Media Studies

– Study Of 4 Advertisements For Cars, And Their Similarities And Differences Essay, Research Paper

............... I will begin by identifying and

describing the signifiers, and then I will say what they signify, and lastly,

say why this advert works, who it is aimed at and identify the techniques

behind this advert. ............... There are several main

signifiers in this advert.. The most

obvious one is the car.. It is a sleek

car, and it is red.. The next large signifier

is the blurred background, i.e. the sky, trees and the road.. After that, there is the man in the

car.. He is not very young, early 50s

maybe, but he looks happy.. The last

signifier is the writing beneath the picture, or the anchor: ALFA SPIDER. EVER HAD A RECURRING DREAM. YOU WILL. ............... The small writing below the

anchor is not important, as it only gives details about the car and where it

can be obtained. ............... These signifiers have meanings,

or the signified.. Firstly, the

car.. Red gives the impression of a

sports car, which is signified further because the car is sleek and looks like

a sport car.. For most people, this

gives a meaning that it is a good, stylish car, that will impress, and

everybody will want one.. The advertisers

further draw on this in the anchor where it assures that everyone will dream of

getting one of these cars.. The blurred

background is also important, because it serves to give an impression of speed,

another feature of most sports cars, and so the signified is speed, which will

help to sell the car because most people enjoy fast cars.. The man in the car is not very young for a

reason.. This advert is designed,

obviously, to target people who can afford these cars, and so the image of a

middle-aged man, who maybe has enough money to buy one of these cars, is

important.. Also, the small smile on his

face signifies that he is happy driving the car.. The last signifier, the anchor, is the most important one,

because without it, the picture could have an open meaning.. It assures people that they will want one of

the cars, by saying that if you don.t always dream about something, then, now

that you have seen this, then you will..

It encourages people to buy the car, because it is .your dream car.. ............... This advert works because it has

a very definite meaning, mentioned above, and so there can be no confusion over

the assurance that it is a dream car..

The advertisers are obviously aiming this car at men more than women,

and affluent men at that, because, as mentioned before, the price range would suit

the driver.s age.. The reason it is aimed

at men is not only because there is a man driving the car, but also because

there is a gender representation that says that women prefer more practical

cars than men and are not so obsessed with speed and looks.. This is of course largely untrue; nevertheless

it will sell better to men.. The

photography of the car is responsible for making the advert work as well.. Although the blurred background is most

likely computer generated, the car is a photograph.. The camera never lies, but here it has been chosen to capture the

image when the wheel hubs are blurred with speed and there is light glinting

off the bonnet and headlights.. This is

all true to life, but the moment that it was taken changes the meaning of the

picture totally.. It now says speed and beauty,

whereas before it could have been stationary with the sun not out.. I will discuss this advert in comparison

with the others at the end of this essay.Advert

No. 2 – Vauxhall Astra ............... I will talk about this advert in

the same way as the previous one, comparing it at the end with the other three

adverts. ............... There are six main signifiers on

this advert.. They are: firstly, the

car, which is a green colour and is shown to be a practical family car.. Next, the road is slightly blurred as in the

last advert, although here the surrounding landscape is sharp.. There are two more signifiers that the road

has got.. They are the fact that it is

very long, and also that it is winding and not straight.. Another is the writing on the actual

picture: ARE WE THERE YET DAD. ............... This is reproduced many

times.. The last signifier is the anchor

on the bottom of the picture.. It says: THE GOOD NEWS: THE ASTRA

1.7 TD CAN GO OVER 700 MILES ON A SINGLE TANK. THE BAD NEWS: THE ASTRA 1.7

TD CAN GO OVER 700 MILES ON A SINGLE TANK. ............... Now I will explain what the

signifiers mean.. The car is a family

one for a reason, which is obvious, it is ideal for a family, especially with

children, when you read the words..

Green is seen to be a colour associated with the countryside and so if

the car is green, it means that people will see it as a good car to go to the

countryside in

Внимание, отключите Adblock

Вы посетили наш сайт со включенным блокировщиком рекламы!
Ссылка для скачивания станет доступной сразу после отключения Adblock!

Скачать