The advert has been created to
advertise a brand of beer called Guinness.
Their specific message is “Good things come to those who wait”. This is shown
throughout the advert in a variety of ways, such as the main male character
waiting at the start of the advert for the waves, and him waiting for the
horses to come past before being triumphant.
A primary target audience consists of
those who receive the marketing messages directly, whereas a secondary target
audience are those who indirectly receive the marketing message.
Their primary target audience for their product is young adults with a high
focus on maturity. Beer is the preferred alcoholic beverage of 69% of men aged
18 to 29, 65% of men aged 30 to 49, 52% of men aged 50 to 64, meaning this is
where most of their market is catered towards.
As this is their target audience, they have created the advert to appeal to
young adults; they’ve done this by having young men in the advert, so that the
audience can relate to the advert and therefore it appeals to them.
Their secondary target audience will vary depending on what time of day the
advert is shown, for example showing it in CBBC at lunchtime will attract
children, whereas having the advert in a commercial break between Coronation
Street and the News will attract an older, more mature audience.
Psychographics is a term that
describes consumers or audience members based on psychological characteristics
such as:
- ·
Personality,
- ·
Lifestyle,
- ·
Interests,
- ·
Opinions/attitudes/beliefs,
- · Values,
The advert was first aired Wednesday 17th March 1999,
Iconography is the use of images and
symbols to portray a subject, movement or ideal. There are a few examples
within the advert, such as a Western Iconography, the beginning of the adverts
shows the main actors face, an extreme close-up on his face, which is typically
shown in a Mexican standoff. This idea is backed up by the horses throughout
the advert, which are also typically in cowboy Western films. The way they come
through the waves could also symbolise tumbleweed, which stereotypically
appears in Cowboy Western films.
There are many forms of ads, such as
stand alone, miniseries, mini drama, documentary, animated, live action and
talking heads. A stand alone advert is an advert that is not a miniseries, the
Guinness advert is a good example of this as there are no other adverts that
directly follow the same theme. The advert is also a live action as it is
quicker to produce and film a live-action TV commercial. The advert is also a
mini drama as it tells a story in a dramatical twist that impacts the viewer in
a realistic sense.
There are also many styles and
persuasion techniques shown in adverts, such as:
- ·
Humorous,
- ·
Serious,
- ·
Dramatic,
- ·
Shocking,
- ·
Fear,
- ·
Surreal,
- ·
Parody/intertextual
references,
- ·
Nostalgic,
- ·
Solution to a
problem,
- ·
Hidden or overt
messaging,
- ·
Self-perception /
envy and emulation,
- ·
Celebrity
endorsement,
The
style of advert is serious, fear and dramatic. The seriousness is shown through
the silence at the beginning of the advert and the actors’ facial expressions.
Fear is also shown through the main actors’ facial expressions, his fear of not
winning is shown by him waiting for the horses to come over, fear is also shown
by the other actors; when they see the horses, they become fearful of losing. As
their target audience is mainly young men, they would not want to lose due to
their fragile masculinity. Fear is also implied through their slogan “Good
things come to those who wait.”, as it makes the viewer want to wait and feel
fearful of what would happen if they don’t wait. The style of advert is also
dramatic. A dramatic advert is an advert that keeps the viewer on edge and
makes then unsure of what to expect. This is achieved through the use of
silence, then booming music and the horses riding through the waves, barely
missing the other surfers.
There
are several persuasion techniques that the advert uses, such as hidden
messaging and envy. An example of hidden messaging is the music, meaning that
whenever the viewer will associate the beer or Guinness brand with that song,
even if it is just played on the radio. Other hidden messages include him
waiting for the wave, as you should wait for Guinness, the silence of him
waiting at the beginning of the advert is a hidden message to wait for
Guinness, “Good things come to those who wait.”
AIDA
stands for:
·
A – ATTENTION
(how does it attract the potential consumer)
·
I – INTEREST
('low price', 'exotic location', 'recommended by experts', etc)
·
D – DESIRE (how
does the advert convince the consumer that they want / need it?)
·
A – ACTION (how
are the consumers guided to take action? Advert might say things like 'Hurry,
act now', 'limited time offer')
The
advert successfully follows AIDA, it attracts attention through its use of
sound and mise-en-scene. It attracts a potential costumer through the crescendo
of a repetitive boom, which sticks in the viewers head for hours after. There
is no diegetic sound throughout the piece, just the music slowly becoming
louder and faster, the beat sounds like a heartbeat that speeds up as the
excitement rises.
It also attracts potential customers by through showing the brand’s advantages
and benefits. Another way it attracts a potential customer is through the lack
of colour; in 1999, it was odd for adverts to be in black and white, so this
stylistic choice would catch a viewer’s attention.
