Advertising & Communication Design

The Basics

Deconstructing an Ad

Deconstruction:- careful and close analysis- Looking beneath the surface to deeper meanings - characters, plot, language, etc.

individuals construct their own meanings from media – individuals deconstruct meanings from media too!

Deconstructing an Ad

You can use the following questions to quickly deconstruct a media example:· Who paid for the media? Why?· Who is being targeted?· What text, images or sounds lead you to this conclusion?· What is the text (literal meaning) of the message?· What is the subtext (unstated or underlying message)?· What kind of lifestyle is presented? Is it glamorized? How?· What values are expressed?· What tools or techniques of persuasion are used?· What story is not being told?· In what ways is this a healthy and/or unhealthy media message?

Steps for Analyzing Print Ads:1. Visually describe what you see in the ad (start with subject,

move to text and then to colour & design)

2. Describe the overall mood of the ad. How does the advertiser create this mood?

3. If there are people or characters in the ad, describe them. What kind of scenario are they in (outdoors, in a car, laughing at a party, etc.)

4. Are any strong symbols used in the ad? <- this is actually a heady question, you are going to have to look and think hard about this as many symbols are so embedded that they are not obvious to the viewer.

5. What does the written text convey (meaning)? Is it effective? And what types of font are used in the ad? Why do you think the designer chose that specific font/face?

The Art of Persuasion

• Persuasion Analysis

•Analyzing ads is the easiest way to learn about all persuasion techniques.

•carefully crafted packages > strong messages, •"buy this“

•political, social, religious > more complex•More involved emotional issues•experienced in bits and fragments screened by others

Go to Adbusters.org and check out their ad spoofshttps://www.adbusters.org/gallery/spoofads

The great thing about spoof ads is they use the very same

tools against the

advertiser. Spoof ads

often present a side of a

product that is not

generally advertised.

Advertising: “The Cave Art of the 20th Century” MM

5 stage hooks of TV ads:

1.Attention Grabber (Hi!)2.Confidence Building (Expert - often a voice over)3.Desire Stimulator (tickles your ‘I NEED/WANT’ button)4.Urgency Stressor (OMG - ‘You should go’)5.Response Seeking (I want to buy that

Check out the following:

ING Banking Ad

How to Analyze Ads ....

1. Recognize that a 30-second spot TV ad is a synthesis, the end-product of a long, complex, composition process.

2. TV Ads: Use the 1-2-3-4-5 sequence of "the pitch" as a fingertip formula (starting with your thumb), as a useful memory device to organize your analysis: 1. HI (attention-getting)2. TRUST ME (confidence- building)3. YOU NEED (desire-stimulating)4. HURRY (urgency-stressing)5. BUY (response- seeking).

3. Seek dominant impressions- focus on what seems (to you) to be the overall tone, the general feeling, the most noticeable, or most interesting elements in an ad

TV Ads

•Recognize surface variations• 50 quick-cut shots of "good times”• 1 slow tracking scene of an old-fashioned sleigh ride• a three-scene drama: a problem suffered, solution

offered and a final grateful smile

•Visuals and Nonverbals suggest emotional feelings and attitudes.

• Different ads have different target audiences

Do different people all drawthe same message from

ads?Why or why not?

Pick and Dig

Select one of the ads below to create a first time analysis. Have fun with it!

Coca Cola Ad

Coca Cola Super Bowl Ad

Chevy Super Bowl Ad "Ain't We Got Love"

Isuzu Gemini Car Ad

Dove Evolution