P1: Media & Rep

Wednesday 26th September 

L/O: To develop the language of media analysis

It is a Time magazine cover, a media product that helps promote celebrities and their jobs.

• The masthead is not fully shown as the main image is over it, suggests that this magazine is popular so they don't need to show the full name as people will know of it anyway.
• The main image stands out against the white background.
• Kanye West is the main image attracts his audience and the main audience of the magazine.

Denotation: elements that are unarguable; the factual elements.

• Black and white picture 
• Guy tipping his hat 
• He is holding a cigar 
• It has text on it 

Connotation: Elements that are arguable; elements that are personal to the viewer.

• Its a Jay-z album cover.
• From what he is wearing it could be in the jazz genre.
• focussed on hat and cigar suggests wealth and status, suggests he is a successful artist, however the fact you can't see his face suggests modesty.
• Black and white suggests it is old fashioned and also something more sophisticated.
• 'Reasonable doubt' links to law and criminal activity.           

Album cover analysis

The Kendrick Lamar album cover has the main image as the artist, Kendrick Lamar, looking serious but also slightly sad which could suggest that he raps about something that is sad. In the adele album cover she is also the main image as close up of her face which suggests she isn't afraid to show who she is and she is confident and could suggest that she opens up on the album and is quite intimate. The colour palette in the adele album has used the filter sepia, which connotes it could be quite old fashioned, with the text in white and the '25' in red which connotes that she wants this to stand out on the cover and also that it could suggest romance and love which could suggest what her album is about. However the Kendrick album has a dark colour palette with the background of the image looking quite rough and dirty which could connote he came from a rough background which links to the title of 'good kid in a mad city' if he is talking about himself when he was a 'kid'. The Adele album has a much softer look than the Kendrick album, this could connote the genre of music on the album is more sophisticated than the Kendrick album.  The parental advisory on the kendrick album is more in the hip-hop genre and the Adele album not having it shows hers is likely more sophisticated than Kendrick's album.

3rd October 2018

L/O: To develop the language of media analysis

Denotations

• Lots of colours
• 2 white birds, flowers and roses.
• Woman with red and white top.
• Angry expression on her face.
• Parental guidance symbol.
• stars around her head.

Connotations

• Album cover by P!nk.
• Target audience of young women from the feminine colour scheme.
• Western society from what she's wearing.
• Angry facial expression connotes rebellion.
• flowers and doves connote peace and love, this is what the album could be based around.
• contrasts between the fonts shows she could have contrast in her personality.
• stars could link to statue of liberty showing freedom.
• font of 'I'm not dead' shows she is rebellious and not a stereotypical female pop star.

This is an image of someone looking surprised, this is clear as her eyebrows are raised and her eyes are wide, her mouth is open and her head is up.

Connotations

• Red and yellow colour palette connotes danger and that could suggest the nature of the movie.
• Scantily clad women, connotes romance during the movie and the man is standing infant of the women which could show his power over women and could link to mens supremacy at the time of the poster (60's)
• The gun the man is holding connotes violence and crime
• what he is wearing, a suit, connotes he has a high status job

The products constructed to market James Bond films are designed to offer a clear appeal to a wide global audience of young males 17-35.

I agree that james bond films are designed to offer a clear appeal to a wide global audience of young males of the age 17-35. I agree with this because in each of these posters there are a wide range of connotations which suggest that the target audience is young males aged 17-35 and therefore they will appeal to this audience.
In all four of these posters there is a man wearing a suit and holding a gun as the main person in each of the posters suggesting he is the main character in the movie, it is played by a male looking around the age of 30 which immediately relates to the target audience of males 17-30. In each of the posters he is also holding a gun connoting that the movie has violence and crime involved, which stereotypically links more to males. The suit he is wearing also relates to a male target audience as it relates to wealth and could connote that he has a high status job which males 17-35 might want to have and so these posters would appeal to them.
Another thing that shows each of these posters have a clear appearance to a male target audience is the fact they all have women in the background of each poster, some with very little clothes on. This connotes that there is romance in the movie as well as the violence and crime, this shows that the appeal of the James Bond films is more related males as they might be attracted to these women and want to watch the film as most males would stereotypically enjoy the violence, crime and romance that is suggested to be in the films by the posters. Finally, the font used each of the posters is always bold and in capital letters, this font is generally more masculine linking to the male target audience rather than females.

Monday 8th October

Semiotics

L/O: To explore the idea of semiotics and how it can be applied to media analysis.

Denotations:

• In the foreground there is a middle aged man wearing a suit and holding a gun.
• In the background there is a skeleton wearing a top hat.
• Middle aged woman wearing a dress 
• Both wearing formal clothing

Connotations:

• Their formal clothing connotes they both are quite high status.
• The gun signifies danger and that the film is likely to involve violence.
• James Bond is standing in front of the woman connoting he could have power over her and is more of a main character in the movie.
• The skeleton in the background signifies the foreshadowing of death and the way it is positioned behind them both could show that death is near for them.
• The woman standing behind James Bond could connote that there is potential romance in the movie.
• Serious expressions show the nature of the film, its a serious film not a comedy.
• The title of 'Spectre' links in with the skull in the background.

Theory: Ferdinand Saussure:

• signs are made from 2 different elements. (The signifier and the signified)
• Signifier: The physical form, the thing that is being considered.
• Signified: What our culture has decided this form means.

Semiotics-The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretations

Cross

Signifier - Wooden cross

Signified - Christianity/Religion

Heart

Signifier - Red heart

Signified - Love

Skull & Crossbones

Signifier - Skull and Crossbones

Signified - Pirates/Danger/Toxic

Theory: Roland Barthes:

• How signs and images represent different cultures and ideologies in different ways.
• These are established through denotations and connotations.
• He argued that some connotations are so widely held that they reach the level of myth.
• A myth in this context is where a socially agreed symbolic association becomes so widely accepted it becomes iconic.

Theory: Charles Pierce: 

• There are three types of signs, Icon, Index and Symbol
• Icon: signified by resemblance, physically resembles what it stands for (literal)
• Index: Signified by a causal connection, you can figure out what they mean
• Symbol: Signified by convention, we have to learn that they mean (road signs)

Wednesday 10th October

Applying semiotics

L/O To apply semiotic theories when creating media products.

Logos

•  A new fashion label aimed at young adults.
• A new TV channel aimed at kids (6-11).
• A new social media app aimed at ABC1 25-35yr olds. 

Monday 29th October

L/O: To apply semiotic theories when analysing media texts

Conventions

Denotations

• Text saying 'superstar' with 3 blue lines through it.
• Black and white simple image of a woman. 
• The woman has a serious facial expression.

Connotations

• Black and white image could connote. 
• campaign for shoes 'superstars' by Rita Ora for Adidas.
• The blue stripes link with other Adidas logos.
• Other Adidas adverts use the same colour schemes and also use both genders to promote their shoes this connotes that they are for any gender and cater for everyone.
• Other Adidas ads include other celebrities that different people would of heard of, not everyone will know Rita Ora so using other celebrities that will relate to different people would make people buy their product.
• The target audience is teenagers as they would know who Rita Ora is and associate the 3 stripes with Adidas.
• They are assuming that the audience know who Rita Ora is.

