Final Advert Evaluation

Several of the aspects of the advert are used to persuade potential customers to buy it. For example, the plane, which represents the customer, is shown high above the clouds. This connotes that using the product will bring success and allow the customer to experience a heightening of their social standing. Another example of this is the use of diagonals to bring the customers eyes towards the image of the product itself. The name of the product was chosen because it is a Latin word. The Latin language is commonly associated with extravagance and the upper echelons of society. This further enhances the connotation of success. The name itself has several meanings, “high, matured, great, deep, noble, ancient, old and secret”. All of these can be seen as a positive label to be associated with and therefore promotes the sense of being at the top. The combination of the name and tag, “Altus, the fragrance of success”, works because it rolls off the tongue and the tag itself highlights the selling point that the product will improve the customers’ life.

The advert would have been impossible had the aeroplane not been invented in the early 20th century. Nor would I have been able to get a sufficient picture of it if the capability of zooming in to take a picture was possible. The use of a digital camera made the taking and editing of the picture a much easier process while the Photoshop program allowed editing to become an extremely simple task.

In global media, the use of digital cameras allow for pictures to be taken in quick succession which mean that more can be captured. Photoshop gives the opportunity to edit a picture to alter its meaning or remove anything that may cause detriment to the pictures meaning. Unfortunately, this has also allowed pictures to be altered so much that things look completely different to the original image. This offers a skewed representation of what many people see as something they should aspire to. Also, the knowledge of how to use Photoshop means that people no longer see the magic of a picture which means that it takes more effort to make an advert that suitably interests potential customers.

The Internet and blogging allow anyone to express their opinions on anything. Therefore, anyone with similar ideas to another can communicate and express themselves in ways that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. However, blogging can cause problems when someone with radically alternative views tries to sway people to see things in the same way as them and could lead to serious consequences.

The target audience of my product is the higher tiers of society. Aspirers, who want to feel they are at the top will consider the product an aid towards reaching the top, and Achievers, who are at the top and want to reinforce their social standing, are the primary target groups. As a result of this, the target group will fall into the A and B social groups, and will mostly be 30 plus.

The ideology behind the advert spurs from the connection of flying and succeeding, which is utilised in the plane flying high above the clouds. The best places to place the advert in order that the target audience see it are business districts of larger cities and on public transport going towards these areas. Another good place to put the advert is on billboards in major cities and on key motorways and roads. This will allow prospective customers to see the advert without having to go out of their way and will mean that there will be more time to buy the product without sacrificing time that could be spent improving their standard of living, in the case of aspirers, or maintaining it, for achievers.

Analysis of The Third Man (1949)

The opening title sequence of The Third Man is very unique in its establishment of the location of the film. The credits are shown in front of an Austrian instrument, a Zither. This shows that the film is set in Austria. The long running time of the opening credits is because people, at the time, used them to settle down for the film by taking off their outdoor jackets or hats. If is was not evident to the viewer that the film was set in Austria, a voiceover talks about how much the location, Vienna, has changed since the beginning of the war. The bombed out and destroyed buildings highlight the feeling of hopelessness that was felt in the city at the time. The ruins of Vienna also provide some very original shots throughout the film. The voiceover describes pre-war Vienna as “glamorous” and “full of easy charm”. As the film progresses, we see that the main antagonist, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), could also be described in this way.

The film starts with the main protagonist, Holly Martin (Joseph Cotton), arriving in Vienna, knowing very little about why he is there or what he is supposed to be doing. As he goes to where he has been told to by his old friend, Lime, he casually walks under a ladder. While this connotes that the film will be full of bad luck for him, it as it the first case of a series of black comedy moments that pop up through the entire film. When Holly arrives at his destination, a hotel, he meets the caretaker. As Holly doesn’t speak German, and the caretaker has only a limited grasp of English, their conversation is very confused. This sense of confusion becomes a key theme in the film and correctly represents post-war Vienna, which was being policed by multiple nations, speaking several different languages.

