OPEN  COLLEGE  OF  THE  ARTS             Keith  Greenough  UNDERSTANDING  VISUAL  CULTURE           Student  No.:  416177    Assignment  3:  Decoding  Advertisements    INTRODUCTION    The   objective   of   this   assignment   is   to   choose   a   current   advertisement   or   advertising   campaign   and,  drawing  on  the  work  of  Barthes  and  others,  analyse  it  to  show  how  it  derives  and  conveys  its  meanings  to  its  intended  audience.  I  have  selected  the  Compare  the  Market.com’s  award  winning  Meerkat  campaign  for  analysis.  

                                   

ANALYSIS    The  campaign  is  largely  based  on  TV  and  on-­‐line  video.  For  the  basis  of  my  initial  analysis  I  have  chosen  the  above  still  image,  which  is  typical  of  the  content  presented.      In  his   essay  Rhetoric   of   the   Image   (Evans,   pp  33)  Barthes  proposes   that   advertisements  derive  meaning  through  both  iconic  (image  based)  and  linguistic  messages  and  that  a  pure  image  can  create  meaning  both  through  literal  and  symbolic  messages  –  denotation  and  connotation.      The  linguistic  content  of  this  advertisement  comprises  of  a  banner  headline  ‘ATTENTION!’  across  the  top.  On  boards   resting  on  each  of   two  easels,   there   are  opposing   statements.  On   the   left   are   the  words   ‘FOR  COURAGEOUS  MEERKATS  COMPARE  THE  MEERKAT.COM”  and  on  the  right  ‘FOR  CHEAP  CAR  INSURANCE  COMPARE  THE  MARKET.COM’.      The  most  frequent  use  of  linguistic  content  is  to  guide  the  viewer  on  how  to  interpret  the  image  content  or,  as   Barthes   puts   it   ‘The   denominative   function   corresponds   exactly   to   an   anchorage   of   all   the   possible  (denoted)  meanings  of   the  object…’   (Evans,  pp  37).   Images  are  polysemous,   i.e.   they  are  capable  of  being  read  in  many  different  ways.  The  linguistic  content  limits  or   ‘anchors’  the  range  of  possible  readings  that  the  advertisers  want  us  to  consider.      In  this  case  the  words  ‘ATTENTION!’  with  the  capital  letters  and  exclamation  mark,  is  meant  to  signify  that  the  character  in  the  image  (a  creature  in  a  red  smoking  jacket  and  yellow  cravat)  is  calling  out  to  us  in  an  authoritative  manner.  The  opposing   statements  on   the  boards  draw  attention   to   two  different  websites.    Thus   the   linguistic   content  make   it   clear   that  we   should   pay   attention,   and   that  we   are   comparing   two  websites.      

 

In   the   TV   advertisements   Alexander   speaks   with   an   eastern   European   accent   and   ends   all   of   the  advertisements   with   the   catch   phrase   ‘Simples’.   This   single   highly   memorable   word   indicates   that   the  Compare  the  Market.com  is  easy  to  use.    Turning   now   to   the   iconic   content,   Barthes   contends   that   ‘we   never   encounter   (at   least   in   advertising)   a  literal   image  in  a  pure  state.’  (Evans,  pp  39).  What  he  suggests  is  that  we  receive  the  literal  and  symbolic  messages  simultaneously.  He  does  however  point  out  that  the  literal  image  ‘has  at  least  one  meaning  at  the  level  of  the  identification  of  the  scene  represented’  (Evans,  pp  39).  I  have  conducted  my  analysis  with  this  in  mind.    The   image  shows  a  central   figure,  a   furry  animal  dressed   in  a  red  smoking   jacket  and  yellow  cravat.  The  animal   has   a   stern   expression   and   stands   rigid  with   its   arms   crossed.   The   reference   to  meerkat   in   the  linguistic   component   tells   us   what   the   animal   is.   On   either   side   there   is   an   easel   with   a   board   on   it  displaying   the   lettering   outlined   above.   The   easels   are   gilt  with   ornate   patterns   carved   on   them.   In   the  background  there  is  a  wall  with  wood  panelling.  On  the  wall  there  is  a  painting  and  a  bookcase.  To  the  right  and   left  of   the   room   there  are  ornate  gilt   lamps  and  other   items  of   furniture.  To   the   right   there   is   a   tall  window.      On  a  symbolic  level,  the  smoking  jacket,  cravat  and  erect  stature,  of  the  figure  along  with  the  grand  nature  of  the  room,  suggest  that  he  is  a  member  of  the  aristocracy.  His  confrontational  manner  and  the  impression  of  a  schoolroom  created  by  the  easels  give  us  the  sense  that  we  are  being  lectured  by  a  figure  of  authority.      The   juxtaposition   of   the   two   easels,   the   authoritative   manner   of   the   main   character   and   the   banner  headline  ‘ATTENTION!’  all  work  together  to  suggest  that  we  are  being  told  to  compare  and  act  on  the  two  messages.  We  are  being  instructed  to  go  to  Compare  the  market.com  if  we  are  looking  for  car  insurance.      Although  the  image  looks  like  a  photograph,  since  the  main  figure  is  a  talking  animal  we  know  that  what  we  are  looking  at  is  ‘fake’.  To  use  Barthes  terminology,  we  are  receiving  a  ‘coded’  message  (Evans,  pp  39),  as  would   be   the   case   if   the   advertisement   were   a   drawing   or   cartoon.   As   such   the   ‘naturalness’   of   a  photographic  image  is  lost  and  we  are  fully  aware  that  the  image  has  been  constructed.  We  are  being  asked  to  believe   that  what  we  are  being   told  by  a  puppet.  This  not  only  differentiates   the  advertisement  but   is  also  highly  amusing.      The  campaign  as  a  whole  uses  a  series  of  TV  and  video  advertisements  to  build  the  personality  and  history  of  its  main  character  Alexander  Orlov,  who  is  pictured  in  the  advertisement  above.    It  also  introduces  other  characters   such   as   Alexander’s   trusted   assistant,   Sergei.   In   the   round   it   reminds   us   of   amusing   and  sentimental   children’s   programmes   we’ve   seen   at   the   movies   and   on   TV.   Despite   his   stern   demeanour  Alexander  is  perceived  as  endearing  and  cute.    

