D: Representation

Discussion:

·         How is the life of Britney Spears represented in the media through the years? What about the ups and the downs? The good vs. the bad times?

·         What is representation?

o   Definition:

§  “The construction in the mass media on aspects of reality such as people, places, objects, events, cultural identities and other concepts.”

o   These representations can be done in speech, writing, stills or moving images.

o   How someone is portrayed in the media can affect how people think about him or her.

o   Positive portrayal can bring benefits but negative portrayal can cause great harm.

o   The media build up celebrities with lots of positive coverage.

o   It also has the tendency to knock them: down again when  they are caught doing something wrong or because they are out of favor

1.      Representing social groups

2.      Representing social issues

·         What is normal?

o   Gender?

o   Race?

o   Physical Abilities?

§  Beliefs?

§  Religion?

§  Ethnic origin?

§  Location?

§  Sexual Orientation?

Representing social groups

·         The media represents social groups in many different ways.

·         Sometimes fairly and sometimes not.

·         The only way to know how unfair such representations are is to belong to such a group, or to know someone very well who does.

·         There is a tendency that people develop attitudes to others through what they see, read and hear in the media

·         That is why representation is an important issue for media studies and for media producers

·         In many ways, attitudes towards women and ethnic minorities have improved a lot in the past 20 – 30 years.

·         Women are not long depicted as housewives…

·         No long acceptable to make fun of people just because of the ethnic origins.

Understanding how media audiences respond to Media Products

Include a personal insight about the way audiences responded to each commercial backed up by theories, debates and responses in not more than 500 words.

As far as I can see, the Johnson's baby Shampoo Advert is very popular with the audience. It has a good imitable behaviour which is children friendly. Hence, people will sympathise with the baby in the advert although others would complain because the baby is not caucasian. On the other hand the Felce Azzurra Shampoo Advert came with a lot of debate  from students. Some said it was too much seductive as sexual content sparked controversary. Well, actually there was nothing regarding “sexual content”  but the fact that the woman in the advert was exposing her body to the audience, debate occured.

For the Johnson's baby Shampoo Advert many answered that it reflects a real life situation in a relax environment and atmosphere. Well, it's true. While washing the baby you have to be calm and relaxed so that he would not cry. But for the Felce Azzurra Shampoo Advert, it is not that realistic as when we are having a bath normally in this busy environment where everyone is always on the go, we would hurry up and have the bath in the least possible time!

In the filled in questionnaires, the students were giving their opinions according to their knowledge especially when using graphics. The majority were Graphics' students and some were Media colleagues. There was no passive consumption as each and every student responded in different ways according to their personalites. All the questionnaires had an active consumption which I really admired and appreciated in the students. If I had to show these adverts to children I think they would be fascinated about the way they are structured because children do not worry about money and are fascinated by everything. But for over 18 students, I admired the fact that although they were doing a questionnaire, it came out like a focus group. They watched both adverts infront of me, 5 students each time and then answered the questions.

The uses and gratification theory was really needed as shampoo is not only something you want, but something you NEED... and the best of all this is that you need it everyday. So, the consumer whilst making his choice about shampoos for his children and for himself, needs to consider the money and the good quality of the product. Why do we need to use Felce Azzurra shampoo everday? Because it relaxes mind and body and gives us a good bath. Why do we need to use the Johnsons baby Shampoo on our children? So that they would be happy like that cute baby in the advert! These are the responses I've got from the questionnaire. And it's true! After all when we see someone laughing, we can say “they are happy”. The baby did not cried when he felt the shampoo on his hair, but he continued playing and he laughed! The woman in the other advert, did not hurry to take the bath but was totally calm and relaxed so that she would enjoy herself putting soap on her body! These things gave the audience a positive message from both adverts.

Ages varied from 18 to 24 years and the majority were males.  They were all students but two of them were workers as well. Almost all of them reacted well about the Johnson's baby shampoo, and they said it is a more effective advert as it delivers a result. Others did not like the Felce Azzurra shampoo advert as in their opinion it was too dramatic and seductive! Also the message is not straight forward like the first Advert. Although the majority of the students does not have knowledge about media but they understood that the first advert looked more professional and is targeted for a larger audience. We call it the mainstream type of audience! Students were more convinced whilst wathcing the Johnsons baby shampoo ad then whilst watching the Felce azzurra shampoo ad. They saw that it was really calm! Well, they wanted to say that a more fast paced editing would be ideal for it. Students criticized the way Felce Azzurra advert was presented to the audience and did not understand the message from the beginning of the advert unlike the other advert! They did a great job with the answers they gave in these questionnaires.

Well, at least they did not censor the Felce Azzurra Shampoo. Maybe, because the majority were males (10) but still the other females (6) did not censor it! Nowadays, showing legs and body are fine with audiences, at least youngsters for sure!

