LJR-PR: 2012

Saturday, 29 December 2012

USING THE RIGHT CONTENT LIKE A BOSS

Friday, 28 December 2012

SIMULATION THEORY ANALYSIS

The advertisement uses a constructed reality of what is perceived to be an ideal view of female models who display having perfect, straight, clean and white teeth. The roles of the models are used to portray what a healthy and desirable set of white teeth can look like to enhance one’s own beauty as re-enforced in ‘Big Ideas’, saying that “a female fashion ‘model’ embodies our current knowledge about what women are and our attitudes towards what they could (should) be”.

By including the visual appeal of attractiveness, it simulates what the ideal woman should look like. The creation of dissatisfaction of reality by not having white teeth solves this problem.

The narrated voice throughout the advert, in particular, “What would happen” with the answer of a smiling model displaying her white teeth replying it would “light up the room” simulates how much better a woman’s quality of life could become if they used the product themselves.

By incorporating woman from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, it simulates that the product is not exclusive to only the good looking-having white teeth will make you good looking.

Gucci by Gucci - Raquel Zimmerman, Natasha Poly and Freja BehaErichsen Campaign

The ad from Gucci uses a constructed reality of beauty and style. The model is presented to the reader, with nothing else than herself and the product. The model embodies the reader’s current knowledge that she is strong, sensual and driven by desire for both her achievement and unmistakable feminine allure.

The reader’s attitude towards the product is constructed to believe that this is a signature fragrance for the modern day icon. It makes its entrance early and like all Gucci women, leaves a lasting impression.

This is simulation: You may be a Gucci woman by scent, but not in reality.

This attempt at altering the add so that it no longer resembles simulation was achieved by removing the product and all signs that referred to Gucci, by replacing the product so that now the woman is holding a dog and the new key message of “always adopt, never buy” turns the attention of the reader to support a well-known cause for the protection of animals by NOP group Peta.

MODERNISM THEORY ANALYSIS

'LG art cooling'

‘LG Art Cool Converter’ is a full-page advert that appeared in The Age Melbourne Magazine in December 2004.

This ad identifies and confirms the power of humans to make, improve and re-design the environment in which they live in with the assistance of technology.

The modern technology (air conditioner) enhances the bedroom as it allows the individual owner to re-design the environment they live in by improving the climate to suit their own unique comfort levels.

The advertisement is also an example of modernism due to the fact that it’s a representation of a product that displays distinct features such as its cutting edge, fresh and original design.

The air conditioner is unique, through its modification from a typical wall mounted unit to one that is portrayed as a piece of art designed to complement and enhance ones environment. This is re-enforced with the message “with a wide range of stunning colours and shades there is one to match your decor”.

Also, the ad brings to the viewers’ attention that consumers, as individuals are able to make rational choices by the range of colors and designs that can be selected from. It demonstrates the modernist theory that individuals are in control of their destiny rather than having their destiny forced upon them. “Individuals are in control of their own destiny, rather than being controlled by it…”.

‘What makes Subaru, Subaru’ exemplifies modernist rational. The ad aims to speak to opinion leaders, using its strengths of durability, performance and responsibility to deliver its message.

It represents a product with distinct its cutting edge technological features that are designed to assist its user through its, “unique combination of standard Subaru All Wheel Drive and a boxer engine that together deliver unrivaled performance.”

The ad incorporates use of populist tabloid writing of short and sharp sentences with key words highlighted boldly. Its “engineering excellence” that’s “recognized time and time again by industry experts for its world class safety, reliability and durability.

It conveys its environmental responsibility; the Subaru plant in the heartland of America produces “zero landfill”.

The ad distances itself from any emotional devices in favor of rational and educational facts to tell the reader of its unique capabilities and how it can benefit them. It simply defines its core values of the company, products to consumers.

This attempt at altering an ad so that it no longer resembles the theory of modernism was achieved by removing all key messages that were associated with the car and its capabilities.

Once the image was solely of the three cars I included some bright colors along with money so that it is now an ad for the chance to win a Subaru on behalf of a lifestyle magazine called that’s life which is well known for its reader’s competitions.

MEANING BY ASSOCIATION THEORY ANALYSIS

Ignoring cholesterol

'Ignoring cholesterol' is an advert for Pluravit that appeared in the The Age Good Weekend magazine (13 October 2001).

The ad includes an image of what is perceived as a male whose head is submerged in a sand pit. With his head buried, he is not looking at anyone who may be viewing the ad. It could be that he is to ashamed to be seen, that he has something to hide or that he is ignoring a problem by having “his head buried beneath the sand”.

The main text displays “ignoring cholesterol won’t make it go away”. Instantly the image becomes an example of inherent meaning (hiding) being rejected for a relational meaning (ignoring).

The text explaining, “Half of all healthy men over forty have elevated cholesterol. And most of them simply ignore it.” Confirms the suspicion of the identity of the person as a male aged forty plus, who is healthy.

The text agrees that ignorance is “ridiculous” and that by taking the advertised supplement is a better choice “than sticking your head in the sand”.

