setting with the same mise-en-scene throughout, with high-key lighting on the protagonist and her table and a dimmer background to portray the rest of the background as insignificant to her life but more to provide atmosphere
• The choices of smart costumes, with the female protagonist wearing a blue dress and statement necklace and male wearing a brown suit jacket with light blue shirt and dark blue bow-tie (matching the colour of her dress) portrays the pair as young professionals looking for love in the fancy restaurant
• The voiceover narrates through the whole advert working to portray what the protagonist is thinking as well as talking directly to the audience and telling them to get the app.
• It uses humour as well as emotional appeal by featuring the pig at the start as the negative reality of a date without the app in comparison with the attractive male at the end who represents what the app will bring to other members of the target audience, if they download and use the app

Although I think the mise-en-scene elements and voiceover are effective in communicating meaning for this advert, I would like to have more variation in my choice of locations, costumes and lighting and possibly even create a montage-style advert (more similar to the personal hygiene product adverts above.) However, this eHarmony advert has inspired me on how to incorporate both humour and emotional appeal into my advert through my portrayal of the couples and therefore also have an element of generic hybridity.