• Intertextuality, "Lord of the drinks" refers to popular and well known book and movie "Lord of the rings.
• The advert is targeted mainly at a wide range age group of male.
• The main colour is green which is a widely used colour when advertising light beers as this connotes freshness and nature.
• An assumption made about the audience is that they will know or have heard of the lord of the rings.
• Condensation on bottle to connote freshness and to show its a cold drink.

What conventions are similar in beer commercials?

• Gender stereotypes - Beer is targeted at males.
• Each ad had the beer shown in a fridge with condensation - freshness.
• All of them were made to be humorous. 

Subversions

7th November

L/O: To explore the concept of conventions and subversion

• Gender stereotyping: The text of 'bachelor party' is stereotyping the beer to men.
• The colour green is a common convention used in light beer advertising.
• The appeal of this advert is typically for men as the bottle in the middle is made to look naked and the other bottles standing around it like a bachelor party.

Cadbury's advert 2007

The cadburys advert tells us that cadburys wanted to be different and stand out from the rest of the ads, like their chocolate bar needs to stand out from the other chocolate bars in the supermarket.

The intension of the advert, as it was so clearly different to typical confectionary adverts, was to get the attention of their audience by being different and get them to buy their chocolate bars. 

The ad was aimed at everyone however the older generation will recognise the song more (In the air tonight - Phil Collins), the younger generation were also targeted by this advert as the would find the gorilla playing the drums entertaining and funny.

It boosted sales for the brand by 10% because it was something different to the other chocolate adverts so it was something people spoke about and wasn't just another chocolate advert that people were bored of seeing so their chocolate bar stood out, like the advert, and improved their sales as it was like something different and new even though it was only the advert that changed.

Benetton - Case study

This advert was made by Oliviero Toscani for the clothing brand Benetton, this particular one was made to raise awareness for AIDs and, like the many other posters he made for Benetton, to create discussion around humanitarian issues. They did this to show the brand's values rather than to show off their actual clothing. This poster conveys the brands values to be more personal to people and with their tag line 'United colours of Benetton' it shows they are supportive of everyone and care about their customers. This ad got a lot of backlash especially from AIDs activists who thought it spread fear of sufferers and were angry that the brand were selling their clothing by using other peoples grief and death, this launched a global campaign to boycott Benetton. The ad was also banned because the catholic church was irritated by the picture and considered it inappropriate as they thought David (The man dying of AIDs) looked like Jesus Christ and the thought the brand was mocking the historical image of Virgin Mary holding Jesus Christ in her arms following his crucifixion.

Monday 12th November

Exam set texts

L/O: To explore set advertising texts and research brands

Loop task

The representation of barbie and their brand has changed over time since the 90's to now.

for example, in the 90's, the barbie advert was very much showing the doll and showing off the doll's features, however now the advert does not actually show the doll until the end of the advert and promotes the doll by showing how far children's imaginations run when playing with the doll.

Both adverts are still heavily aimed at young girls and are quite stereotypical in terms of gender as both adverts only had girls playing with the Barbie, However the first advert is very conventional for a Barbie doll advert and the second one goes against the typical conventions of the adverts.

What elements to talk about when analysing ads:

• Locations
• Costumes
• Props
• Makeup
• Lighting
• Choice of camera shot/angle
• Typography
• Layout 
• Address of written content to the audience.

Set texts 

Old Spice (2011)
Overview of brand/company: Old spice is an American brand of male grooming products including deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter and Gamble. In 1937, it was first targeted at women, with the mens products only being released at the end of the year. Overtime the men's products were more successful and so it began to focus exclusively on those. In the 1970's the brand changed from being a shaving brand to being a fragrance brand. The tag line for this ad was 'Become one of the freshest places on earth'.
Brand image and values (before & after): The brand began focusing more on a target audience of women however when the mens products grew more successful they focussed exclusively on that, after this they started focussing on a target audience of older, mature males, however since 2010 the brand is targeting their products more towards a younger male audience as well as still wanting recognition from the old target audience.
Previous advertising campaign:

Star vehicle - representation and values: Isaiah Mustafa is the star vehicle in the old spice ad, he is an american actor and former footballer who is widely known for his role in the old spice adverts.
Advertising campaign content: The ad includes star vehicle Isaiah Mustafa, this will help the ad appeal to people who know who he is if they like football, by knowing him they will trust the product more as they will think if he uses it it will probably be good.
Social context (UK): The brand had previously used white males in their advertising, however this one they used a black male, this represents how the brand is developing alongside how society is changing.

Lucozade Sport (2013)
Overview of brand/company: Lucozade is a soft drink manufactured by the japanese company Suntory and marketed as a range of sports and energy drinks. The drink was originally sold as an energy drink for the sick however later re-branded to move it away from being associated with illness.
Brand image and values: The brand originally was made as an energy drink for the sick with the slogan 'Lucozade aids recovery' however they later re-branded away from the image of illness and changed their packaging and their slogan to 'Lucozade replaces lost energy' and their glass bottle was changed to a plastic one.
Previous advertising campaign:

Star vehicle - Representation and Values: Gareth Bale is the star vehicle in this print ad, he is a welsh, professional footballer, he plays for Spanish club real madrid and the Wales national team, in the poster he will attract people who like sports as they will recognise him from playing football, and if they like him, they are likely to buy the drink.
Advertising campaign content: The content of the ad includes Gareth Bale to attract people who like sports, they have used the slogan "In a different league" the typography choice here links to football which links to how it is a sport drink. The ad also includes a hashtag at the bottom which says 'Scientifically proven' this shows the brand is trustworthy.
Social context (UK): The olympics were hosted in the UK the year before this ad was released, however the previous lucozade ad with gareth bale in it was banned because of the slogan on it which said "Better than water".

Shelter 
Overview of brand/company: Shelter is a registered charity that campaigns to end homelessness and bad housing in England and Scotland. It gives advice, information and advocacy to people in need, and tackles the root causes of bad housing.
Brand image and values: Shelter have three main values that they achieve including, that they are approachable, they challenge and they are enterprising.
Previous advertising campaign:

Star vehicle - Representation and values: This add does not have a particular star vehicle as there are three different people in the ad, this is to show that anyone can be homeless so showing ordinary people can help others realise this.
Advertising campaign content: The ad includes three ordinary people to show that homelessness can happen to anyone, as this ad was aimed at people who are at risk of loosing their home so by using ordinary people on there campaign ad will make their situation seem normal and they will see that there are people who can help such as shelter. They also have put a bold font in front of these peoples faces of things that someone at risk of loosing their home might be thinking to make them identify more to the poster and hopefully reach out for help. They also include information about the company and what they have done in the past so the audience feel comfortable approaching them and the company seem more trustworthy. They also show a website ad what to search on the internet so finding help is easy.
Social content (UK): In the UK at the time this was released, there was a big increase in homelessness and cuts to housing benefits

Wednesday 14th November

Exam Set Texts 

L/O: To analyse set advertising texts using audience theory

Audience theory's

• Hypodermic needle theory - Assumes the audience is passive and there is no individual differences in the audience. The audience will believe everything
• Cultural effects model - This centres on the long term effects of particular ideological representations.
• The two-step flow theory - The two step flow theory acknowledges communication is a more complex process
• Uses and gratifications theory model - Four different reasons to why audiences access media, surveillance/information, identity, relationships, diversion/entertainment.
• Reception theory - Producer encodes messages and meanings in their products, there are three ways the audience can read these, dominant or preferred (how the company want you to read it), negotiated (the audience gets it but may not like it so doesn't buy it), oppositional (the audience doesn't read it how its meant at all).

