Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Advertising Marmite



Adverts - both print and moving image - use a range of persuasive techniques to try and positively influence their audience.

We need to learn a range of these techniques and later apply them to the two CSP adverts we need to study for the exam..


Persuasive techniques


Advertisements are generally trying to persuade their target audience to:



  • Buy a product or service
  • Believe something or act in a certain way
  • Agree with a point of view
     
    There are many persuasive techniques used in advertising. A selection include:
     

  • Slogan – a catchy phrase or statement
  • Repetition – constant reference to product name
  • Bandwagon – everyone is buying it
  • Testimonial/association – e.g. celebrity endorsement
  • Emotional appeal – designed to create strong feelings
  • Expert opinion – ‘4 out of 5 dentists…’
     
    Examples:

  • Slogan – Just Do It
  • Repetition – Go Compare
  • Bandwagon – Maybelline ‘America’s favourite mascara’
  • Testimonial/association – FIFA18 ‘El Tornado’ / Ronaldo
  • Emotional appeal – WaterAid ‘Dig toilets not graves’
  • Expert opinion – Max Factor ‘The make-up of make-up artists’
     
     
    Case study: Marmite

    Marmite has a long history of unusual advertising based around the idea ‘You either love it or you hate it’. How many of the persuasive techniques can you spot in these adverts?



    https://youtu.be/7R1TDZtNq9g
     
https://youtu.be/B_191RnWwww









1) What does John Berger suggest about advertising in ‘Ways of Seeing’?
That “Advertising offers us an improved version of ourselves, whether we are male or female.”

2) What is it psychologists refer to as referencing? Which persuasive techniques could you link this idea to?


Referencing is when we refer, either knowingly or subconsciously, to lifestyles represented to us (through the media or in real life) that we find attractive. We create a vision of ourselves living this idealised lifestyle, and then behave in ways that help us to realise this vision. This links to emotional appeal, as it is putting an idea and feeling in your head.

3) How was Marmite discovered?
When German scientist Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer’s yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten.


4) Who owns the Marmite brand now?
The Marmite Food Extract Company and Unileiver.

5) How has Marmite marketing used intertextuality? Which of the persuasive techniques we’ve learned can this be linked to?


6) What is the difference between popular culture and high culture? How does Marmite play on this?


7) Why does Marmite position the audience as ‘enlightened, superior, knowing insiders’?


8) What examples does the writer provide of why Marmite advertising is a good example of postmodernism?



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