Research Portfolio (U20: P1, M1 U24: P1)

Learning Outcome 1 (U20): Know how existing advertising campaigns embed advertisements across a range of media products

Learning Outcome 2 (U24): Understanding the products that are produced within and across media industries 


TASK 1: RESEARCH PORTFOLIO (U20: P1, M1 U24: P1)

Case Study 1: Pepsi Max 'You probs prefer pepsi max'















https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1VcqxXys-c: Youtube: 2024: Accessed 2024

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

With objectives acting as stepping stones towards a business's aims, an objective of the 'you probs prefer pepsi max' campaign is to persuade new and current consumers to buy the product, they achieve this through persuasive language 'you probs', subconsciously injecting the idea of the consumer liking the drink as it seems self-inflicted, changing the outlook of the consumers in order to sway them to believe pepsi max is their constant drink of choice above other fizzy drinks. Using informal language also ensures that the younger demographic are included within this attempt to gather new consumers, and maintain current ones as "probs", refers to language used by the younger demographic, whilst understanding the younger demographic is easily influenced, therefore the persuasive, colloquial language will be effective in increasing brand awareness, an aim for the campaign, as the language will catch the attention of a wide range of demographics, persuading them to buy it. 

 

 TARGET AUDIENCE

The target demographic for the Pepsi Max commercial, 'You probs prefer Pepsi max' is expected to be young people and millennials aged 18 to 35. This demographic segment is distinguished by its active participation in social media platforms and digital content consumption. The campaign's theme, which include casual and colloquial language like "probs" for "probably," is consistent with the communication style usually used by this age group, creating relatability and relevance. Furthermore, the campaign's emphasis on preference appeal to consumers who are looking for authenticity and personalisation in their brand experiences, capitalising on the demand for items that represents their particular interests and identities. By targeting this demographic group, Pepsi Max hopes to develop a strong brand connection and increase engagement by employing modern communication tactics and meeting customer desires

KEY MESSAGES

The campaign taps into the colloquial language of today's youth, using phrases like 'you probs' to establish a sense of relatability and connection with the target audience. This linguistic choice aims to position Pepsi Max as a beverage choice that aligns with the preferences and lifestyle of contemporary consumers. The campaign also challenges the audience's beverage choices and their loyalty towards Pepsi as a brand, through implanting the suggestion that they do actually prefer pepsi to any other beverage, almost altering the individual's choices and preferences. This message is reinforced through various marketing platforms, including social media such as youtube, billboards, and bus adverts, to create a cohesive and impactful campaign that resonates with consumers on a personal level. Moreover, the impact of 'People called Dave', on the print advert, signifies that the majority of the population enjoy pepsi, due to the generic name of Dave, similar to 'john smith', portraying the message of just how popular the drink is.

APPROACH

The approach of the campaign is taking a simple persuasive slogan such as 'you probs prefer pepsi max' and dispatching it across different advertisements, across media platforms in order for their message to be concrete within the consumer's head, as all the ads are clear and consistent, therefore it creates the illusion for the target audience that they are constantly viewing the campaign multiple times, meaning the target audience will be more inclined to buy the pepsi max as they are seeing it all the time, gradually changing their mind, also supported through the persuasive language. The approach of the campaign is to be bold in order for the ads to stick in the consumer's mind, the colours within the campaign are also bold and reflective of the colours on the pepsi max bottles and cans, possibly making people more willing to buy it in a store as they have subsciously consumed the colours which they would match with the can in the store. 

 REPRESENTATION

Within the print campaign, the representation of 'Dave', is a general image for the population of the target audience, this is because the campaign attempt to convey that everyone's drink of choice is pepsi max due to the general name. The man within the campaign is also densely covered in tattoos, projecting the idea that everyone is included in the consumption of the drink, there isn't a plain demographic that the campaign is targeting towards, it caters to everyone, this is due to tattoos negating the societal stereotype. Within the video campaign, there is a representation of sexual mannerisms from a woman sug as lip biting, suggesting this could be utilised to appeal to the male demographic, however this also conveys how pepsi is targeting women as well as men, thus it could be argued that the mannerisms is simply to show that she is enjoying the drink to persuade people to buy it. 