                                     

 

   The   question   remains   as   to   why   this   advertisement   would   cause   us   to   go   to   Compare   the   Market.com  rather  than  any  other  source.  In  her  book  Decoding  Advertisements  Judith  Williamson  makes  the  point  that  it   is   ‘…the   first   function   of   an   advertisement   to   create   a   differentiation   between   one   product   and   others…’  (Williamson,   pp   24).   This   is   precisely   what   the   Meerkat   campaign   is   seeking   to   do.   Price   comparison  websites  for  financial  services  products  are  a  very  generic  business,  with  all  having  very  similar  branding.  As  such  it  is  very  difficult  to  tell  one  from  another.      The  Meerkat   campaign   is   highly   unusual   and  quirky   and  quite   different   from   campaigns   for   other   price  comparison   websites   that   had   gone   before   it.   The   advertisements   are   also   amusing,   eye-­‐catching   and  highly   memorable.   The   campaign   has   been   very   successful   and   won   the   top   prize   at   the   2010   British  Television  Advertising  Awards.  It  has  also  been  successful  on  the  Internet  through  social  media  channels.  Alexander  Orlov  has  his  own  Facebook  page  with  800,000   fans  and  a  Twitter  account  with  some  50,000  followers.   It   is   clear   that   the   campaign  has  differentiated  Compare   the  Market.com   from   its   competitors  and  that  it  is  highly  regarded  by  potential  consumers.      In   traditional   product   advertising   companies   frequently   use   well-­‐known   personalities   to   advertise   and  differentiate   their  products.   Judith  Williamson   illustrates   this  point  with  reference   to  Chanel’s  use  of   the  French  actress  Catherine  Deneuve.   Juxtaposing  Deneuve  with  a  bottle  of  Chanel  No  5  perfume   leads   the  viewer   to   assume   that   the   two   have   the   same  meaning.  Williamson   points   out   that     ‘…the   work   of   the  advertisement  is  not  to  invent  a  meaning  for  No.  5  but  to  translate  meaning  for  it  by  a  sign  system  we  already  know…’   (Williamson,   pp   25).   Catherine   Deneuve   signifies   flawless   French   beauty.   Chanel  was   aiming   to  transfer  this  meaning  to  their  product  and  by  so  doing  differentiate  it.      So  what  values  does  Alexander  Orlov   transfer   to  Compare   the  Market.com?  There   is  a   risk   that  using  an  amusing   fictional   character   could   trivialise   their   product.   On   the   other   hand   the   very   novelty   of   the  character  marks  Compare   the  Market.com  out   as   a  new  kind  of   creative   financial   company   -­‐   one  with   a  sense   of   humour   and   which   understands   today’s   world,   as   demonstrated   by   the   use   of   social   network  channels   to  distribute   the   advertisement.   I   believe   the   latter   to  be   the   case.  Thus   the  meanings   that   the  Meerkat   advertisement   transfers   are   creativity,   fun,   in-­‐tune  with   today’s   society   (through   internet   viral  advertising)  and  difference  (from  boring  traditional  financial  institutions).      The   Meerkats   have   also   come   to   represent   the   service,   which   Compare   the   Market.com   sells,   which   is  otherwise  intangible  and  difficult  to  visualise.  As  Judith  Williamson  says  ‘The  technique  of  advertising  is  to  correlate   feelings,  moods  or  attributes  to  tangible  objects..”  (Williamson,  pp  31).     In  the  terminology,  she  uses   the   Meerkats   have   become   an   ‘objective   correlative’   for   the   service   offered   by   Compare   the  Market.com.        The  big  question   is  whether  the  advertisements  cause  people  to  buy  from  Compare  the  Market.com.  The  most  important  issues  are  that  their  name  is  memorable  and  that  consumers  are  positively  disposed  them.  The  Meerkat  advertisements  are  highly  successful   in  achieving  both  of  these  aims.    When  consumers  are  sitting   in   front  of   their   computers   searching   for   financial   services  products   they  are   likely   to   remember  Alexander  Orlov  positively  and  by  association  be  well  disposed  towards  Compare  the  Market.com.    References    Evans  J.  and  Hall  S.  (1999)  visual  culture:  the  reader  London:  Sage      Williamson  J.  (1978)  Decoding  Advertisements  Ideology  and  Meaning  in  Advertising  London:  Marion  Boyars