It associates good health with being honest with yourself.

It displays that the product as a more than acceptable substitute for improving ones fitness and well-being by displaying a contrasting image showing the alternative, “...Something’s meaning is produced by its similarities to some things and its difference to others”.

The ad features an array of images within the main image of a USA $1 bill. The image portrays a scene of destruction, that a major event is taking place such as a new world war or the beginning of the end of time.

The ad is one of three with the other two focusing on the Yen and Euro economies’. It’s use of shocking images concerning money are a reference that the newspaper makes deeper analysis of the financial market and informs readers on political and social events exercising influence on the world economy.

The main text displays, “Understand the real value of money”.

It wants the reader to be made aware of the events happening around the world and that in global economy prosperity comes at a price, and that the people of Brazil greatly depend on a strong performing USA economy.

This analysis shows how the ad associates a particular series of events can have an impact on ones views to the consequences of their actions.

Within this ad I have removed the key message from the bottom of the image, the original message intended to explain the serious problems that are affecting the economy.

My intended message on behalf of McDonald's was to portray that even though a customer’s money may be scare and that with all the troubles they may face, this one dollar still has the possibility to make you happy.

SCIENTIFIC REALISM THEORY ANALYSIS

The ad is for a series of plasma display monitors produced by Panasonic. It attempts to capture an out of this world experience that is enabled by the realistic capabilities of the technology being displayed

As stated in ‘Big Idea’, “each form of representation is defined through its link with ‘reality’ ". It relates to the mother-daughter relationship that is depicted in this advert.

Since their introduction to society televisions have been categorized as a form of escapism from a mundane reality. The daily routine of a stay at home mum and the relationship between mother and child is no exception.

Plasma screens and the technology it incorporates was invented due a growing need by scientists to have a computer screen that did not have to constantly refresh itself. The size and quality of display brought about a level of involvement that televisions of the past generation could not generate.

The child is in awe of what she is seeing before her eyes, the mother has become distracted from whatever she was doing to become involved in the experience that the plasma is enabling her to do as she seems to be using a fry pan as a tennis racket.

The ad details the screens “stunning 3-D realism” that enables “a picture so good, you wish you were there” allowing the assumption that the plasma will allow anyone to experience what they thought was impossible and at the same time attempt to distort the reader from what’s being represented and what really is reality.

“Introducing a Lexus for those who've Never Seen Themselves in a Lexus” states a famous advertisement for Lexus automobiles. In the center of the ad, a man stands, his back to the viewer, facing what looks like a large billboard advert. It’s portrayed as though it’s in a subway station waiting for a train.

The ad image within the image shows a Lexus LS400 moving fast from right to left, its rear end blurred by speed.

The car can be seen through the man’s back as if his body is transparent and ethereal. A silver metallic frame that resembles a high tech belt circulating the man’s waist frames the Lexus.

He is thus dressed by the image. He is drawn by the car projecting his body into the ad.

The product is projected onto him, and he seems to be absorbing the message bodily. His body has become the ads medium, representing the product by incorporating it into his body.

It plays upon a number of visual conventions. He is clearly looking at an image; the scene resembles a museum goer gazing at a famous painting.

One way to read the image is that he is now literally, “sees himself in a Lexus”. His surroundings are human made, the public realm of mass transportation. His partially nude form might signal a desire to return to a more natural state of being in if he were not subdued by culture.

Ironically, the car represents the escape from culture-from reliance of mass public transport, from business clothing and from alienation. Instead the man’s natural state heeds his desire for independence, individuality, control over one’s own life, and sexual prowess.

The copy reads, “When was the last time you felt this connected to a car?” The ad challenges the ‘natural’ view of a man as controlled, self-sufficient and rational subject. What we see in the ad is a synthetic male personality that is assembled out the flotsam and jetsam of contemporary commodities.

This attempt at altering the ad so that it no longer resembles scientific realism was achieved by taking out all the aspects of fantasy, no longer is the male morphed into the product, he has been replaced with a trades person who has stopped what they were doing to view a billboard advertising the new series a home renovation show.

There is no key message incorporated into the body, nor is the person portrayed in a transparent manner. By removing the belt the person is no longer dressed by the image.

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

STRUCTURALISM THEORY ANALYSIS

The concept of the image is best understood in relation to its ‘mom observational’ qualities and the system of visual images . By using certain signs, ads are able to persuade the reader by instilling certain dominant ideological notions which are expected to be accepted.

How the two unrelated images of a tree riding a bicycle can be best defined is by the clear contrast to the city backdrop as the reader can identify the relationship between non-polluting bicycles resulting in less emissions resulting in a cleaner environment.

The relationship between the objects helps identify the meaning. By the city ignoring the tree is like humans ignoring the environment.

Being sympathetic to the tree’s personal challenge constructs an individual’s own ideas about the need to protect the environment.