CAMPAIGN LOGISTICS

The 'you probs prefer pepsi max' campaign was released on 10th July across the UK. All of the adverts cross media were also released on this date, this could be due to the time being summer, therefore the logistics if the campaign's release date could be linked to wanted to remind the UK of their supposed favourite refreshing, cold drink in time for the hot summer. This campaign is also in partnership with the London Underground, as this helped pepsi with the advertisement distribution within London as seen below:








 


CHOICE OF MEDIA

The 'you probs prefer pepsi max' campaign was widely distributed across many platforms including: Youtube, London buses, Underground station posters, and print based digitally. The campaign was advertised within the underground tube stations due to the campaign's partnership with the London Underground, which allows the message to clearly get distributed to thousands of individuals who will passively absorb the media while their walking, similar to the advertisements on the London buses, which will catch the eye of people on the streets as it is very big and bold. The campaign is also advertised on Youtube, which allows audiences to experience a visual representation of how the drink would make them feel, this ultimately immerses the audience, swaying them to buy it.

 

CALL TO ACTION

Within the advertisements of the campaign there aren't explicitly calls to action, however, the persuasuve language 'you probs', manipulates the audience's mind into the pre-meditation that pepsi max is their drink of choice, therefore it is not a call to action but rather an implant of positive manipulation, the audience's mind is changing subconsciously, without realising. 

 

LEGAL, ETHICAL ISSUES AND REGULATORY BODIES

The ASA is the UK's independent advertising regulator, who make sure ads across UK media stick to the advertising rules, the ASA is the regulatory body that regulated the advertisements that Pepsi Max distributed for their campaign. The ASA has two types of regulatory systems, one being 'self-regulation' which is the regulatory system that covers all of the pepsi max campaign advertisements, such as the social media posters and video ad, as well as the bus adverts and underground digital posters. This is means that the campaign is able to be distributed via all these platforms if they stick to the set of rules, which is gone through CAP, the ASA representatives. Potential legal issues that the campaign could face is Intellectual property, this is because of the slogan 'you probs prefer pepsi max', therefore the producers of the campaign would need to show that they invented and came up with the slogan that is the forefront of the campaign to avoid legal implications. Ethical issues of the campaign is ensuring all data on the campaign advertisements are truthful and not misleading, this includes the statistic '70% of the UK prefer pepsi max' because this is a persuasion tactic from Pepsi max to get audiences to buy the drink, there is chance that the data is a lie, due to the large percentage. However to avoid ethical issues, the statistic must be truthful. 

Case Study 2: Saltburn Movie campaign


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNYepvUtYGA: YouTube: 2024: Accessed 2024














Screenshot: From my personal instagram: 2024

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The overall aim of advertising the film 'Saltburn' is to generate awareness about the movie, informing future audiences about the existence of the film and its storyline, specifically done through releasing a trailer on YouTube before the film is released, as this creates anticipation surrounding the film and its release, because the trailer emphasises key and intriguing moments in the film which excited the viewers, ultimately guiding them to the decision of watching the film. Another aim of the Saltburn advertising campaign, is establishing their unique selling point, such as having a very unique and original storyline and ideas, therefore by doing this it generates traffic to the movie due to a new and innovative film release, that is very different than any other film released around the same time. Through advertising their USP, this will create word of mouth as it will create excitement with individuals leading them to spread the new release. 

 

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience of 'Saltburn' varies and is quite wide, however a significant target audience are women aged 16/18 onwards due to the main characters Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan, because these men, also advertised at the front of every 'Saltburn' advertisement, are perceived as very attractive in society and the celebrity scene, therefore the significance of having these two male leads within the advertisements, will create traffic from the younger, female demographic, which will ultimately generate substantial amounts of ticket sales for the film when released as well as the a large portion of the film's cast being young students, which will appeal to a younger audience... Another sector of the 'Saltburn' target audience, are film enthusiasts due to the trailer, it is evident to see the intricacy of the film's production which will intrigue enthusiasts and therefore incline them to watch the film when it is released. 