______________________________________________________________

Elena Sammut             

Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production            

Group: B

Dissecting TV Adverts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Edv8Onsrgg


Britney Spears - Music Video : Hold it Against Me



ADVERTS in this Music Video :


Sony (all the way around)
Britney Spears Perfume

Powerpoint Presentation Task 2 Unit 6

http://www.scribd.com/full/52992763?access_key=key-135skmgk83moy8ta01eq

Powerpoint Presentation Task 2 Unit 6

UNDERSTANDING HOW MEDIA PRODUCERS CREATE PRODUCTS FOR SPECIFIC AUDIENCES        

  CASE STUDY

¢  Two similar products aimed at two different target audiences

¢  Different producers constructed their adverts for each product’s specific audiences

JOHNSON’S BABY SHAMPOO -ADVERT

NARRATIVE ELEMENTS

¢  The sun is representing the soap

¢  The soap hurts the baby’s eyes but the Johnson’s baby Shampoo does not hurt the baby

¢  “No more tears” are the written words used on the shampoo to  represent this

Product’s target audience

¢  Mainstream type of audience as it reaches all the families who have children

¢  The theme of motherhood is really essential as it gives a sense of friendship between the mother and the child.  In the case of this advert the boy!

Techniques Used

¢  The use of colours are really essential in these type of adverts

¢  One can notice the colour yellow in the flowers, the toy (duck) and other toys which are related to children. These are yellow as the Johnson’s baby Shampoo’s background is yellow too!

¢  The soap is pink on purpose so that it would not match with the yellow of the product

¢  The baby’s hair is black as the foam of the Johnson’s baby shampoo would be emphasized. White foam on black hair

REALIST NARRATIVE

¢  The advert is very realistic as babies need to be washed by their mum with sophisticated sensitive shampoo

¢  The comparison between the soap and the shampoo is very effective

FELCE AZZURRA SHAMPOO –ADVERT

NARRATIVE ELEMENTS

¢  There is an emphasis on the white drops that are falling on the woman’s body

¢  The colour white is very essential to the advert as it represent milk which is natural and as the twist of the advert comes “Il cuore bianco della Natura … Naturalmente senza coloranti”

¢  The caption at the end explains everything

Product’s target audience

¢  This advert has a mainstream type of audience as approximately half of the world’s population are women

¢  It is targeted for those women who love to wash and relax at the same time. In fact there is this woman who is relaxing while having the bath. She is not having a quick bath as the Felce Azzurra relaxes her mind and body

Techniques Used

¢  Unlike the first advert, the Felce Azzurra shampoo cannot be used by babies

¢  Although we see the woman-figure in the advert, the Felce Azzurra can be used by both women and men. Hence we can see the technique of the actress used. Women can buy the product as it relieves their stress and hassle while on the other hand men buy the product as well after watching the beautiful woman’s body in the advert

¢  The flowers drawn on the plastic cover according  to the colour of the tap are very influential as flowers give that sense of freshness and living

REALIST NARRATIVE

¢  The advert is very realistic as people needs to wash daily

¢  The attractiveness of the woman capture one’s mind and even women themselves can see their body softer after using the Felce Azzurra shampoo

¢  The colour white gives a sense of breathing and naturality. As I compare white to milk, in this advert the shampoo is being formed from milk and then the plastic cover arises. The covers of the three products are on the same colour level (light blue, orange, pink)

¢  The subtitle Natura implicates that it is a natural product. Hence it does not harm the body for everyday usage

COMPARISON

¢  If we had to compare both adverts they have a different type of audiences

¢  One is targeted for those mothers who have babies and needs a good, sensitive shampoo for her children and the other one is targeted either for the parents themselves or for both women and men

¢  Background colours and actors’ body language are very influential in adverts like these and others

¢  They are both shampoos that act well on fine, sensitive skin as both the baby and the woman’s skins were gentle and soft!

In the Johnson’s baby shampoo advert, the action of sunlight on the baby’s skin is a hazard for the baby as it ruins his soft, gentle skin. This was compared to the soap as an ordinary soap would harm the baby’s soft and gentle skin too! So, obviously the Johnson’s baby shampoo would be the ideal shampoo for the baby. We can capture this even from his mother’s facial expressions. Her long smile arises when she washes her baby boy with this shampoo and so the baby starts smiling and enjoying the wash too! (First Advert)

¢  On the other hand the Felce Azzurra advert has a very symbolic meaning as it is showing what the shampoo contains. It is white and concentrated like the drops that were falling on the woman’s body

¢  It is very convenient to buy as you have to use only some drops everyday. As the Felce Azzurra shampoos are very concentrated and natural, they are safe to use on sensitive, gentle skin and would last for long. Like the advert commenced, few drops on our body everyday would be useful for our daily wash and to relaxes our mind. It clear away our everyday hassle (Second Advert)