UNIT 30 Assignment 1

Advertising Standards Authority 

Advertising Standards Authority is an independent british regulator of advertising. Their job is to apply the codes of advertising written by the committees of Advertising Practice. They have to act on complaints making sure they are suitable for television and they proactively check media productions to take action against any advertisements which are misleading, harmful or offensive. The ASA have rules (called Advertising Codes) about what content can be featured in the advert which gives them the power to stop broadcasting and advert.

3 things the A.S.A have rules for in broadcasting are:

1. Harm/offence- Marketing communications must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Particular care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age.
2. Children- Advertisements that are suitable for older children but could distress younger children must be sensitively scheduled (e.g. after the 'Watershed')
3. Charities- Advertisements seeking donations for, or promoting the needs or objectives of a charitable body must not suggest that anyone will lack proper feeling or fail in a responsibility by not supporting a charity.

Examples of adverts that have been commented on for risqué content or that have actually been banned by the ASA:

• http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2014/3/Kentucky-Fried-Chicken-Great-Britain-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_252115.aspx -complaints about a KFC advert where a song featured in this advert mocks an element of Christian Worship however the ASA took no action as they believed the advert was just a bit of light hearted irony.

• http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2014/3/Hampson-Hughes-Solicitors/SHP_ADJ_251321.aspx -complaints about Hampson Hughes Solicitors giving false claims about payment for accidents. An action was took by the ASA -this action was that the ad would not be broadcasted again and they spoke with the people at Hampson Hughes Solicitors to ensure that this would not happen in future advertisements.

• http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2014/3/Ecovision-Group-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_248044.aspx -complaints about Ecovision Group offering "free" boilers. The complaints suggested that the ad was misleading as it never mentioned the customer having to sign up to a 12 month plan only ending once a person has payed an amount of money. The action taken against this claim was upheld as they found evidence for the claims -the ad was no longer allowed to be broadcasted and the company was told to ensure that all of their claims were true. 

Homework

Who are thinkbox? 

Thinkbox are a marketing body for television advertising in the UK. It has 3 forms broadcast, on demand and interactive. They have a few shareholders who represent 90% of the advertisement revenue. Its shareholders are: Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media, Turner Media Innovations and UKTV. 

What did the thinkbox research tell us about audiences and tv?

We found out that tv is still a big part of our lives and that we watch tv for many reasons: to pass time, for entertainment and for in-between time. It tells us that audiences watch tv at different times and for different reasons. That there is a difference between attention and engagement and that people engage in television adverts as well as a programme. Advantages of using thinkbox are that it is is less time consuming, they will get the most out of their advert and that thinkbox have a good knowledge about advertising times. 

What are advertising rates cards? and what examples of television rate cards can you get?

Rate cards are printed lists of advertising rates charged by price and their broadcast media. Rate cards show the cost of adverts and when they are being broadcasted, rate cards help negotiate where adverts should go and the number of spots available in different time slots. For example it costs £200,000 for 30 seconds of advertising times during The X Factor breaks on ITV. Examples of rate cards are shown below.

Thinkbox carried out the research by putting cameras into 22 houses to see when people watch tv and how they are engaged in advertisements. They surveyed 3000 people. They did lab research -where people were asked to come in and view television. 

Advantages of putting cameras in houses are:

You gain genuine reactions and responses. 
Easy to review -as it is video taped.
Can find out timings and details. 

Disadvantages of putting cameras in houses are:

Not a lot of people or data to go off.
Potential for it to be inaccurate depending on the circumstances

Advantages of a survey with 3000 people are:

Good range of results

Disadvantages of a survey with 3000 people are:

Too generalised -the data will be missing important details.

Advantages of a lab research are:

You would get a direct response.
You can focus their viewing on the advert you want them to watch. -Have more control over the data and possibly the results.

                                                        Disadvantages of a lab research are:

May get biased response -will give the response that they may want you to say. They respond differently under a pressured environment. 
          B.A.R.B. -Broadcasters Audience Research Board. 

BARB are the official company that provides audience viewing figures in the UK. They provide advertisers with the audience figures which is useful to see when 

5 Different Adverts with different characteristics, techniques and structures.

• Advert 1 -The Benefits (How the product will IMPROVE your life) L'Oreal Advert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoMM4wyzY-E

• The form is documentary -I know this because people are talking to the camera and there are lots of close-ups of people talking to the camera. The characteristics used are Benefits of the product and possible advantage over another product. We know this because the advert highlights the benefits of the product by using phrases such as: 'silky soft' and 'undetectable pores'. *CHANGED* I think the persuasive language and dialogue used appeals to people who seek status and the best which may be people who are aspirers. The close ups and people talking to the camera may appeal to people as it makes it more direct and personal which would interest people and make them feel involved in the product. Therefore it shows us a product that we would want to buy into and that has more benefits than others of a similar nature. The techniques used in the advert are overt as the celebrity endorsement and the familiar catch phrase are used to give it a brand identity and persuade us to like it because people like Cheryl Cole. *CHANGED* I think that theses techniques are used to form some familiarity and recognition to the advert, being able to know what the advert is before the product is even mentioned. The use of a celebrity like Cheryl Cole brings in different types of people such as fans of Cheryl Cole or Aspirers for the status of how famous she is or Mainstreamers who seek familiarity and don't like change.  

