Paper 1 - Advertising (unseen) Q2
How far are viewpoints and ideologies communicated by the media language used in adverts? Refer to Source B to support your answer.
In your answer you must:
- explain how media language is used to create ideologies
- make judgements and reach a conclusion about the effectiveness of the use of media language to create viewpoints and ideologies [15 marks]
Adverts have to communicate some sort of ideology through their media language in order to sell the product. This can be through things like logo, costume or composition. For example, Source B is an Armani Code advert. This is initially screaming to the target audience why to buy and who it is for. This is done through the use of text and font. The minimalist font is used for all the text which creates a clean cut, almost business-man aesthetic. It's easy to read and not busy which additionally creates a dramatic and mature feel. The text below the logo reads: 'the ultimate code of seduction'. It is telling the audience plain and simple what this fragrance will do. It will seduce the women around you, making every man want to be you and every woman want to be with you. Of course this is a stretch to promote this beneficial trait of the fragrance but the media language used is overly exaggerating the sexual effect of this product through other methods too.
The colour palette is black and white which instantly creates a dramatic look. It could also reference older black and white films. Ones which too commonly had a woman falling head over heels for a strong man. This is furthered by the people photographed. She is seen nuzzling into him with minimal clothing, showing a lot of her skin which has instant connotations to intimacy and sex. She is facing away in a sign of vulnerability and is being supported by the masculine man who is there to save her. His serious and distant look creates an almost 'Bond-like' image which is complimented by him wearing a clean and sharp suit. This all pushes the ideology of, when wearing this fragrance, you become this man with good looks, good clothes and half naked women throwing themselves at you.
The manipulation of the image creates a perfected reality. Both the man and the woman have smoothed skin, hairless bodies and the woman is thinner. This is a false representation of society as a whole but an ideology that is pushed in almost everything in the 21st century. Again, it creates an escape to be these idealised people when buying the product. It doesn't just target the men. The female audience can see this and believe if their partner has this fragrance, they will appear like this unrealistic people, enticing the female audience to buy.
The total viewpoints and ideologies portrayed by this media language is that of the patriarchy. That men will be the providers and women are there for the male gaze, for sexual encounters alone - this follows Van Zoonan's theory.
Ultimately, adverts like this Armani Code one push unrealistic ideologies until they're worn out. If the colour palette was soft and and the font was cursive, it would be understood to be very feminine. So, it is a successful advert in promoting this masculine view. The methods are conventional including the composition using the rule of thirds. Although, the viewpoints should be outdated, for what they are trying to communicate, the media language is used very well.
In your answer you must:
- explain how media language is used to create ideologies
- make judgements and reach a conclusion about the effectiveness of the use of media language to create viewpoints and ideologies [15 marks]
Adverts have to communicate some sort of ideology through their media language in order to sell the product. This can be through things like logo, costume or composition. For example, Source B is an Armani Code advert. This is initially screaming to the target audience why to buy and who it is for. This is done through the use of text and font. The minimalist font is used for all the text which creates a clean cut, almost business-man aesthetic. It's easy to read and not busy which additionally creates a dramatic and mature feel. The text below the logo reads: 'the ultimate code of seduction'. It is telling the audience plain and simple what this fragrance will do. It will seduce the women around you, making every man want to be you and every woman want to be with you. Of course this is a stretch to promote this beneficial trait of the fragrance but the media language used is overly exaggerating the sexual effect of this product through other methods too.
The colour palette is black and white which instantly creates a dramatic look. It could also reference older black and white films. Ones which too commonly had a woman falling head over heels for a strong man. This is furthered by the people photographed. She is seen nuzzling into him with minimal clothing, showing a lot of her skin which has instant connotations to intimacy and sex. She is facing away in a sign of vulnerability and is being supported by the masculine man who is there to save her. His serious and distant look creates an almost 'Bond-like' image which is complimented by him wearing a clean and sharp suit. This all pushes the ideology of, when wearing this fragrance, you become this man with good looks, good clothes and half naked women throwing themselves at you.
The manipulation of the image creates a perfected reality. Both the man and the woman have smoothed skin, hairless bodies and the woman is thinner. This is a false representation of society as a whole but an ideology that is pushed in almost everything in the 21st century. Again, it creates an escape to be these idealised people when buying the product. It doesn't just target the men. The female audience can see this and believe if their partner has this fragrance, they will appear like this unrealistic people, enticing the female audience to buy.
The total viewpoints and ideologies portrayed by this media language is that of the patriarchy. That men will be the providers and women are there for the male gaze, for sexual encounters alone - this follows Van Zoonan's theory.
Ultimately, adverts like this Armani Code one push unrealistic ideologies until they're worn out. If the colour palette was soft and and the font was cursive, it would be understood to be very feminine. So, it is a successful advert in promoting this masculine view. The methods are conventional including the composition using the rule of thirds. Although, the viewpoints should be outdated, for what they are trying to communicate, the media language is used very well.
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