The tilted shots used for most of the film add to the confusion and give a surreal sense to what is happening. The repetition of low-angle shots connote that Holly doesn’t really know what is going on and that he is powerless. Character introduction is another key aspect of the film. When Holly is arguing with the caretaker, a ball randomly bounces past them, then the camera switches to a shot of the stairway. A hand appears in the door before the small boy is shown peeking round the corner of the door. This creepy way of introducing the character gives an indication that the character will later become an annoyance. The child later becomes a sprite-like character, leading a mob of people after Holly in a chase through Vienna. The use of lighting to make the boy’s shadow appear on large walls also adds to the devilishness of the boy. Another character introduction is the introduction of Harry Lime. He is shown hiding in the shadows, only revealed when Holly sees a cat rubbing against his legs. When Holly shines a light on him it only reveals his legs, leaving the rest of his body in shadows. This connotes that Lime is a very shady character, capable of slipping away into the darkness.

There are several chase scenes throughout the film and it is implied that the ruined city of Vienna and its sewer system are similar to labyrinths with their long, winding, dark alleyways and roads. This continued use of case scenes can bring the film together to show that everything is somehow linked. Another use of repetition is the funeral scene at the end of the film. Much like the beginning of the film, it is Harry Lime’s funeral. The second funeral follows the first almost identically which shows that the story has come full circle and that no one is any better of than they were at the beginning.

Analysis of Essex Boys (2000)

The beginning of Essex Boys is primarily about showing the audience where it is set. It also gives an indication as to what the main characters are like and who they should associate themselves with. This character alignment is achieved by a short voiceover by the main character, Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles). This allows the audience to connect with him and see this world through his eyes. This character is shown to be relatively innocent and naïve, at least in contrast to other characters in the film. The second character introduced in shown to be completely by debuting him through a dirty car window. This connotes the bad guy image of Jason (Sean Bean) which if further highlighted by his attire, slightly extravagant, and his actions, kidnapping a man, beating him up, and ditching him in the middle of nowhere. This location also serves as a window into the life of Jason, morally vacant and desolate.

The general location of the film, Essex, is established by several cultural signifiers, i.e. roads and signs. The accents of the characters are also used to show where the film is set. The white van adds to the mysterious quality of Jason as it implies that anything could happen in the back and no one would know. This compliments Bean’s character’s unpredictable nature. The dreariness of the locations and implied behaviour of the characters shows that the film is a crime thriller in just the opening scenes.

Final Advert

Target Audience

The target audience of my product people who either have or want a sense of achievement. This includes, those in classifications A and B, as well as aspirers and achievers. Aspirers will feel that using the product will push them higher in life and will associate it with being achievers. This is because the plane is thousands of feet in the sky and connotes success. It is also aimed at achievers. These people are already at the top so they don't need to use a product that makes them feel higher. Instead, they want it because it reaffirms their status at the top. Similarly to this, it will also interest esteem seekers and strivers, according to the Insight Value Group scale. Both groups will be attracted to it due to the symbol of status that the product has. The advert appeals to the self-actualisation level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as it can boost self-esteem, self confidence and will make people who use the product feel like they are respected more.

Title Font

Casablanca SF - There is a very elegant feel to this font and could work very well in grabbing the eye of a potential customer.

Delphi SF - This font is too extravagant as it is only in capitals. This would be too demanding on the eyes and would make the viewer lose interest quicker.

Onyx - This font is too small and would therefore be harder to read.

Seabird Light SF - This font also has an elegant quality and it has the potential to stand out from other adverts. 

Wicker SF - This font is too similar to Times New Roman, a very common font. This may lead to the product being seen as common and therefore unworthy of being bought.

Zanzibar SF - This font is very similar to Casablanca SF except that it is smaller.

Choosing A Picture For A Perfume/Fragrance Advert

While this looks aesthetically pleasing due to the cloud framing the image, there is nothing else to the picture and it conveys no meanings. If the picture was added to, it may be able to convey something.

The picture is too dark and is too gloomy for a perfume/fragrance advertisement. If the picture was brighter and more colourful, it may be more appropriate.

It is lighter in this picture than the previous one but it still doesn’t have any of the typical conventions of an advert for perfume/fragrance. The lamppost also makes the picture look very plain and too much like real life for a product that people buy to make themselves seem more glamorous.

There is very little in this picture due to the lack of anything in this picture. However, the plane could signify being at the top and would work very well for a product aimed at aspirers or achievers.

This final picture has a good basis, and the model’s action of moving towards the camera gives it a good touch but the background is completely different to what is usually expected from an advert for a luxury product.

*Some pictures aren't uploading so I'll do them later.