Set text analysis

Old Spice

Who is the target audience?

The target audience for this ad in particular was primarily females, as its linked to the 'the man your man could smell like' advert, who have a significant other they could buy there product for and the secondary target audience being males buying themselves the product. The product itself however is aimed for middle aged men.

Star vehicle connotations?

The star vehicle in this ad is Isaiah Mustafa, he is an ex footballer and an american actor, the connotations that the audience might pick up from him being the star vehicle would be that it is good for sporty people especially, also people that know who he is are more likely to buy the product as if they see him as a role model they will want to buy what he uses and they are likely to trust that it is a good product.

Advertising conventions and media language?

In this ad they have subverted conventions by targeting the advert primarily at females to buy the product for their significant other, this is unusual for a mens brand of anti-perspirant as it typically would be primarily aimed towards males. Although they have subverted one convention, they have also followed the convention of having a male figure representing the product and also showing the actual product in their advertisement. In terms of the media language used in the ad they have used very exotic colours such as blues, greens and it is shown to be on a beach, this all links to the products name 'Bahamas'. The font used for the tag line is bold in block capitals which connotes the brand being strong and objective, however the 'Old spice' font it in a script font which connotes being affectionate and elegant. The volcano on his head could connote the idea that he is exploding with different tropical scents as he is wearing the anti-perspirant.

Product representation?

The product is represented on a beach scene which is also the body of the star vehicle Isaiah Mustafa, the beach also has palm trees and women sunbathing on it, along with other typical Bahamas connotations. This connotes the idea of fun and excitement and that the scent has a tropical/exotic smell to it.

Brand representation?

This ad represents the brand as a brand that is developing long with how society is also developing as this ad was the first ad with a black male rather than a white male, this also shows that the brand makes products for all males and also that the brand is still new and improving as it stays relevant through their branding changing with society. The advert also comes across as fun and exciting which shows that the brand doesn't take themselves seriously.

Lucozade sport

Who is the target audience?

The target audience for the Lucozade sport advertisement is people who enjoy sport in particular people who like football, this ad would be primarily for these people however the secondary target audience would be other people who may like energy drinks.
Star vehicle connotations?
The star vehicle in this ad is Gareth Bale, he is a footballer who plays for Wales. With him as the star vehicle the brand is assuming the target audience will know who this is (reception theory - preferred) and therefore want to buy the product as a connotation of him being the star vehicle could be that if you by the drink you could become a good footballer like him. However other people may not know who this is or not like him and so people may not want to buy the drink (Reception theory - negotiated).
Advertising conventions and media language?
In this ad they have used very typical conventions of a sports drink advertisement, by using a male footballer, showing the product and using a tagline to promote their product to their audience. In terms of the media language used, they have used the colours blue and yellow with match the colours of the products packaging and the colour of the actual drink. Blue and yellow connote loyalty, intelligence, happiness and energy. The tagline is in block capitals which connotes strength which links to energy, the typography 'In a different league' will appeal to the audience as its connoting that this drink is in a different league to the other energy drinks and also its using football terminology which links to Gareth bale and the primary target audience will know what this means as this is the preferred reading (Reception theory).
Product representation?
The product is represented in a very simple but strong way as there is not much to look at and therefore is straight to the point of what they are selling. The tagline 'In a different league' represents the product as being much better and 'in a different league' to all the other energy drinks on the market and especially as this is football terminology and their primary target audience is people who like sports in particular football will appeal more to this energy drink rather than others on the shelf at a supermarket.
Brand representation?
In this ad the brand is represented as being quite trustworthy in what they are selling from the colours chosen (blue representing trust and loyalty) also the hashtag that is next to the image of the energy drink that says 'scientifically proven' also makes the audience have trust in what the brand is selling. The brand having Gareth Bale as the star vehicle will appeal more to people who like him and football as they will see the brand is linked to him and then also want to be associated with the drink and so they are more likely to buy the product. The ad also seems very serious which represents the brand as being serious because it has Gareth Bale with a serious facial expression.


Shelter
Who is the target audience?
The primary target audience for the shelter ad is anyone who may be at risk of loosing their home, and the secondary target audience would be people who might want to donate to the charity as they have a donation number so anyone can donate to the charity easily.
Star vehicle connotations?
This particular shelter advertisement does not have a star vehicle, but has three ordinary people on the front of the ad, this connotes that anyone has the possibility of loosing their home and becoming homeless, this will make the audience feel more comfortable reaching out as it shows that it can happen to anyone, they can identify with the people on the poster and they can see that there is a charity willing to help them.
Advertising conventions and media language?
In this ad they are showing homelessness from the point of view of people who might be at risk of loosing their home, they do this by showing quotes people in this situation may say or be thinking to make the poster relate to others who may be in this situation at well, the poster subverts conventions as most of their other ads are telling you the facts and wanting you to donate to the charity.
In terms of media language in the ad, they have used a bold block capital font in red on top of the peoples faces to make it stand out, red also has connotations of strength, power and determination which links with the charities values as they are determined to get everyone a home they can keep. They have also put on a website, their logo and what to search on the internet so that it is easy for someone who sees the poster to reach out to them, they also show a donation number which is quite small however is still there incase anyone wants to however by having it small it shows that they don't want to take peoples money but help people with their finance troubles.
Brand representation?
The brand is represented as being approachable and that they will help if you reach out which is good as that is one the brands values, being approachable. Also by quoting things that someone who is at risk of loosing their homes it shows that the brand knows how people feel in these situations which again makes the charity very approachable to their audience. The ad also comes across as serious, as it should to show that they are serious about what the do.

Representation
Monday 26th November
L/O: To analyse the representations within set advertising texts.

Gender:
Stereotypes within the ads:

• Old Spice: Women are shown lying on the beach scene sunbathing while there are men shown fishing this is showing the stereotype that men do the jobs while the women don't.
• Lucozade sport: It's a sport ad with a male footballer as the star vehicle this is linking to the stereotype that males are more sporty than females.
• Shelter: with the text on top of the man it says 'he can't do that' however on the women it says 'But where will we live' and 'I can't face it' both of these sound more worried whereas the one on the man doesn't sound so worried, this links to the gender stereotype that women get more worried about things.