The ad is a response to a USA nationwide campaign, “SAVE WATER, SAVE LIFE”. The ad uses negative space and color to create a powerful, metaphorical message. The ad shows a cropped fishbowl containing a goldfish with a leaking tap extending from the bowl.

In the negative space to the right of the fishbowl is the message in capital letters, “SAVE WATER, SAVE LIFE”. The use of negative space and the simple typeface creates a clean, concise and simple message which also carries a degree of strength.

This ad can be interpreted in several ways, but essentially states that conservation and care of our Earth’s water supply is crucial for survival and well-being of all forms of life.

It sends a message to the reader about the importance of allocating water efficiently throughout the world, and sanitizing it for the well-being of both the environment, the preservation of the earth itself, and the health of people all around the world which was noted in Big Ideas by, “Meanings are created by and within abstract ‘systems’ or ‘structures’…” .

This specific ad shows a tap dripping water from the fishbowl, slowly draining away from the container that is preserving a life form; the goldfish. Another strength of the ad is the use or limited use of colour. The entire ad is in grey scale, and while 3-dimensional, fairly simple.

The emphasis comes with the bright orange fish, the life form of the image.

This places the emphasis on the fish in the consumed positive space, while the reader’s eyes move onto the simple phrase in the negative space.

With this ad, I removed the key message and the leaking tap and replaced it with a bottle of Evian water and the message, “no compromise”.

By removing the framework, this ad has gone from an important message about saving water and protecting the environment to now simply being a promotional tactic for Evian that wants to say that no simple water compares to a bottle of Evian water.

TACO BELL - FIRST BITE ???????

Youtube

Tuesday, 25 December 2012

Are audiences dependent on technology? Have these new technologies affected the traditional models of audience?

One of the great challenges modern media outlets face in the wake of the ever-growing popularity of social media is effectively understanding and responding to their audience.

The task is complicated by the inherently elusive, intangible, and unpredictable nature of media audiences. Consequently, media organizations have historically devoted substantial financial and analytical resources in trying to understand their audiences. Given the time spent by audiences consuming the media, it is hardly surprising that much debate has focused on the exact nature of the relationship between audience and media output.

The influence of traditional mass media organizations is being challenged at an unprecedented level of audience participation and co-creation in online media production. This participation and involvement has created a negative impact by blurring the lines between consumer and producer, audience and public.

Social media has given voice to the opinions of millions of individual consumers worldwide. While traditional mass media continues to be central to the dissemination of (mainstream) information, these same channels however are now being increasingly influenced by online conversations taking place through social media.

The media’s relationship with its audience is fighting against contending powers and counter powers are seeking to use social media to in a sense, ‘mobilize’ audiences in order to influence the way people relate to the world of information that is around them.

This reminds me of something that I have always thought was the best way to describe the changing audience engagement behaviors taking place before our eyes, “the people formally known as the audience have become active participants in both shaping media content and public disclosure.

For to long has an audience been perceived primarily as a singular passive recipient of media content even though an audience may comprise of multiple individuals with different interests and opinions. Social media has evolved into providing platforms and networks, which are necessary to return the power of the media into the hands of the people.

The Internet has both broadened and fragmented the contexts of communication. This is why the Internet can have a subversive effect on intellectual life in authoritarian regimes, which has taken place throughout the Middle East over the past 18 months.

Whilst that rings true it must be acknowledged at the same time, the less formal, horizontal cross-linking of communication channels weakens the achievements of traditional media. This focuses on the attention of an anonymous and dispersed public on select topics and information, allowing citizens to concentrate on the same critically fixed issues and journalistic pieces at any given time.

The price we pay for the growth in egalitarianism, offered by the Internet is the decentralized access to unedited stories. In this medium, contributions by intellectuals lose their power to create a focus. The media create a picture of the public, but it goes live, as it were, only when people participate in its creation, not least by turning themselves into an audience.

It’s important to appreciate that while the internet has enabled the public to be able to compare and switch websites (and therefore, switch product choice) at the click of a mouse button, by offering a wider choice between competing services, while the user is able to remain anonymous from the supplier.

Howard Rheingold predicted this in 2002; he observed how technology enabling social media was beginning to converge with mobile telephony. His observation that mobile devices would help individuals coordinate actions with others was also about how groups of people (audiences to the marketers of those devices) would grow new forms of “social power” to organize their activities. These forms of social power would enable what Rheingold called “associations of amateurs” who were quicker to adopt to change than the “established industry leaders” to find new ways to profit from a fast evolving social practice mediated environment. Social media offers a sense of “privacy”, in the sense that there seems to be no one physically around to monitor the user consume online content.

Sitting in the comfort of ones own home, an audience participant might think they have private choices at their fingertips even though their online may be monitored without their knowledge or consent.

The increased interactivity of new media technologies via mechanisms such as social networking sites brings with it a variety of new paths for gathering information about ones audience ranging from their appreciation or emotional response to the content they consume, to their recall or engagement with the content, to specific behavioural responses.

In my next post I will be discussing some of these online analytical tools that help bridge the gap between what is valued content and what will end up being some Internet space junk.

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