KEY MESSAGES

Within the trailer of 'Saltburn' the key message is seen to be quite ambiguous as it conveys clips that are seemingly very opposing and different, which is later found out in the film that the trailer is deceiving as the trailer seems to be regarding a homoerotic love story, however it revealed to be an entire different direction within the film, this could be used to shock the audience when watching the film. Therefore the key message of the trailer could be to surprise the audience about the plot when released. Nonetheless, the key messages of the trailer is to express themes of decadance and wealth and the excitement that comes along with it.


APPROACH

The approach of the campaign, particularly seen within the trailer, is to generate conversation as, without even the full film, the clips in the trailer are justifyingly controversial for any audience, such as the 'blood scene' with the two characters, displayed in the trailer,  therefore the film advertisements are utilised to make audiences discuss the meaning of the film and its plot, which creates excitement but also word of mouth, and thus maximising the exposure of the film before its release. 


REPRESENTATION

The representations within the advertisements are primarily aristocratic individuals, who are images of wealth and affluence, this can be viewed on the bus poster through the character's clothing, such as the tux's and the fur, but also the silk dress worn on the women on the far left. There are also minor representation of race diversity within the campaign, although the cast is primarily white, they do add a man of colour which creates diversity within the campaign, especially a black man in an aristocratic setting is very significant, as this is rarely seen within films. 


CAMPAIGN LOGISTICS 

The film was released on 17th November 2023 in the UK as well as USA. However the teaser trailer was released by MGM on Youtube on the 30th August 2023 and the official trailer released on 19th October 2023. The significance of releasing a teaser trailer almost 3 months before the release date of the film, creates tension surrounding the film as well as immense excitement as the teaser trailer is so fragmented in its order that it develops a sense of compelling confusion for audiences about the film's storyline and the official trailer provides a better sense of order for the audiences, getting them ready for the shock of the film.


CHOICE OF MEDIA

The choice of media used to advertise the campaign is rather diverse including a trailer, bus stop poster and an active instagram, the most significant media is the trailer shown on Youtube because the trailer is the advertisement which provokes the most conversation and excitement as it reveals more than their other media choice, being a bus poster. however, both platforms are exposed to the younger audience as buses are popular forms of travel for the younger demographics, therefore the exposure of the film to them will be substantial, similar to the Youtube trailer as this is a platform that is used frequently amongst the entire population, but specifically the younger audiences, which again will maximise the exposure of the new film.


CALL TO ACTION

Throughout the official trailer, there are quotes from the film pop up on the screen such as "come inside", this is a call to action for the audience which compels them to watch the film and almost indulge within it, which is ultimately the key themes of the film, indulgence.


 LEGAL, ETHICAL ISSUES AND REGULATORY BODIES

Ethical issues within the advertisements, specifically the trailer, is the oversexualisation of some of the film's viral scenes, as this could provoke conversations relating to suggested non-consensual sexual acts, such as the blood scene and more when watching the full film which could lead to audiences, especially teenage audiences feeling uncomfortable or violated. Ofcom, which is the UK's communications regulator, who regulate the TV, radio sectors and video-on-demand services, such as Prime Video, the on demand service that Saltburn is available on, as well as Youtube, which contains the Saltburn trailers. This means that the media company MGM, who distributed the Saltburn trailers on Youtube, would have to follow the codes of practice provided by Ofcom in order to upload the trailers on Youtube, to maintain a safe and protected platform, which is Ofcom's role. Potential Legal issues for Saltburn include copyright and intellectual property. In order for the film for to distributed, including the trailers, the producers of the film, primarily 'Emerald Fennel', would have to prove that she owns or has a license to use every piece of intellectual property within the film, to avoid facing legal issues. The producers of Saltburn would also have to convey joint copyright owner agreements for the songs within the film, such as 'Murder on the dancefloor' because the producers do not own the song, therefore they would've needed to convey agreements showing they have the permission to use the song, to avoid a large fine or even imprisonment. 