Age:
stereotypes in the media:

• Babies and Infants: Crying a lot and making noise, acting like brats or can be shown as innocent, cute, vulnerable.
• Children: Active and always playing.
• Teenagers: Rebellious and get in trouble a lot, uninformed, immature and always on their phones. 
• Young adults: Go to parties a lot, work on low wages.
• Middle aged: Have families and kids and go to work, worried, stern, organised.
• Elderly (60+): Slow, wise, fragile, lonely, kind, find it hard to hear.

Stereotypes within the ads:

• Old Spice: The star vehicle looks middle age which shows the brands target audience and connotes that they are probably organised and have families.
• Lucozade: The star vehicle looks like a young adult which shows their target audience to be around the same age.
• Shelter: They all look like young adults/middle aged, this shows that people around this age could be most likely to go homeless which fits with the stereotype of young adults working on low wages.

Race:

Stereotypes within the ads:

• Old Spice: The star vehicle is a black male, and most of the people from the Bahamas are black which links to the name of the anti-perspirant.
• Lucozade: The star vehicle is a white male connoting that white males are more likely to succeed if they drink the drink which wouldn't be true.
• Shelter: There is a lack of representation of black people in this ad, suggesting that only white people go homeless which is not true.

Sexuality:

Stereotypes within the ads:

• Old Spice: The campaign 'The man your man could smell like' is assuming that the target audience, females, are all straight and will want to buy this for their partner. Therefore they are not representing their whole audience in the ad.
• Lucozade: No reference to sexuality
• Shelter: No reference to sexuality

Nationality & Disability:

Stereotypes within the ads:

• Old Spice: Nationality - American national values shown in this advert are that they value people who are good at one thing particular, for example they chose a sportsman.        Disability - The stereotype that a 'normal' person is able-bodied as the star vehicle is a footballer.
• Lucozade: Disability - The stereotype that a 'normal' person is able-bodied as the star vehicle is a footballer. Nationality - Cannot be applied
• Shelter: Disability & Nationality - Cannot be applied

Social Context
Wednesday 28th November
L/O: To review and apply context and representation to Old Spice advert

Context: Old Spice - 1970's ads were very masculine, and show that if you were it then women will want you. The brand also subverted conventions by targeting their ad in 2011 at females rather than men.

How does the product use and subvert the conventional genre stereotypes of masculinity associated with adverts for such products and brands?

In the Old Spice print ad they use the typical conventions of masculinity, however they subvert the conventional target audience from men to women.

The convention of masculinity are used by the star vehicle they have chosen, Isaiah Mustafa, is a very masculine man, as he has all the conventions of masculinity such as, muscles, a deep voice and is sporty as he is a footballer which, especially in America, where the ads were first released, is a very macho sport, so although these 2011 ads were very much rebranded they still play on the idea of how masculine you could be if you wear their product. However they have subverted conventions in terms of their target audience, they have targeted the ad at females which is very unconventional for a males product. They have done this by using the tagline 'The man that your man could smell like', and using this to get the women to buy their product for their significant other, also the masculinity convention plays into this as this is what the women will be attracted to so they will buy it. They have also subverted conventions by almost making a parody out of other conventional adverts as they are always very masculine and aimed at males, this shows the brand is humorous especially with what they say in the ads and shows the audience that they don't take themselves seriously and they do this by being different and subverting the typical conventions of male products.

Context: Lucozade - Talk about the #Ibelieve ad as well but be clear which you are talking about.
In the 1990's they did a campaign called 'larazade' as they used Lara Croft to promote their product this was aimed more at teenagers, particularly females as its a female character however also at males because they would of been more likely to play video games. The brand now with their posters show the drink as being able to make athletes perform better, so they are now a lot different to their branding being associated with illness.

Lucozade Sport #IBelieve advert analysis

In this advertisement for Lucozade sport the brand has used the tagline that Lucozade 'Fuels and hydrates you better than water' this connotes how the drink improves your performance and that it works 'better than water', this would make the audience want to buy this drink rather than water when doing sports as it will make them think that if they drink it they will perform a lot better and be like the star vehicle Gareth Bale. Gareth Bale is a footballer chosen to be on this ad, he connotes trust for the people that may look up to him as it shows he trusts and 'believes' in the brand and all other sporty people should too. The 'Do you believe?' will make them question the brand but once they see that the '#Ibelieve is placed on top of Gareth Bale it implies that he believes in the brand and the drink and to people who look up to him it will make them want to buy the drink so they could perform as well as him. Another tagline in the bottom corner 'scientifically proven' creates a sense of trust between the audience and the brand connoting that it really will enhance your performance to be as good as Gareth Bale.

• Layout is traditional
• At the time Gareth Bale was top premier league for Totnum
• Scientific drawing, technical and trust
• Sans serif, clean, crisp and modern
• Direct address (personal pronouns)

Wednesday 5th December

• #IBELIEVE hashtag indicates a movement endorsed by celebrities, it also is implying that Gareth Bale believes in the benefits of consuming this drink (part of the concept of the two-step flow).
• The products sits in the concerns of its era - health and fitness.
• This campaign was designed to further secure the perception of the public eye.
• Celebrities/influencers are hired to represent the brand in a positive light and by doing so help to increase brand awareness and sales. The person hired is meant to embody the brand identity in appearance, tone and values.
• Bale got most of the attention however Lucozade sport also used celebrities such as a mixed heritage British sportsman (Chamberlain) and a white British woman (Alexa Matthews).

How is the advert an example of changes in media representation of brands?

This advert is an example of changes in media representation of brands as the brand has used hashtags, '#IBELIEVE' in their poster which represents the technological changes arising from the internet so the consumers can now interact with the brand and feel part of it more by using this hashtag on social media. Also using celebrity endorsement is a change that began happening in the late 1900's, for example in this ad they have used Gareth Bale to represent their brand and drink. This is supposed to spread a positive light on the brand and show that Gareth Bale believes in their product and values so this makes their product more reliable and trustworthy to the audience.

What does this advert tell us about changes in media access / consumption?

This advert tells us that in media access / consumption there are changes, for example one of these being that more ad more people are now on social media and will see and interact with the brand and their hashtags.

Why have advertisers and marketeers moved to greater use of social media in branding?

Advertisers and marketeers have moved to greater use of social media as it is the best way, in this era, to interact with the audience and promote their products using celebrities/influencers to do so, this will give the brand recognition as their are millions of people on social media everyday so a lot more people will recognise the brand or someone promoting it or will see others using their hashtags. It will also give them a more varied target audience as they are not only promoting it to certain people but are presenting their values to anyone on social media.

How does the product use conventional stereotypes associated with adverts for such products and brands?

The product uses stereotypical conventions associated with adverts for sports/energy drinks. The brand follows typical conventions as it used a sports celebrity as the star vehicle, Gareth Bale, and used him for celebrity endorsement, this is a very conventional thing to do as this began happening in the late 1900's particularly with sports and energy drinks. By using Gareth Bale for celebrity endorsement it is showing that he believes in the benefits of consuming the drink this then represents the brand as trustworthy to the audience because if a credible sportsman believes in the drink and brand then the audience are much more likely to also as they may look up to him as a sportsman.