The advert also follows the I in AIDA, it arouses interest through the Narrative
and through the tagline shown at the end of the advert “Good things come to
those who wait.”
The advert also follows the D in AIDA as it convinces the customer they need
the project to overcome the waves and win. It also convinces people they need
he project through fear. By not waiting, they may be capsized by the horses and
waves.
The advert also follows the final A in AIDA, it promotes action by convincing
people that their beer is worth waiting for. They convince their customers to
buy their beer by promoting the beers strengths and benefits, this appeals to
their young male target audience as they all want to make themselves the best
they can be, and stereotypically want to compare themselves to their friends;
by drinking the beer they will gain the benefits. By promoting the strengths
and benefits, this also appeals to those wanting to achieve that kind of
lifestyle.
There is a
main psychographics target audience too, as the ad appeals to those who want
that lifestyle of waiting and winning, or to younger people wanting to be older
and drink beer. Their personality is also main psychographics target audience,
appealing people with a more extroverted personality. This is shown in the
advert through the group of young men joshing around at the end, laughing and
being loud which is a direct comparison to the silence at the start of the
video.
Their advert
has also been specifically created to show the beers best qualities and what advantages
the viewer can get from drinking Guinness. Their message also implies benefits,
such as strength and friendship. This is shown by the group of friends together
having fun, which parallels a drunken group of men, this clever marketing
subconsciously sells the idea of a good time with friends.
The benefit
of strength is shown through the horses, crashing through the waves and the
main male staying on his board while his fiends all fall behind and are weak.
This is also a lifestyle appeal, as people watching the advert aspire to be fit
and healthy like the men shown in the ad, as well as wanting a lifestyle where
they can josh about with friends and wait for what’s good.
The Irish connection is a unique selling point for the Guinness brand, as well
as the “Good things come to those who wait.” This slogan comes from the brand
as you are supposed to poor half the beer, wait for the head to bubble up, then
pour the rest of the drink, hence the slogan. Their brand identity is the harp,
which dates back to 1862 and it has continuously been featured on all their
branding for over 150 years. The Guinness harp was originally based on the
legendary 'Brian Boru harp', a powerful symbol of Ireland's national identity
and heritage.
The ASA responds to concerns and complaints from consumers and businesses and take action to ban ads which are misleading, harmful, offensive or irresponsible. As well as responding to complaints they monitor ads to check they’re following the rules. They are responsible for ensuring that all adverts are not harmful or offensive.
The work they do is self-regulatory, meaning that the work they do is funded by the advertising industry.
The CAP is the sister organisation of the ASA that is responsible for writing the Advertising Codes. Advertising codes are created to ensure that every ad is legal, decent, honest and truthful and respect the principles of fair competition, so that the public can have confidence in advertising.
CAP and the ASA works to support the industry to help them get their ads right before they are published. The two are linked together as the ASA has to clear the advert using CAP’s advertising codes before they can be publicly shown.
Mise-en-scene & iconography
Iconography is the use of images and symbols to portray a
subject, movement or ideal. There are a few examples within the advert, such as
a Western Iconography, the beginning of the adverts shows the main actors face,
an extreme close-up on his face, which is typically shown in a Mexican standoff.
This idea is backed up by the horses throughout the advert, which are also
typically in cowboy Western films. The way they come through the waves could
also symbolise tumbleweed, which stereotypically appears in Cowboy Western
films.
Mise-en-scene is the organisation of everything in front of
the camera, such as actors, costumes, props and settings.
For the first 23 seconds of the advert, there is only one actor on the screen.
This is to back up the slogan of “Good things come to those who wait.” After 23
seconds have passed, 4 male actors are shown in the middle pf the screen,
picking up their prop surfboard. All actors are shown wearing swim trunks. They
are all by the sea, being towered by clicks and rocks. This is done to make the
actors seem small and imply that they will not win. The setting then changes to
the actors in the sea, surfing. Instead of holding their props, they are now
using them and surfing on them. Throughout the rest of the advert, the setting
flips between the actors swimming and on the beach celebrating. Their costumes
and props stay the same throughout.
Shot types, framing & composition
·
Mid-shot. A mid-shot has been chosen as it shows the actors body language from the waist up. His legs are not important for this shot. It is also used to draw attention to the actor and his surroundings.
Extreme Close up. An extreme close up shot has been used to allow the viewer to enter the characters personal space, which reveals the actor’s emotions to a heightened degree.
·
Establishing
shot. An establishing shot has been used to introduce the setting to the
viewer. It lets them know who’s on screen and where the action is happening.