(M1: U20) CASE STUDY 1: 'you probs prefer pepsi max'


CONSISTENCY

My first campaign, 'you probs prefer pepsi max', promotes on three different platforms including a TV advert, entire bus design Ad (and other tfl advertisements) and digital poster, containing a consistent message throughout. Within all adverts, the house style such as the navy blue, black, red and white colour scheme, and font remains consistent despite being on different platforms, as well as the logo on every advertisement, because this ensures audiences understand which brand the advertisement belongs to every time they see it, which maximises brand awareness across a wide range of platforms and audiences. Within the video advertisement, the audience are able to understand the physical impact of the drink on an individual, this is as a result of the sensuality of the woman's actions and expression when drinking from the Pepsi can, such as eye contact, creating a sense of connection between her and the audience, sending the message of persuasion for audiences to buy the drink, in order to generate the same feeling. This is positive as the audience are able to fully immerse themselves with the advertisement and grasp the totality of the taste of Pepsi max, still remaining with the house colours, fonts and logo to maintain the consistency of brand assertion. However, within the other advertisements such as the bus advertisement and digital poster, although they do maintain the consistent message of internalising the idea of Pepsi max being their audience's first choice, they also lack the personal and connected feel that is so prominent within the video advertisement, which almost degrades the message of ultimate persuasion as there is a lack of personality. 



MESSAGE OF DELIVERY

The producers of pepsi max revealed that the message of the 'you probs prefer pepsi max' campaign was to "challenge the perceptions of cola drinkers everywhere, by driving home the UK's love for the great taste of Pepsi MAX.", throughout the campaign advertisements, this message is relayed simply through the use of persuasive language, altering audience's perception of cola drinks, in order to place pepsi max as their first choice. This message is clear to see in every advertisement because the slogan is inevitably on every Ad, cross-media. The uniformity of every campaign Ad is very clear to see, which is beneficial to pepsi because it allows audiences to constantly absorb the campaign message, as the cross-media Ads are not fragmented as they all follow the same structure, which strengthens the message because there is a sense of consistency which is not overstimulating for any audience. The campaign also uses traditional and digital methods of delivery such as bus advertisements and youtube advertisements, this strategy of delivery is very effective because there is an understanding that not all of the target audience is going to be an active digital media user, therefore the delivery of message can be received through multiple means which caters to a variety of audiences, ultimately maximising the mass of people that the message will be delivered to. 

CASE STUDY 2: 'Saltburn'

CONSISTENCY

For my second campaign, the film 'Saltburn', it is promoted widely across social media, this is because the film is released worldwide, therefore by advertising on social media such as having a dedicated instagram, this maximises the amount of audiences that are reached worldwide. Of course, being a film the aim of advertising is to allow audiences to grasp the concept of the film and clips to evoke intrigue, that said, the consistency throughout the different advertisements, cross-media, is quite irregular as the bus stop poster portrays a very vague idea of the film, whereas the visual advertising, being the trailer on youtube, uncovers inconsistent clips within the film, similar to the social media advertisements, their instagram page, which conveys random posts regarding the film. However, i do believe that the inconsistency of advertisements is a strength for this campaign, because it reflects the chaotic and mysterious tone of the film which is later revealed, therefore the cross-media advertisements are inconsistent but are indeed reflective of the heart of the film. On the other hand, the inconsistency could also act as a weakness for the campaign, because it could elicit confusion and overstimulation from audiences; due to the jump-around nature of the Ads, which ultimately could deflect audiences from viewing the film when released. Regarding house colours, throughout all advertisements, the colour red is persistent and prominent within all Ads as this is a colour that is extremely relevant to the film, due to the abundance of death and blood, the font is also consistent amidst the advertisements, as this font connotes a sense of elevation and wealth which is also a large factor within the film. 


MESSAGE OF DELIVERY

The message of the film as a whole is to convey the corruption of wealth, alongside the repercussions of raw desire. This message is slightly vague within the advertisements which bares positives and negatives, throughout the Youtube trailer, the clips do highlight themes of excessive wealth and indulgence, due to the party scenes, however they rarely portray the message of desire, a highly significant theme within the film, which i believe is a weakness for the campaign as is does not send the clear message of the foundation of the film's moral. Although, this could also serve as a strength for the campaign, because it allows a sense of mystery to arise for the audience, which ultimately would make them more excited to see the film (increasing ticket sales) and discover the meaning of the film. The campaign advertisements are delivered on both traditional and digital methods, given the fact the film is internationally distributed, the use of digital advertising, ensures that the film is exposed to people globally to ensure they can maximise the success of the film, this is due to the variety and mass of individuals on social media, in order to reach a wide market of people and film enthusiasts. The campaign is also advertised on bus stops throughout London, this is a strength because it exposes the film to an even wider range of people, using geo-demographics, especially bus stops which are near cinemas such as Barnet Everyman. Overall, the message of the campaign is slightly blurred throughout the advertisements, such as the minimalistic tone of the bus adverts, which simply only convey themes of wealth, reflective of their costume, and the video advertisements and social media which expose a bit more depth about the film, but could reveal more about the overarching message of the film. However, throughout all advertisements it is clear to see that they are all from the same campaign, because of the actors being prominent within all advertisements as well as the same colour of writing and fonts used. 