The hashtag #IBelieve represents the era it was released in as in 2013 social media was a very big thing also the use of hashtags. They have used this in there advertisements to help reach a large number of people who use social media and also start an interaction with their audience on it using the hashtag. The advantage of using this approach on social media and using celebrity endorsement is that they will reach a wider range of people to interact with, and also the audience will feel like they are part of something and feel closer to the celebrity promoting the product, in this case, Gareth Bale.

Social Context - Shelter
Wednesday 5th December
L/O: To review and apply context and representation to the Shelter advert.

• Traditionally, charity campaigns have been different from those of commercial products.
• Objectives might be similar - raising awareness for a 'brand' generating money/incomes - but commercial adverts have benefitted from glossy 'money no object' campaigns targeted at creating audience needs and desires, whilst campaign adverts are all about creating a sense of shared values and social responsibility.
• Common conventions: close up shots to highlight emotion, staring eyes for direct address, washed out colour or black and white to show realism, imperative nouns, logo or brand that tends to be well-known.
• The campaign was called 'We can help' and wasn't aimed at the wider public but was aimed at people who were struggling in terms of finance, however the secondary target audience was the wider public for donations.
• The campaign by was produced on a pro-bono basis.
• Shelters aim was to measure the impact of the campaign by tracking traffic to its website and by monitoring attitudes to housing in the areas the ads were run in.

How do these two Shelter adverts compare to the set text Shelter advert?

What representations are offered of Shelter?
What representations are offered of housing issues?
How are these constructed in the advert? What is the appeal of the advert?
In what way does it represent the context of 2013?
How does it reference the brand identity of Shelter from previous campaigns?


Analyse: Semiotics
Monday 10th December

Desensitisation ('compassion fatigue') - The more you see something the less amazing or shocking it is to the audience.
- In the poster they have used a close up to emphasise the facial expression and look in their eyes.

How do they create a sense of realism:
- Not particularly edited.
- Extreme close up.
- Direct address.
- Desaturated colour, looks less posed.
- The people are not smiling.
- Eye contact


Explain how representations in advertising are chosen to help sell the product or brand. Refer to two of the adverts you have studied (10).

Representations in advertising are chosen to help sell the product or brand. The 2011 Old Spice, 'The man your man could smell like', campaign advertisement and also the Lucozade 2013 advertisement includes many different representations to make the audience feel more connected with the adverts and therefore the product they are advertising.
In the Old Spice advert the brand chose a black male, Isaiah Mustafa, as the star vehicle for their anti-perspirant advertisements. Mustafa was introduced in Old Spice adverts first in the 2011 TV advert that subverted conventions, as they aimed the product very much at females to then buy their product for their significant other, this however is assuming that all the females that watch the ad are heterosexual. Although in the TV advert they aimed it at females, the print ad is actually aimed at male young adults, this is shown through their use of masculine representation. Within the ad they have used the stereotypically masculine colour of blue, not only this but the star vehicle is the typical masculine male as he is an American footballer which is a very macho sport and is shown to have muscles and a toned body. This will appeal to the target audience as young adults may look up to Mustafa and want to be like him and therefore want to buy the product. 
Age can also be represented in both of these ads as in the Old Spice advert they have chosen a middle aged male, this is representing their target audience as this is who it is supposed to be aimed at. However the Lucozade advert has used a young adult as their star vehicle which represents their target audience to also be a similar age and shows the stereotype that young adults are more likely to do sports and therefore will want to buy their energy drink.
Race can also be represented in both advertisements. In the Old Spice advert race is represented by the star vehicle as he is a black male which links to the stereotype that most people from the Bahamas are black which links to the name of the anti-perspirant. Race is also represented in the Lucozade advert as the star vehicle is a white male which suggests that white males are more likely to buy the drink, it could be argued that it also suggests that white males are more likely to succeed from buying this drink also however in other posters for this campaign they have used a mixed heritage male and a female which shows cultural diversity and represents the brand in a positive light.



Dirt
Wednesday 12th December
L/O: To reflect and improve on exam style question.

Targets:

• Literacy: Basics, capital letters for products and brands.

• Terminology: Make sure you know the names of all the elements of the adverts etc.

• Theory: Add audience theory where relevant.
• Target audience: Old Spice - Product vs Advert
• Analysis structure: Answer general question first. Talk about different areas of representation within the overall representations conveyed.

Music Videos

Monday 7th January
L/O: To research selected case studies for use of media language and representation.

List A - Emeli Sandé - Heaven
List B - David Guetta - Titanium


Research 
Artist: Emeli Sandé
Genre: Pop
Song: Heaven
Release date: August 2011

Link to lyrics & summary of song meaning: Genius lyrics - Heaven lyrics and meaning
Description of what happens in the music video: The music video begins with Sandé sitting at a window in a house, the scene later changes a number of times to different people, the people who are looking upset. As she starts singing the chorus, singing "oh heaven" it shows Sandé singing and a view of the clouds in the sky. Throughout the music video there are various shots of Sandé around different towns and places in London. There are often shots of people saying prayers, and carrying a statue of Mary and a Cross resembling heaven and God, there are also shots of Sandé standing and singing outside a cathedral.
Description of how the artist has been represented: Emeli Sandé has used social realist representation of 'street life' to represent her authenticity and cultural links, she has also made use of non-actors to add the cutting edge of her as an artist and she celebrates the transcendence of poverty and inequality to transfer that view of transcendence to the artist and finally she included a number of representations of her fan base to attract a wider audience - religion, class ethnicity and street life.
Explanation of how video links to song: The music video links to the song as the song talks about 'heaven' and the video has a lot of religious imagery in it as well as homeless people and in the song she sings about poverty.

Research
Artist: David Guetta & Sia
Genre: Pop
Song: Titanium
Release date: August 2011 (song) December 2011 (music video)

Link to lyrics & summary of song meaning: Genius lyrics - Titanium lyrics and meaning
Description of what happens in video:The video opens in a deserted, destroyed school hallway with  a boy sitting on the ground. As the first verse begins, he slowly begins to stand up and makes his way through the hallway. The boy then sees a teacher in a classroom who looks scared and closes the door, realizing that the boy is the cause of the damage. As the boy makes his way outside the school building, a police car arrives and the teacher rushes outside to tell the policeman about the boy, who then quickly rides a bicycle home to pack his things. While at home, he sees a news report about the incident, causing him to quickly gather his things to flee. Several policemen then appear outside the front door of the boy's house, while he tries to escape through the back door. The boy realizes that the door is locked so he uses his powers to grab the keys from the table. The policemen then enter the house to find that the boy has escaped, but find a teddy bear and a frog floating in the air. The final scene shows the boy running away from a SWAT team in the woods. The boy is caught by one of the men who pushes him to the ground. The video ends with the boy using his supernatural powers once again to push the men away and then the video ends.
Description of how artists have been represented: The artists, David Guetta and Sia are not seen in the music video, however the video itself shows links to the 2011 movie 'super 8'.
Explanation of how video links to song: The music video links to the song as the song says 'You shoot me down, but i won't fall, i am titanium' saying that he is unbreakable and the boy having supernatural powers links to this.