Long shot. A long shot has been used to show how far away the actors are, this emphasis distance and their location. It also connotes the idea that they have swum too far.
Wide shot. A wide shot has been used to show the viewer who is in the scene. This wide shot shows the horses (the subject of this scene) coming over the waves, and the actors surfing in front of them.
Camera Angles:
High angle. A high angle is used to convey information and elicit an emotional response from the viewer as it makes it look as if someone is looking down on the actor.
Low angle. A low angle is used to show helplessness, this elicits an emotional
response from the viewer and makes them empathise for those who are helpless.
Birds eye
. A birds eye angle is used to give
an establishing shot of the waves, as well as making the viewer feel powerful
as they are taller than the waves themselves. It helps emphasise how small the
actors are, and implies their failure.
POV shot. A POV shot is used to show the
actor’s perspective of what is happening. It helps the audience empathise and
connect with the characters as they feel as if they are in the actors shoes. It
also helps establish a narrative.
Camera movement
Zoom. A zoom shot has been used to show a
change from a wide shot to a medium shot. It gives the viewer one thing to
focus on.
Pan. A pan shot has been used to show the characters getting their props and running into the sea. It captures the image of a moving subject and is used to sense motion.
Editing
Black and white. Black and white editing has been added to
the advert. It provides a stark contrast and a dreamlike view of the world. The
black and white editing provides a hidden message. As the water now becomes a
dark colour instead of blue, and the froth of the sea becomes white, it
connotes the idea that they are “waiting” to dive into the waves, which is
Guinness. This idea also connotes a ‘wave of flavour’. Another editing
technique that has been used is cutting the shots. As the anticipation builds
and the advert reaches its climax, the shots are cut quicker together, which
emphasises the characters panic as the horse runs over them.
Lighting
There are two types of lighting used
in the advert. These are natural lighting – which comes from the sun ad they
are outside. Throughout the advert, but especially at the first 23 seconds,
there is more lowkey lighting. This has been used to emphasise the contrast and
make the audience feel curious as to what the actor is looking at.
Soundtrack (music, sound fx & dialogue)
Narration has been used throughout the advert to help tell
the audience specific plot points and helps to convey a narrative. As the
advert reaches it climax and becomes the most dramatic, the narrator’s voice
becomes louder, as if he is trying to talk over the waves, despite there being
no diegetic sound. The music also gets louder as the advert progresses. The
music sounds like a heart beating and becomes quicker and louder towards the
end, which alerts viewers. No sound effects are used in the advert. The silence
at the beginning of the advert also alerts the viewer, as the silence is almost
awkward, lasting for almost 20 seconds. The first noise is narrative, saying, “He
waits. Its what he does.” Which immediately makes the viewer realise the advert
is about Guinness.
Graphics
The only graphics used throughout the entire advert is at the
end. That is the text saying, “Good things come to those who…” Graphics are
used in adverts to communicate the message or brand ideas to their target
audience. The slogan isn’t even finished, as they assume a viewer would finish
of the slogan while reading it; which shows a successful marketing campaign.
Special FX
The only special effects used in the advert are the CGI created horses. They have created these horses from CGI as it would have been too dangerous to use real horses. The horses are realistic to fit in with the actors and the real environment and setting. If a cartoon horse was used, it would have looked out of place and jarred the viewer. For 1999, these special effects where incredible, meaning that people spoke about their realistic-ness for weeks. The advert also won lots of awards for this.
Bibliography
About the ASA and
CAP. (2022, January 24). Retrieved from ASA:
https://www.asa.org.uk/about-asa-and-cap/about-regulation/about-the-asa-and-cap.html#:~:text=The%20Advertising%20Standards%20Authority%20(ASA,for%20writing%20the%20Advertising%20Codes.
Episode 4578
(17th March 1999). (2022, January 24). Retrieved from Wiki:
https://coronationstreet.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_4578_(17th_March_1999)
Guinness. (2022, January
24). Retrieved from Design Bridge:
https://worldbranddesign.com/design-bridge-guinness-harp-identity/#:~:text=The%20harp%20is%20the%20original,Ireland's%20national%20identity%20and%20heritage.
Psychographics in
marketting. (2022, January 24). Retrieved from Hot Jar:
https://www.hotjar.com/blog/psychographics-in-marketing/
Surfer. (2022, January
24). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfer_(advertisement)
TV Advertising
Costs in the UK. (2022, January 24). Retrieved from Toast TV:
https://www.toasttv.co.uk/tv-advertising-costs/#:~:text=Advertise%20on%20ITV&text=Daytime%20slots%20on%20ITV%20are,than%20to%20advertise%20on%20ITV.
younger-males-drink-most-sometimes-too-much. (2022, January
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