(P1: U24)

ADVERTISING METHODS
  • TV Commercials
  • radio adverts
  • Instagram Ads
  • Direct message
  • Billboards
  • Pop- up Ads 
  • Magazine adverts 
  • Transit Ads (buses, trains)
  • Newspaper Ads
  • personalised emails
  • Flyers


Pepsi campaign:

ADAPTATIONS OF PRODUCTS ACROSS PLATFORMS

The Pepsi max campaign utilised multiple platforms as advertising methods for the 'you probs prefer pepsi max' campaign, including a bus advert, video advert, interactive billboard and a poster advert. Although the message is remained consistent throughout all advertisements across platforms, which is evident through the maintenance of the colour scheme being blue black and red, the iconic Pepsi max colours and font. The adaptations across platforms are evident to fit conventions of advertising methods. Within the video advert there are consistent, smooth transitions between clips, this is because it makes the advert more engaging for audiences to ensure they do not become bored. Furthermore, within the video the typography is sans serif, which is consistent across all platforms, this bold font is utilised within the video advert as well as the digital billboards, to ensure that the text is easy to read for audiences, this is significant within the video advert because of the fast pace throughout. Within the video advert, the adaptation that is the most significant are the visuals used of individuals, this is used because it ensures that audiences are fully immersed within the video, therefore understanding the feeling the drink provides for a consumer. However this was adapted for the bus advert through larger typography and a stronger focus on imagery, because this ensures that the campaign's message is striking to passing audiences and individuals, the bus advertisement also stretches round the entirety of the bus, this solidifies that the max amount of audiences can be reached on the streets. The advertisements is further adapted for the social media poster, similar to the digital billboard, consisting of large sans serif typography and the personal element of the text, 'people called dave', increasing the inclusivity of the drink to engage more audiences. 


HOW BRANDS ARE CONSTRUCTED FROM CROSS-MEDIA PRODUCTS AND PLATFORM

Throughout the different media platforms that Pepsi utilised to advertise on, their brand image is remained consistent. Within all advertisements across platforms, the pepsi house style is maintained, this includes their recognisable colours, black, blue white and red, this is evident on the bus advert because the advertisement is enlarged to suit conventions, therefore the brand image is effectively portrayed and recognised, the typography is also remained consistent throughout all advertisements to ensure audiences are aware of the brand within the campaign as the layout is extremely similar, however within the video advert the text is more flashy to ensure audiences are engaged throughout. The slogan for the campaign is also evident throughout all advertisements 'you probs prefer pepsi' to reinforces the brand name and their confidence of their product. This not only builds the brand, must ensures that audiences maintain loyalty and brand awareness.


ENGAGING DIFFERENT AUDIENCES

The significance of the Pepsi max campaign being advertised across platforms ensures maximum engagement from various audiences, The bus advert ensures that all audiences are reached, especially older audiences who may not consume social media, this because of the diversity within London is extremely vast, meaning that Pepsi are able to reach audineces outside their desired target market, this is similar with the digital billboards in the London underground, which is utilised to reach wide audiences, as this is the message that the campaign is attempting to send, that the drink is for everyone, therefore through advertising on these public spaces reinforces diversity within the audiences. Through advertising on social media, through the poster, as well as the Youtube video advert, this primarily targets the younger demographic because they are the main consumers of social media, therefore pepsi ensures that they are engaging all audiences through multiple platforms, as social media the most effective way to advertise towards the younger demographic. 



Comments

Post a Comment