Wednesday 9th January

Representation

L/O: To research & explore representation and cultural context in music video case studies.

Consider:

• How did the management want you to see them?
• How did they achieve this?
• Who is it aimed at?

Starter: 

How has Rita Ora been represented in this 'official' wallpaper image?

• Pink hair shows she is rebellious and unique whilst remaining feminine.
• Low angle shot makes her look powerful and gives her importance.
• Feminine colour scheme, although the background contrasts with this to make her stand out.
• She is shown as stylish and fashionable.
• Direct address/gaze connotes confidence.
• Her pose can be seen as passionate/sexual, wanting to look good for the audience.
• Hair and makeup done to make her look attractive.
• Lighting - no shadows to age her, she appears bright, youthful and healthy.
• Good airbrushed skin to make her look like she has no imperfections.

• Both images of Emeli Sande are very desaturated which connotes seriousness which represents her as an artist who takes her work seriously and possibly talks about serious topics in her songs.
• In one image she is not liking directly at the camera, however in the other image she is looking directly at the camera using direct address to the audience which connotes she is confident.
• The lighting includes a lot of shadows, however is bright only on her to make her stand out more.
• She is wearing all black which again connotes seriousness, again shows she most likely talks about serious topics in her songs.
• Looking away from the camera in the first image represents her as being shy and modest which suggests she is different to other mainstream solo artists.
• Black and white often suggests sophistication.
• Her hair is done much shorter than you would expect from a female artist, its a modern style and suggests rebellion however still has the femininity's her hair is still done.
• The images are much more about her and her music rather than what she looks like. 

• In the first image David Guetta is using direct address at the camera showing confident.
• In the second image David Guetta is in black and white against a bright red background makes him stand out as the two colours contrast.
• In the first image the colour scheme is a blue/grey colour which gets lighter towards the middle of the image where David Guetta is standing to make him stand out and makes him seem almost god-like.
• The second image is shot at a low angle which shows his importance and power to the audience.

In this screenshot from the music video it is a low angle shot looking up at Sandé and the sky this links with the idea of heaven in the song and the low angle connotes Sandé having power and status. Throughout the video there are many shots like this that focus on Sandé and the sky to show the link of the lyrics 'Heaven' to Heaven in real life.

This is one of the only times in the video where Sande makes direct address to the audience by making eye contact with the camera, this suggests a level of confidence and also makes the audience feel more connected to the song and artist.

Here Sande has her back to the camera and like most of the video is not making eye contact with the camera this shows a level of modesty and shows that she doesn't want the video to be about her but more about the issues raised in the video. Which represents her to be a unique artist as most other solo female artists have music video based around them rather than issues that should be raised.

Context: Emeli Sandé - Heaven

What key events happened in the UK & globally before the date of release?:

In 2011 March a series of massive earthquakes and a tsunami hit Japan and also an earthquake in New Zealand. In early August rioting unexpectedly broke out in Tottenham north London and the rioting spread to Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Where was it filmed and who directed it?:

It was confirmed that Jake Nava directed the music video for the song. Nava has previously worked with artists such as Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Kanye West and Nicki Minaj. The music video was filmed in Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom.

Are there any quotes or press releases from the artist or record label about the video & what it is supposed to be about?:
Emeli Sandé said that "Heaven came from a conversation with my producer, Naughty Boy, we were talking about what it means to be good in this day and age, and how it's harder for our generation because things move so fast, and how there's so many influences and avenues, and he said, You just have to keep your heart clean. It was the imagery of a clean or dirty heart that inspired me... I definitely believe in God and I believe in heaven, although I don't follow religion".

Speaking to Music radar five years on, in 2017, Naughty Boy said that, "Its all about not knowing if you're good enough for a lot of things. The conversations we were having were quite deep... I like to think that Heaven inspired a whole wave of breakbeat tracks and changed a lot in terms of the sound of UK radio."


Context: David Guetta & Sia - Titanium

What key events happened in the UK & globally before the date of release?:
In 2011 March a series of massive earthquakes and a tsunami hit Japan and also an earthquake in New Zealand. In early August rioting unexpectedly broke out in Tottenham north London and the rioting spread to Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool and Birmingham.

Where was it filmed and who directed it?:
The music video for Titanium was directed by David Wilson and was filmed in December 2011 in Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac and at Dorval-Jean XXIII High School, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The full video premiered on December 20th 2011.

Are there any quotes or press releases from the artist or record label about the video & what it is supposed to be about?:


Super 8:
Super 8 tells the story of a group of young teenagers who are filming their own super 8 movie when a train derails, releasing a dangerous presence into their town. This links to the Titanium music video as it links with the supernatural, Sci-fi themes in the movie.


Wednesday 16th January

Cultural context

Heaven - Representation in the music video:

Religion
Religion is represented through the video positively, with the use of the cathedral, the cross and the statue of Mary throughout the video. Girl in red dress shown walking down into the darkness from the light references of heaven and hell.
Class
Class is represented throughout the video by the different people shown during the video as a lot of them looked homeless and most of them were lower class and working class people.
Ethnicity
Ethnicity is represented throughout the video by the people they chose to be included during the video as there was a variation of different people in the same situation.
Masculinity & Femininity 
Masculinity and femininity is represented throughout the video as equal, the representations are realistic e.g. a single mum. Female characters seen as more hopeful and the males are always the ones in the shadows. But neither gender is made to look groomed to show the reality of street life in East London.
East London
East London is represented throughout the video as quite a poor area with a lot of poverty and homelessness.

Monday 21st January

Intertextuality

L/O: To research & explore intertextuality and exam style analysis

List B videos are postmodernist texts

Postmodernist - Based on something else (copying copies)

Intertextuality - creates an interrelationship between media products that create related understanding in the separate products. Such references are made to influence the reader, to shape how the product is seen.  

How is cinematography - framing, lighting, editing - used to construct the narrative alignment of the audience?

The cinematography in Titanium is constructed to make the audience on the child's side and the audience are made to feel sorry for the boy. The cinematography is also a lot like the cinematography of the movie super 8 which has intertextuality in the music video.

How are enigmas used to manipulate the audience?

Enigmas are used to manipulate the audience 

How are mine-en-scene elements used to reference successful film franchises of the era?

Mine-En-Scene elements are used to reference successful film franchises such as Super 8, Twilight, X-men and Harry Potter as they all follow the narrative of a young person having supernatural powers and then being hunted down because of it.

What elements make this an 'alternative' video?

The video is considered 'alternative' as the artist is not shown in the video and the video is narrative based as it looks more like a short film than a music video.


