Introduction

Advertising is all around us and is integral to everyday life. It is one of the largest sectors of the media industry, adverts being presented in a wide range of media such as television, film, radio, magazines, posters, billboards, the press, and the internet. Of all of these, television advertising probably has the highest profile, some television advertisements being so effective and memorable that they become classics and part of the cultural background for a whole generation of viewers. Television is used to market almost every product one can imagine from everyday consumables, like washing powder, to extravagant sports cars, whilst some advertisements promote a service such as insurance, banking or vehicle breakdown cover.

Television advertising has become more and more sophisticated, utilising the very latest digital production techniques. Content and style can be simple or complex, using traditional narrative structures or less obvious surrealist imagery, and messages can be overt or understated.

In this blog I will show my understanding of the structures and techniques used in television advertisements.

I will cover the following structures relating to form, style and the codes and conventions used in adverts.

I will also discuss with examples the different techniques that advertisers use to promote a product.

Structures of Advertisments

Form - Documentary

This style is used so that people can see into the life of someone and maybe relate themselves. It shows what someone else is doing and what you could be doing, it enthuses viewers. Its real life and real opinions to encourage people to have the same feelings these people do in the advert. The style is very effective with people who are easily influenced through other peoples success.



This advert shows a documentary because it goes through certain students at a university and what they are doing now after going to this university. The style is used to encourage other stidents to follow these people and come to this uni and be what you want to be. Its encouraging them and making viewers believe they can have the life they want with the help of this university. I think this style is a good one to use for this type of advertising because its all about the students and they want people to believe they can do something not tell them what they can and can't do but what they will do. The audience they are aiming for are students who are wanting to go to university so they are trying to influence the viewers into going to theirs.

Form - Animation

Using animation as a style can is very effective and sometimes easier. Dealing with actors and models can be allot of money and managment. Whereas if an animation was being done then its more incontrol. Animated characters have the additional benefit of being make-believe so that can appeal to a wide audience by making them use imaginationmore and give them long lasting impressions. Any idea can become reality by combining life ideas and animation. 



In this adevert its all animation used. Its very effective because it would be harder to film especially with all the things that are done in it. The waves and sea in this advert would be harder to create well in real life with a real model. The amount of dramatic effect used in this doesnt have to have limits with animation whereas in real circumstances it wouldnt be possile. It makes this advert more dramatic using this style in their advert. Its memorable and can relate to alot of people. Its aimed at women who maybe need to destress which are shown with the waves calming down through the advert. I think they have used this style so they can go over the top and try and capture how some women feel after having their product Twinings Tea. This is shown when the doves come downa dn bring the boat to shore where the women finds herself. This advert has used animation to create a dramamtic over the top view of a womens life and worked well.

Form - Narrartive Structures

The main point of an advert is to catch the viewers attention make it memorable to try and convince them to buy their product. To do this some companys create adverts with stories which is the narrative for the advert. Throughout the advert the story is revealed with the conclusion at the end which is the part which mainly tells custmors exactly why they should buy this product. The story would be organised into the start then the problem then the problem resolved usually so to say that this product is your solution to problems related to this product. Most adverts using narratives are linear narratives which show a beggining middle and end in the correct order. Narrative adverts are a popular way of selling a product to consumers.



This stop look and listen advert starts with the outcome of this advert first the style is non linear. This is used to shock you straight away and concentrate on the advert to find out whats happend. The advert starts with the ending then the solution then what it could of been like. It shows the little boy with all his injuries looking sad watching eveyone else palying football. Then shows how it happend while the talk over explains what he could of differently. Then it ends with how he could of been and what all his friends are now doing without him. This advert is aimed at young children who mainly school children to give them a warning of what could happen if they arnt safe. Its for them to understand the meaning of safety and also for parents to watch and reinforce this message of safety. This charectaer is used because he's a little boy who are most likely not to know about road safety as much and might be not thinking if they're are just with their friends.

Style - Humorous

The style in this advert is humorous because of how the dad in this advert is being interrogated about some Hariobs which is the product being sold. This style makes it funny and memorable which is what the company intended the advert to do. This idea works because allot of people can laugh and maybe relate to this because of the family in it. The haribo adverts unique selling point is that the whole family can enjoy them together and that they're so good they are worth fighting for. It starts well because it catches your attention well and we don't find out what the product is straight away but it doesn't matter because viewers are already interested. When the little girl comes in at the end it makes viewers laugh and relate to it and want to talk about it and see it more.

Form - Stand Alone/Series

A stand alone advert is one which has many but all including the same storyline and people. Companys would put all their effort into keeping this one advert going while updating the product but keeping the theme. Its a seris of adverts with only certain things changing.


This is one example of a series advert I found was the Argos alien adverts which have made a few now advertise different areas of their products. I think they have used aliens because its so unusual and will defiantly make people remember it. Also the family has a mum and dad so Argos can advertise products they think women and Men and especially what parents would like through the mum and dad. Then they have the little boy which can advertise all things that boys like and the little girl so they can advertise all girls products. They are well structured so that people know what they are advertising and what time of year it is. They have one advert for christmas which is obviously advertising all the Christmas Argos products for each member of the family. The advert I chose shows the young boy alien with a new toy which is so simple but you remember it because whats happening. It uses humour and interest to get across the product. Each advert could be aimed at someone different in any family because of the whole family structure. It lets families and children relate to the family even though they're aliens. Its a good use of technique because it familiar to people so everyone remembers its Argos.