Example answer
Explain how viewpoints and ideologies are communicated by the language used in adverts. Refer to Source C (Old spice ad) to support your answer.
Old Spice has been known for its strange, random advertisements in order to show its products. Within the ad for the Bahamas scent, the ad includes the brand's front man Iasiah Mustafa, an ex NFL American footballer. This has been done as he is a representation of manliness, strength and attractiveness. The brand aims to attract both men and women with women being targeted to buy for their man and men targeted to in order to look like the star. Women are targeted through the man's flirty eye contact giving them a direct mode of address connoting confidence. This would attract women to buy for their men so that they could be like him. Similarly men would want to buy the product as they feel it would make them look like him.
The advertisement has a heavy consistent theme of paradise. The ad shows an exotic tropical beach filled with many people having fun. The idyllic scene would attract customers as they would want to be there and have pleasure in wearing the product. The high key lighting of the image connotes a hot and sunny scene.
This advertisement shows that many adverts rely on attracting their audience by showing them what could happen if they wear the product such as becoming attractive. The advert relies on the ideology of patriarchy in order to draw in women who would stereotypically be attracted to Mustafa as he is a representation of the ideal man.
The advert contains ideas of being fresh and new. For example, within the background of the beach there is a chaotic scene of a nautical ship being sunken. This could signify a reference to their previous unsuccessful branding which targeted older, richer men. By showing the ship sinking, it could connote ideas of getting rid of the old and bringing in the new - the Bahamas scent. This shows how adverts like to draw in audiences by showing that they have the newest brand and have more to offer than other brands.
Old Spice differs from other brands in the fact it uses overt persuasive techniques through the use of humour. Within the tag line, it says a statement followed by 'This fact has not been fact-checked.' This would attract audiences as they aren't presented as serious or openly trying to persuade them but are informal and fun. This is further signified by the absurd use of the image which is random that no other company has been seen to do. This could be to make the audience remember the advertisement, therefore are more likely to buy the brand or this could be part of their USP as their advertisements are different and one of a kind.
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