Wednesday 23rd January

Representation

L/O: To explore the specific representation of chosen video case studies

Terminology:

• Social realism: The realistic depiction in art of contemporary life, as a means of social of political comment.
• Transcendance: The act of rising above something to a superior state.
• Intertextuality: The relationship between texts, especially literary ones.
• Post modernism: When something is based on something else (copying copies).
• Cinéphilic recreation: A passionate interest in films, film theory and film criticism.
• Filmic: Relating to films or cinematography.
• Value-transference: Value transference is economic activity that involves no value creation, instead it is the transferring of value from one party to another.

Heaven - Emeli Sande 

• Social realist representation of 'street life' to represent the authenticity and cultural currency of the artist.
• The celebration of the transcendence of poverty and inequality aiming to transfer that value of transcendence to the artist.

Titanium - David Guetta ft Sia

• The use of intertextual, postmodern representations in the video to transfer the quality of the video itself to the image of the artists, e.g. the cinéphilic recreation of spielbergian 80s suburban America in the video.
• The use of messages and viewpoints in videos that aim to bolster the image of the artist and chime with those of the positioned audience, e.g. the very filmic representation of teenage alienation in Guetta's video creates an ambiguous message that adds to the sophistication of the artists image and fits the large scale nature of the song.

Narrative music video

Ed Sheeran - Lego house (October, 2011)

Who are the target audience?
The target audience for this video would be people of the age 12+ who like Ed Sheeran's music and also because the star vehicle of this video is a famous actor Rupert Grint who plays Ron Weasley in Harry Potter it will attract fans of him and Harry Potter as well as Ed Sheeran fans.
How is the artist represented?
The artist is represented as an idol in this video as the star vehicle plays someone who looks up to him while you see clips of people waiting for Ed Sheeran to come on stage at a concert. The star vehicle being in the video as idolising Ed Sheeran can relate to the fans as they might also want to be like Ed Sheeran one day and so he represents the target audience.
How are the target audience positioned?
The target audience are positioned as if they are following the story of the star vehicle in the music video (Rupert Grint) and they will feel as if they are apart of the story.
What values are being celebrated?
The values that are being celebrated in the music video is how the artist has a not so serious attitude towards this video in particular as its about someone idolising him.

Performance music video

Prettymuch - Jello (December, 2018)

Who are the target audience?
The target audience for this music video are people of the age 12+ who like Prettymuch as a boyband and enjoy their music.
How are the artists represented?
The artists are represented in this video as being fun and not a serious boyband as they are seen dancing and having fun whilst performing the song. The song itself shows them as a not so serious band as the lyrics are not serious but is fun and a feel good song. The dancing in the video is highlighted to show that they do not just sing, they can dance too.
How are the target audience positioned?
The target audience is positioned as if they are watching a performance but at the same time feel as if they are part of something as the artists regularly look directly into the camera and the video is shot at a mid angle shot and the audience is being directly addressed by the artist in the video which connects them with the artist.
What values are being celebrated?
The values of the boyband that are being celebrated is how they are a fun boyband and don't take what they are doing that seriously and like to have fun with it.

Explain how representations in music videos are chosen to promote the artist(s). Refer to two of the music videos you have studied to support your answer. [10]

Representations in music are chosen to promote the artist(s) and highlight specific talents other than their singing, such as dancing. In the two music videos I have studied, Heaven - Emeli Sande and Titanium - David Guetta featuring Sia, the representations of the artist during them are very different.

Heaven is a performance music video rather than a narrative music video like Titanium.
In the music video of Heaven by Emeli Sande she is represented as real and relatable to the audience through the realism of the video, as it shows a real-life representation of street life in London throughout the video. This representation of street life in London also creates a caring image around the artist and shows her as a unique artist as she isn't making a video all about her and highlighting her looks like many other solo female artists, she rarely makes direct address with the audience throughout the video and is dressed in black which makes her not the centre of attention and shows the seriousness of what she is singing about. This is very unique to her as an artist as she is going against genre conventions, most female artists would have music videos that would be all about them rather than focussing on issues like Emeli Sande has done in her video. It is also particularly relevant to the time it was released as homelessness was on the rise and so the video represents the life that comes with it and addresses the struggle of it by showing people who look homeless or are struggling within the video. In parts of the video Emeli Sande is seen from a low angle shot singing towards the sky with sunlight bright behind her, this links the video to the song lyrics "Heaven" but also makes Emeli Sande seem angelic because of the bright light behind her.

The music video of Titanium by David Guetta and Sia however, does not feature the artists in the video as it is a narrative video that shows the story of a young boy who has supernatural powers. Throughout the video there is a very filmic representation of teenage alienation that could link to many films such as Super 8, Twilight and Harry Potter which links to the artists sophistication as an image as it shows the video was well thought through, and the music video clearly links to the lyrics of the song. Teenage alienation is represented through the video by the other people in the video such as the teacher when he is walking through the hall of the school at the beginning and the police in the rest of the video, being scared of the boy, not understanding him and believing that he is a threat, however, during the music video the audience is positioned to feel sympathy for the young boy as the star vehicle of the music video as the audience will feel as though they are the only ones who understand the boy which links to the main representation displayed in the video of teenage alienation.


The Big Issue

Wednesday 30th January

Case Study #3

L/O: To research institutions & ideologies behind case study project

Loop Task
What do you know about the Big Issue?
The Big Issue is a magazine that started in 1991, its a street magazine that is a social enterprise product which means its there to improve society problems and it isn't a profit organisation. Venders buy the magazine for half of the cover price and they get to keep half of what they earn while they sell them on the street. They now have a big issue shop online where other social enterprise stores can see their stuff that also helps improve society and they get funding through The Big Issue. The magazine is weekly and is written by professional journalists. They do not pay there cover stars and sometimes the journalists will write the magazine for free. The magazine funds itself through advertising and cover price sales. The magazinee has, since 2012, focused more on campaigning journalism and broader features. It has a circulation of 125,000 a week. People have criticised for being 'overly commercial'.



What do these covers suggest about:

• Target Audience: These covers suggest that the target audience is middle aged, male and politically aware and opinionated.
• Values & Beliefs: "Hand up not a hand out" suggests the believe in helping others help themselves and empowerment.
• Representation: 

Hegemonic: Of a dominant ideology that shapes the way most of society 'see' the world, themselves and others, creating a set of shared values.

What are the ideologies & values of the publication, how is this shown, and what does that suggests about the target audience?

The ideologies and values of the publication that have been shown through their magazine covers is that they believe in making a change within society. Throughout their magazine covers they show that they are quite political but also humorous with what they are talking about. This suggests that the target audience are political minded but also like a laugh when they read the magazine.
They also cover a lot of pop culture such as the newest films coming out such as Beauty and the Beast, Dunkirk and Bohemian Rhapsody, this shows that their target audience also like to be in the know which means the target audience is middle aged, so they can understand the political topics but also the movies and pop culture issues when they come out as well.


Monday 4th February 

Case Study #3

L/O: To identify the primary target audience for the big issue.



Loop task:
What ideologies are represented in this cover and how have they been represented?