• Advert 2 -Advantages of their product (VERSUS another product of similar style). Colgate Advert -total toothpaste. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99T-iGcii8U

• The form is Documentary -I know this because people are being interviewed and it is showing experiments with the toothpaste. The content is factual and it follows people's opinions. *CHANGED* being made in this form and with this content may draw in a aspirers psychographic because it is a known product with status already which appeals to an audience looking for known things.The characteristics used are the advantages of their product vs competing brands and the benefits of owning/using their product. We know this because the positive points are visibly seen on screen as text and that it has the phrase: 'no other toothpaste offers more complete protection' making the product appear better than others. The techniques used in the advert are overt as you see the product at the start and it is mentioned throughout the advert and the characteristics of the product are clearly promoted. *CHANGED* I think they have used these techniques to promote their product to the full extent. By having an interview/experiment form of the advert allows audience responses and for members of the general public to get their say. Seeing the product at the start allows people to feel more comfortable and be able to see what they're viewing so that the have already formed some sort of an emotional response to the product. 

• Advert 3 -Unique Selling Point (Providing something that NO other product or service can) Go Compare Advert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_-9QFvhQWo

• The form is Narrative and series -I know this because of the dramatic characters and the jingle that is featured throughout a lot of the 'Go compare' adverts. It is of a humorous and dramatic style as it makes you laugh when the man starts singing the same annoying song and you see the reactions of the other characters. The characteristics used are USP and brand identity because the song and the protagonist are recognisable and form a humorous identity for the brand it also mentions the brand a lot throughout the song, it gives it a unique selling point. The techniques used in the advert are overt we know this as right from the start the setting says 'Go Compare' in the window of the shop. *CHANGED* I think that they have used these techniques to make the audience form an emotional response -the advert could trigger an annoyed response or make people laugh which encourages people to buy it. The familiar jingle along with the character and the narrative plot of the advert appeals to mainstreamers as it is a recognisable brand, it may also appeal to aspirers because the well known brand gives the advert status and it gives links to other things which would make them more likely to buy into the product/service.

• Advert 4 -Lifestyle (that this product will CHANGE your life -that a life will be aspirational due to this product). Coca Cola Advert -Grandpa. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExRg8m38rug

• The form is Narrative -I know this because their is clearly a plot, the flashbacks of a man's granddad drinking coke when he was younger and of him drinking it now and his grandson drinking it now. I know this because of the colour washes changing from a somewhat sepia look to an everyday modern colours look *CHANGED* this attracts a younger more modern audience due to the bright colours and the lively setting where as the older audience are intrigued by the age of the character and the old colour washes making them remember memories and think about the advert in more depth.  The advert follows the story of the two men mirroring the actions of one another. I think the style is hard to see because it doesn't make me laugh and it isn't dramatic or surreal. I know this because the narrative is something realistic and it merely changes via flashback and modern interpretation rather than something unrealistic or dramatic. I know that the style is simplistic and sweet as you see the character of the elderly man and the prop of the coke bottle. The characteristics used are lifestyle and brand identity because the setting and narrative make the Coke seem as though it improves people's stamina making them live a humorous costume, setting and narrative make the brand seem fun. Therefore it shows us a lifestyle that we would want to buy into. The techniques used in the advert started off as hidden but then as you see the prop that the men are holding it becomes overt this makes us understand and makes us think positively about the product which allows us to form an emotional response. *CHANGED* I think that they have used these techniques to make people smile and think more about what the advert's message is by only revealing the product at the end, this creates an element of suspense and gets the audience guessing. We see this by the camera movement -tracking the men as we wonder what their story is and we're unsure of what the advert is advertising. We know this because the setting is of men going to work and having hectic or busy days which doesn't have anything to do with the product and we don't see the product in the first half of the advert. We then see the product at the end making it overt as we see the product in the men's hands by means of a mid shot.

• Advert 5 -Brand Identity (something you associate the brand with -memorable or highly recognisable due to the advert). Compare The Meerkat Advert -baby.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75VpOGcotlU

• The form is Narrative -I know this because the characters appear on every single advert and their is a clear plot line in these adverts making it a series as the adverts tell an ongoing story. It is of a humorous and dramatic/surreal style as it makes you laugh when the character of Alexander and Segay take care of the new baby meerkat and they have little lines of dialogue between them both which are of a humorous nature. It is slightly unrealistic as meerkats don't actually speak you see this due to the animated characters and the setting of the manor.  The characteristics used is brand identity because the humorous costume, setting and narrative make the brand seem fun and recognisable. The techniques used in the advert started off as hidden but then as you see the tagline compare the meerkat/compare the market making it become overt this makes us laugh which forms an emotional response.  *CHANGED* I believe that they have used these techniques to make people laugh and become entertained by the advert. The camera movements and setting help to translate a story and the close-ups of the characters make you laugh which creates an appropriate emotional response to the advert. This is similar to the coke advert using similar techniques to entertain people and make them smile. However it differs as the narrative changes in both adverts and the adverts use different camera shots and sound to create completely different impacts.