Advertising Question

Explain how representations in adverts are constructed to promote the product. Choose two of the adverts that you have studied.

You have studied adverts for Shelter, Lucozade Sport and Old Spice.

In the Lucozade advert, Gareth Bale has employed a variety of representations. His famous and recognizable face will appeal to the target audience - males who engage in sporting activities, and will also appeal to those who follow Bales career in football/ support his team. This promotes the product as people who aspire to be like Bale and preform as good as him, will be encouraged to buy the drink to do so. Also, he connects the drink to its use -  as he is a sports man who many of the uses will look up to and aspire to be like, so therefore people are more likely to purchase the drink to make their performance better. He is also represented as being quite masculine, with his face in a contoured structure and his eyes looking up, appearing fierce, this would promote the product as the audience would aspire to be masculine and considered manly.The image of Bale looks like he has been working hard, with sweat pouring from his forehead, due to the contribution of the energy gained from the drink so will  therefore appeal to the target market who would like to improve their performance and aspire to be as good as Bale.

The blue used as both the background and n the Lucozade bottle itself could be used to represent water and therefore the product could also be promoted as not only a product that supplies energy but also quenches thirst. The blue contrasts with the deep yellow of he highlighted letters and the drink filling the product. The yellow and orange flavor represent the drink as refreshing promoting the product for the audience to buy.





In the Old Spice advert, the man is being represented as a strong alpha-male that has power. He looks very masculine and his muscular physique promotes him as stereo typically attractive. He also has no top on which shows off his body being that clearly works out and looks after himself which would attract a large audience. This promotes the product as the audience would aspire to be like the man, and therefore smell like him, so are encouraged to buy the body wash. His facial expression is a kind of smirk but serious and his eyes are directed straight to the audience, making it seem intense and suggesting them to buy the product. The male has his sweater casually draped over his shoulder, a hand on his hip in a devil may care fashion - this suggests that it doesn't take much to be like a man - if you just buy the product you will become 'a man' which is what most men would like to be considered as.

In some cultures, white horses stand for the balance of wisdom and power.The horse is a universal symbol of freedom without restraint, because riding a horse made people feel they could free themselves from their own bindings, therefore as the man is represented as riding the horse, he therefore stands for wisdom and power, therefore this promotes the product as those men who use is are in a powerful position and are wise.

The product is represented as being exotic, as the mise-on-scene, this would promote the product as luxurious, making the audience wanting to buy the product. The pale colour scheme promotes the product as natural, and also the use of white suggests that the product is a luxury. The location has connotations of paradise as it is an isolated beach, this represents the product as allowing for paradise to be achieved through the use of the product. 

These representations have been employed because it attracts the target audience more as they could aspire to be and looks like him on the advert or it could make women think they if they buy the product for their partners then they will smell like him and therefore, be like him.