The ideologies that have been represented in this cover are brexit through the tag line of "Strong and Stable" this is represented through the 2017 movie 'King Arthur'. With Theresa May becoming the Prime Minister the idea of King Arthur links to the context of the time. The cover follows the movie with indirect links to Brexit and the snap election.

- 72% of Big Issue readers are ABC1
- 43% of readers are AB
- 61% is aged between 18 and 39.


Audience profile of Big Issue readers:

Demographics:

• Mostly female
• Middle aged
• Lives in a city or town / regularly works in a city or town.
• Upper/Middle class

Psychographics:

• The Reformer - Values their own independent judgements, anti-materialistic people and are often perceived as intellectual, they are socially aware and pride themselves on tolerance. Unlike explorers they will not buy things just because they are new. Their core need in life is for enlightenment.
• Young at heart - taken from the explorer group.
• Social value group characteristics: innovators, self confident risk takers, seeks new things and will happily listen and understand others opinions.

Wednesday 6th February 

DIRT

L/O: To review exam style answers.


Details

• Who chooses the representations used in music videos.
• Link representations to social/cultural events.
• Link to genre conventions.
• Shallow and soft focus gives a more feminine representation however the opposite shows a more real representation, there is both in the Emeli Sande video.

Monday 25th February

Case study #3

L/O: To analyse Big Issue covers effectively

Loop Task:
What ideologies are represented in this cover and how have they been represented? What does it tell us about the target audience?

• The ideologies that are represented in this magazine is that they care about society and what is important within it such as what they have put on the cover lines.
•  In this cover they are celebrating people who make a change - social responsibility, making a difference.
• This cover has a very positive outlook shown through the cover lines, positive colour palette, and the language they have used.
• Focuses on old and new - range of subject areas - sport, science, entertainment. - shows they are celebrating everyone who has made a change within society.
• The target audience will share these same values and also feel they want to be part of social change. They will also be interested in a variety of topics.

Mode of address - How the text speaks to the audience, and involves them. It also refers to how a text influences the audience: 

• Direct mode of address - The model looks directly at the audience or the writing speaks to 'you'.
• Indirect mode of address - The model looks away or the writing refers to 'people' or 'the public'.

- You can have different modes of address: formal, informal, humorous, serious, hostile, friendly, etc.

- Audience identity is written into texts in a number of ways. Variations in tone, pace, language, etc. will reflect the producers notations of who the audience is.

Analysis task: Exam practice

This cover of The Big Issue has a classic layout with their logo and slogan in the top left corner, however this magazine was released in November and so they have added a poppy to the logo to show their support of veterans. The model is placed at the centre of the cover making him the focus of the magazine cover and making the text on top of him stand out. The star vehicle is dressed in normal, everyday clothes with a bright green helmet on which stands out from the rest of the cover that has a sepia filter on it which links to the war as the photos back then looked like this, this shows that while being at home the veterans feel as though they are still at war with the helmet on still fighting and also the idea that anyone who has fought in the war could be 'still at war' and fighting 'for peace of mind back home'. The fact that the big issue is supporting veterans shows their ideologies as anti-violent and socially responsible. The way they have placed text over the eyes of the star vehicle takes away his personal identity and supports the idea that it could be anyone in this situation. The text placed on top of his eyes used play on words 'Peace of mind' as the war stopped for peace, however the veterans are still fighting for peace of mind back home. The cover lines of the magazine are placed in the top right corner which leaves the main headline of the magazine the focus to show that it is the most important. The other things people will find inside the magazine are articles on entertainment including articles about band members from The Who, Roger Daltrey and Keith Moon, and articles about poetry and authors such as Michael Morpurgo, this is shown in a small font in the top right corner to keep the main focus on their support of veterans. The target audience appeal of the magazine would come from the reference to Roger Daltrey and Keith Moon as they would appeal to people who were fans of The Who, but also people who may know veterans and are socially responsible.


Wednesday 27th February

Case study #3 

L/O: DIRT and exam practice


Bullet point analysis:

• Intertextuality - Font on 'National Identity' - same font used by the Sex Pistols on their album cover.
• Bright colour palette (yellow, blue, pink) also links to the bright colour palette of the sex pistols album cover.
• Classic Big Issue logo in the top left corner.
• 'Punk seer Jamie Reid, on Banksy, protest and the state we're in' - links to Brexit, referring to the state the UK are in.
• Sex Pistols were known for their sense of rebellion and played a big part in the punk rock movement and standing up for their political views as well as their music.
• The headline 'What happened to the spirit of rebellion' is saying the UK is no longer rebellious.
• Banksy is a political activist and shows his political views through his artwork.
• National identity font also looks like its been cut out from newspaper/magazine, saying that our national identity in the UK comes from newspapers/magazines.
• Target audience are likely to of been fans of the Sex Pistols and the punk movement and are also likely to agree with the ideologies shown through the cover.
• Celebrating the ideologies of rebellion and protesting through 'The spirit of rebellion' the word 'spirit' has positive connotations.

Analyse why The Big Issue magazine has used an intertextual approach to the referendum on its front cover.

• Analyse the use of intertextuality to create meaning to the source.
• Make judgements and reach a conclusion about the advantages of this use of intertextuality to The Big Issue magazine.

The Big Issue magazine has used an intertextual approach to the referendum on this front cover because it was a very big thing going on in the UK at the time as the magazine was released a week before the referendum occurred.

The magazine cover includes the intertextuality of four politicians faces put on the heads of the popular band Abba who won Eurovision in 1974. They have also used lyrics from Abba songs in speech bubbles coming from each politician. Each lyric from the song, 'Knowing me, knowing EU', 'Take a chan-chance', 'Breaking up is never easy, I know' and 'This time we're through' links to the possibility at the time of the UK leaving the EU. The magazine cover also has a faint image of a ballot paper in the background and a box in which you would put them once you have voted and they have made the disco ball in the top right look like a world globe which is showing European Union on it, this links in the intertextual reference to the EU even more to emphasise what could happen. The headline 'The winner takes it all' is also Abba lyrics and above says 'Decision time' in red which stands out against the rest of the magazine cover which has the colour palette of blue and gold. This stands out to also emphasise how the referendum is coming up and people need to make the right decision.

By making a magazine like this it shows that The Big Issue's ideologies are political however they show a humorous view on it. They have used the band members of Abba for an ironic approach as they are all Swedish which is in the EU and they have linked the lyrics to leaving the EU. The whole of this particular cover is completely based around the referendum as it has no other cover lines whatsoever, which on most of their other covers they would have, this could be because everyone at this time would have wanted to know about everything as the referendum was approaching, and tit would have been a huge target audience appeal as The Big Issues target audience are middle aged people who have political views and so most of these people would of been voting in the referendum and will want to read about it in The Big Issue as they will likely share the same political views and ideologies as The Big Issue.

To conclude The Big Issue has made this cover an intertextual reference to the referendum as their target audience will appeal to this and the audience will be interested in what they have to say as they will likely share similar political views as The Big Issue and the humorous approach they have taken with this cover straight away gives the audience an idea of what the think about it as they are almost taking the micc out of it by the layout they have used.