Unit 30 Outcome 1 - Task 1 Know About The Structures and Techniques of Television Advertisements
Unit 30 Outcome 1 - Task 1 Know About The Structures and Techniques of Television Advertisements
Unit 30 Outcome 1 - Task 1 Know About The Structures and Techniques of Television Advertisements
Outcome 1 – task 1
Donald Gunn, an advertising agency creative director for Leo Burnett, spent time in
1978 researching and parsing the big TV advertising formats. He defined 12 formats,
which are still widely used today, not only on television but also on digital media
platforms such as YouTube and social platforms. Using one of these formats to
create an ad advertisement would not only lend the ad greater coherence and focus,
but it will also improve its effectiveness.
Type 1: Demo
https://youtu.be/65JrtwtTOdc
Type 2: Show the problem
This is demonstrating that something in the customer's life isn't up to par, and you
SHOW it. It's not enough to suggest that there's a problem; the ad has to show it.
The ad then almost always moves on to the solution, which is, of course, the product
being sold. This persuades the audience of the advertisement to buy the product.
This ad highlights the issue that many people might be confronted with -
an unreliable internet, and then Virgin Media as the solution at the end of the ad.
https://youtu.be/36YXRvD0_GE
This format is similar to the previous one, but with a few differences. To represent
the problem, you use a "symbol, analogy, or exaggerated graphic," so the
advertisement doesn't display the real problem or need; it presents an exaggeration
of the issue or a symbol intended to represent the need or problem. This advert
exaggerates the problem of heartburn using voice over and graphics. It shows a man
at a dinner table eating, it talks about heartburn then Gaviscon is introduced as a
remedy and the problem is resolved.
https://youtu.be/7VzbRjU8F_c
Type 4: Contrast with competition
“Comparison” is the fourth type. The point that your product is superior to that of your
rivals and is the focus here. An example of this is Aldi’s Jaffa Cake advertisement.
They put McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes and Aldi’s Brand Jaffa Cakes beside each other and
compared the price. Visibly, Aldi’s price was a lot cheaper which gives it a sense of
better value. They also put a fact on the screen to further persuade buyers.
https://youtu.be/JZfpuyrudkU
The “exemplary story” is the fifth format. These advertisements tell a storey that
helps to highlight the product's benefits. The aim, according to Gunn, would be to
create "a situation where you'd use [the product] and be very glad for it." This
example demonstrates multiple individuals in a Volkswagen car, but as they were
driving, the driver crashed, however, since they were driving a Volkswagen, the
people were not injured, the advertisement sells Volkswagen as the safest car so
people can be reassured.
https://youtu.be/Jqcdt6A8A54
Type 6: Benefit causes story
The sixth form of advertisement as "benefit causes story," in which the benefits of a
product are removed, and a story is created around it (usually exaggerated). They
prefer to focus less on the product itself, with the product being presented at the end
of the advertisement. In this advertisement, we get women who are flowing a
man because he smells amazing due to the advantage of lynx deodorant.
https://youtu.be/SqGCC498yoU
https://youtu.be/c6hspoqg8qU
Type 8: Ongoing character & celebrities
The eighth form of advertisement is "ongoing character and celebrities." These types
of advertisements are extremely popular. In order to establish a strong brand name,
they're willing to recruit celebrities. When well-known actors are presented alongside
the product, the viewer becomes instinctively aware of the product. As mentioned,
this ties in well with type 7. In this advertisement, Compare the Market has used
Arnold Schwarzenegger, implying that the customer would equate Schwarzenegger
with Compare the Market and thus be more inclined to use their service.
https://youtu.be/_ADHb1p4lv8
https://youtu.be/uLTIowBF0kE
The eleventh form of advertisement is "unique selling point". This usually includes
advertisements that emphasise something that distinguishes the product from
competitors. Tom's of Maine, for example, emphasises the all-natural nature of its
toothpaste as a distinguishing feature. Then he goes on to say that the Tom's of
Maine brand as a whole has been producing natural ingredients since 1970.
https://youtu.be/Y4TaRp7ri3I
Type 12: Parody or borrowed format
Donald Dunn's final type of advertisement was "Parody or borrowed format." In this
category, advertisements apply to other forms of media such as films, TV and others.
They give the viewer a sense of connection or nostalgia, so that the parody is
focused on common contents and also replicates other media content to "mock." The
audience could find this funny and unforgettable.