Wednesday 21 January 2015

Analysis of 4 promotional videos

Here I will be analysing 4 different promotional videos (featured below) concentrating on the target audience, mode of address, technical conventions, conveyance of brand identity and narrative.
  • Product launch/marketing
  • Promote key messages and values
  • Internet coverage
  • Event coverage
Product launch/marketing - Apple iPad Air
Target audience - The target audience for most Apple products is aimed at a younger active audience, however the product can be used by almost any age. This particular advert promoting the iPad Air features numerous different scenarios including extreme locations (e.g. tornados, mountains and waterfalls), strategic purposes (e.g. sport, engineering and air rescue), educational (e.g. geography, wildlife and culture) and entertainment (e.g. music, art and dancing). People of different ages are shown using the product, showing that even young children can use the product and not just for fun, but for educational purposes.
Mode of address - The mode of address is fairly formal. The only dialogue is an extract from a film, and shows people using the product in an educational and useful way. The speech is formally spoken and quotes literature.
Technical conventions - Handheld camera and point of view shots are used to give a personal sense and put the viewer in the advert/place. The brand Apple sells a lifestyle and this advert allows the audience to believe that they can too buy into that lifestyle and do the things shown in the advert. The numerous locations and uses of the iPad are shown throughout the advert, showing it's multiple uses and therefore helping to sell the product.
Conveyance of brand identity - The Apple brand is well known all over the world and has the simple distinctive logo of an Apple. The brand is identified as being clean, fresh, new and innovative through the high usage of the colour white, high key lighting and upbeat tone. The advert is also promoting the other Apple products as most of the apps shown are available on the AppStore, and therefore most apple devices, making all of the functions shown on the advert useable on numerous platforms.
Narrative - The voice-over for the advert is a segment from the 1989 film Dead Poets Society, featuring a speech given by Robin Williams' character, John Keating. The help of a celebrity endorsement influences people to buy the product, and the voice of a well known comedian/actor quoting a speech from a popular film gives the audience comfort, trusting that the product is worthy and of use to purchase. The narrative also ends with the question "what will your verse be?", asking the audience a question and allowing them to think about the function and uses of buying the product.

Promote key messages and values - St John Ambulance
Target audience - The target audience of this advert is general, but with particular focus on anybody caring for an infant child. The playful theme but formal tone, again gives the impression that the information is useful to anybody. The advert was broadcast on television which shows that the target audience is broad, but not general as adults mainly watch television.
Mode of address - The mode of address features an informal tone covering a formal subject. A playful tone does not give too much of a serious feel although the serious message is very clear. Using objects associated with children makes the message obvious and also reminds the audience of small objects that children could choke on. The information is formal and gives clear instruction for anybody who were to watch the advert, as the information is useful to anybody.
Technical conventions - The playful theme of the advert is mainly due to the nature of the cartoon/animation layout. The toys and objects associated with children also give the advert a fun and playful theme. The camera angles are not varied and stay fairly static, but the purpose of the advert is not to show a product and make something look appealing and desireable, it is to give instructions and demonstrate an important message, therefore technical aspects are not as important.
Conveyance of brand identity - The St John Ambulance have used toys and objects associated with young children. The purpose of the advert is to inform and give instructions on what to do if an infant chokes on a small object. The branding is well known as it is a name associated with the NHS, and is exposed to the public on a regular basis.
Narrative - By using celebrity endorsements the advert captures the publics attention. Featuring the voices of David Walliams, David Mitchell, Johnny Vegas and Sir John Hurt the audience is given familiar voices to help them remember key facts. The narrative is spoken informally but still retains a formal tone as it is promoting a serious cause and key message. The purpose is to inform and gives instructions in a clear, concise and memorable way.

Internet coverage - Sky Movies advert
Target audience - The main target audience of the advert would be movie lovers who would pay into a subscription channel purely to watch films. By using a celebrity endorsement the target audience would be influenced into buying into the brand, by an audience who is a fan of Harrison Ford/his films. Due to the cost of the channel, use of an older actor and nature of the channel the main target audience would be middle-aged adults with a fairly paid job.
Mode of address - With a fairly formal tone the advert uses repetition and is portrayed in an adult serious tone, which relates with the target audience.
Technical conventions - By using numerous locations the advert appeals to a wide variety of people who find escapism in film. By using locations that relate to the dialogue, binary opposition and shallow depth of field, the advert has a sense of loneliness and reflection so the audience asks themselves the questions that are already being asked to them.
Conveyance of brand identity - Sky is a popular cable network which has numerous different channels. This particular advert is promoting Sky Movies which charges a monthly fee. The niche channel uses world famous actor Harrison Ford to sell the channel, as he is a familiar face with most moviegoers and could easily influence the right target audience.
Narrative - Again, by using a celebrity that an audience is familiar with, the audience can be influenced in buying the product. The narrative is fairly repetitive, so the common phrase is permanent in the audiences head. By asking the audience questions and allowing them to think about cinema, Ford entices the audience into buying the channel.

Event coverage - Le Tour de France (Yorkshire)
Target audience - The advert mainly targets fans of cycling and sports as they would be the people mainly watching Le Tour de France. The many ariel shots feature rural locations which would be encouraging to cyclists, as the vast hills and tricky landscapes make it a great place to cycle, also showing the vast cities and cultural landmarks. The promotion at the end features a tourist website for Yorkshire, encouraging people to visit. Cycling varies from any age, therefore the advert is not aimed at a specific age range, but probably more towards middle-aged men as most of the cyclists are of that category.
Mode of address - This advert features an informal mode of address as there are little formal narrative and qualities. However the music and numerous shots of cultured locations give the advert a slight formal tone.
Technical conventions - Featuring many ariel shots of the location, the camera angles pan across the landscapes showing vast areas of land and hills, making the location appealing to cyclists.
Conveyance of brand identity - Being one of the biggest sporting events of the year, Le Tour de France is watched by approximately 4 billion viewers worldwide. The opportunity in this promotional video to promote Yorkshire as a place is the main theme, as the video is more of the location instead of the cycling. This is further supported by the end title to a tourist website for Yorkshire, encouraging the audience to visit.
Narrative - Containing no speech, the sound in the advert is purely non-diegetic, in the form of an instrumental composition, escalating in tone and tension.

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