Advertising

Advertising Project Evaluation

Research

To start this project, my group watched two DVD entries: ‘Ads That Changed The World’ and ‘Ads They Had To Ban”. The two DVD’s explored adverts through the decades, from the Lux soap advert in 1826 to the Levi’s advert with Nick Cayman in 1989.

It was also incredibly interesting to see how companies used optical illusions (eg: a tobacco ad with cigarettes as the rain and cigarette packets as umbrellas) and advertising law loop holes to get banned back into public view and the various categories and depths that a banned ad can fall into.

My group was then assigned to go onto the ASA website and analyse the CAP code and discover why an ad can get banned, what the ASA’s purpose is, why they are important, what the ASA’s rulings can mean for a questionable ad, and how the ASA deal with complaints about adverts.

We were also assigned to look at three banned adverts and denote from the ASA website: how many people complained and why, the response from the advert’s company to the ASA, and what action that the ASA took in coherence with the CAP code.

I began to develop an interest into the ASA website and expanded my banned adverts blog post from three adverts to twenty-one.

Planning & Production

My group was assigned to work in pairs to create our own advert based on a topic that we were given at random by the tutor.

I was paired with Ashley Wilcock and we created a mind map on our topic: organic cat food. We took into consideration factors such as: what cats like to do, how they keep fit, and what they like to eat.

We then worked on our mind map for a brand name for our cat food. We tried various names combining cats with vegetables until we came up with a brand name that was catchy and stuck into people’s minds: Captain Catt-o’s Synthefish.

We then worked separately on Photoshop and we tried various font types in various colours. Until I decided on using different shades of a specific colour per word and I chose on a three-way font combination of Edwardian Script, Haettenschweiler and Trojan Pro with a picture of an orange cat wearing a pirate hat with a speech bubble saying “Arrgh!” at the side of it. Below the title, I typed the brand’s slogan: “ Yo-ho-ho and a bowl of yum! Veggie goodness for your kitty’s tum with Captain Catt-o Synthefish!”.

Pre-Production

Before we began filming the advert, my group all had to fill out production paperwork individuality based on our own ad ideas to ensure that all filming and production was conducted safely and appropriately without any risk to ourselves or those around us.

I began with the recce. I copied a map of Hyde Clarendon from the internet and placed it onto my recce. I then typed all of the information including light and sound into the sections.

I then typed in the risk assessment and typed all of the risk factors associated with the Hyde Clarendon Media Suite, the degree to which each factor is potentially harmful and how a solution can be found to alleviate the risk to myself and to others.

I created a storyboard on Celtx and I used images of every specific scene that I had drawn by hand and scanned them onto the storyboard. With that done, I then typed a narration for every scene, complete with what the characters would say and diegetic and non-diegetic sounds.

I also created a script on Celtx and I typed up an in-depth description about the details of the scene and what each individual character will say, how they are presented and what they look like.

Finally, I created the shooting script. I printed off the script that I had previously made and hand wrote the details on the positions of the camera and what the angle of the camera for each scene should be.

Filming

Together, me and the film crew and cast set out the scene and how it would look from the camera’s perspective. We also made the filming area emit a more home-based feel from it, complete with two sofas, a coffee table, a plant in a pot, a television set and we shot the entire advert from in front of the window.

Post Production

I began editing the advert on Final Cut Express. For this, I used text boxes to introduce the two ads and editing out the parts that were not applicable to the adverts. I also used text boxes to add end credits at the ads to thank all those how took part. I also used Garage Band to edit Captain Catt-o’s speaking to make it easier and clearer to hear. I also used Garage Band to create a sea shanty and to make it in-tune to when Captain Catt-o sings.

Once the editing part had been completed, I uploaded the ads onto YouTube as one video. I used my password and username to upload the video. Fortunately, it did not take very long to upload and I then clicked ‘Publish’ to add it to YouTube.

I then added it to my Blogger account and to my Advertising blog under the post name ‘Captain Catt-o Finished Advert’.

Finished Product

When compared with my original idea, my actual advert appears the same as how I originally envisioned it, apart from the way that the set for the advert was set up, which I was really pleased with.

I feel that my advert is appropriate to the target audience. However, it is also quite a versatile ad because there is no profanity, references to drugs or to sex and no violence in it. Therefore, any age can watch the ad and will not find it offensive.

It also appeals greatly to my target audience: cat owners. Predominantly because the protagonist of the ad is a cat and the ad is about organic cat food.

The ad itself is also technically quite good, as the ad is very visible and easy to understand and hear, as opposed to being unclear and difficult to hear. However, the ad does appear slightly grainy, but that could simply be the aspect ratio.

The content of the ad is also good, as the mascot of the ad and the instant brand recognition also provide viewers with a clear indication as to what the ad actually represents.

The style of the ad is slightly surreal and looks like a cartoon, as it features a talking cat puppet with a pirate hat and the ability to eat and digest. The text is also very simple, as it is short and is clear as to what the ad represents.