Self Assessment

Attainment : C
Effort : 2-3
Indicitive : C/B

Homework : H

I chose these grades as i believe that i do make effort and do possess the qualities of a person who is capable of getting a C/B which is why i chose to put that down as my indictive grade. However homework does seem to be an area of where i could be doing better on, which is why i put it down as an area of where i can improve on.

Targets :

1. Put more effort into the homeworks which are set , as this would benefit me long term when putting enough effort in now it would help me to get ahead.

2. Research and plan more on my production as this would give me an advantage as when planning well , it would make things easier when i get onto the actual production part of the course.

3. Go over theories and key media concepts and revise them throughly

Task 6

How and why are celebrities used to promote lifestyle products such as Dior perfume, in TV and print advertising?

We are constantly being tested on our ability to prove ourselves to others and it’s shown by our achievements, experiences and the way we represent ourselves. The media is all around us and we use it to interpret our views and thoughts to create a voice for ourselves. However in this case the media is constantly being bombarded with a purpose to constantly sell and get attention all the time.

Celebrities are constantly being exploited and been the highlight of the media culture. We live in a society that depends on information and communication to keep moving in the right direction and do our daily activities like work, entertainment, health care, education, personal relationships, travelling and anything else that we have to do.

Celebrities are used as a promotional tool in order to sell products. The representation of celebrities are relentlessly over sexualised as people believe that ‘sex sells’ therefore people are being put into a position of which they are being fed information on a product or service while being shown a slightly pornographic scene from adverts. The media is continuously out of control however without it there wouldn’t have been any way of the public awareness. The media is an extremely influential aspect of humanity.

Task 3

This action of using celebrities within advertising to endorse products had still taken place even at a date so far back in 1953 which shows the this idea of using celebrities in order to boost promotion for products to sell more has been apart of the media and been acceptable for decades.

The commercial begins black and white with a medium shot of Marylyn Monroe on a cinema screen as she is sitting in disguise in the audience watching her own movie as a close up of her chest is shown as her breasts appear to become large and a close up shot of her hair turns blonde as the screen turns into colour she opens the bottle and the audience turn in her direction in shock as she says the channel No5 fragrance the women repeat her words as they are attracted to her scent. The mise en scene is in the cinema. The use of sound is non diegetic sound and voice over narration. As they look at her she suddenly turns back into her disguise and the audience look away as the channel commercial represents the fragrance as Marylyn’s scent. As once Marylyn was asked what you wear to bed. She answered five drops of channel No5.this became the biggest success of channel No5 and still continues till this day.

Task 5 Essay Plan

Introduction; A Brief description of celebrity advertising , the texts that I’m going to be using, "Dior perfume advert" as my main text and " ”Gucci guilty commercial".
My critical investigation is going to be focussed on celebrity culture in advertising, and how these ideologies affect the audience.

First Paragraph; the point I want to make in this paragraph is how in fact is celebrity culture is constantly being, with reference to using my textual analysis, I will see how celebrity culture is present. Also I will include hegemonic values into this paragraph.

Second Paragraph; the second point I wish to make is what effects do celebrity culture and ideologies have on the audience. I will consider both negative and positive effects of this, using the hypodermic needle theory and the cultivation theory.

Third Paragraph; in this paragraph I will explain how the celebrity advertising endorsement genre became so popular and why it is now richly endowed with celebrities as well as ordinary people.

Fourth Paragraph; I will question whether it is actually products that sell or the celebrity, using Marxism and Hegemony
There are hegemonic values – in way the mise en scene is used to represent higher class people eg. In the Gucci guilty advert the clothing is smart and has animation and items look expensive shown. As a result creating emphasis on how the upper class people have control and power.

Task 4

Media Magazine

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/4sets.html
“The technological forces are then harnessed, or exploited, by economic forces, the companies in the business of making profits”

“technologies that make it possible to manufacture a certain media product at a certain time. For example, highly miniaturised digital circuitry and broadband telecommunications for the so-called 3G (third generation) mobile phones, which are starting to hit markets this year”

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/mm22_what_is_news.html
"Elite nations are often focused upon, reinforcing their perceived importance, whilst many smaller and poorer countries and communities are ignored altogether. News is inherently ideological."

Google Scholar

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2118455
Simple theory of advertising as good or bad
“most economists and or intellectuals have not liked advertisements that provide little information”

“we agree that many ads create wants without producing information, we do not agree that they change our tastes”

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=162717
Repetitive Advertising and the Consumer
“Advertising is in an odd position. Its extreme protagonists claim it has extraordinary powers and its severest critics believe them. Advertising is often effective. But it is not as powerful as is sometimes thought, nor is there any evidence that it actually works by any strong form of persuasion or manipulation.”

http://abs.sagepub.com/content/38/4/593.short
Social Comparison, Advertising, and Consumer Discontent
“Consumers encounter countless advertising images during the course of everyday life. Many of these images are idealized, representing life more as it is imagined than as it actually exists.”

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2352485
economics consequences of advertising
“advertising operates predominantly by changing consumer tastes”

Article Links

http://www.jstor.org/pss/2352485
economics consequences of advertising
“advertising operates predominantly by changing consumer tastes”

http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Jpm4x1bNw7kC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=how+advertising+influences+male+tastes&ots=J4iQbn0CPo&sig=pKPrcxyVguWuSLsmMymylPK8aUw#v=onepage&q&f=false
“media images of celebrities teach kids to hate their bodies”

“entertainment specials focus on eating disorders, and celebrity plastic surgery... pressures mates to look like models”

http://www.jstor.org/pss/4189010
“reason is that consumers grow up in particular cultures and become accustomed to that cultures values, belief in their advertising”

Task 2

MacKinnon, K. (2003). Representing men maleness and masculinity in the media. London: Arnold.
Arthur Brittan - "biology and soicety are never seperate - they maturally consituate eachother, hence the 'true facts' of biology & pristine and uninterpreted. The are always mediated, The 'facts' of sexual differences are 'facts' by the virtue of ... generalized beliefs... "

"social rewards fir being 'real' men or 'real' women.... In society actual women and men present themselves demand to be precieved as real"

"male sexuality involves alienatiomn under the gender system, a great deal of literature on sexuality takes no account of such aspects of construction of gendered identity"

"'hypermasculinty'( the exaggerated display of what are culturally taken to be macho thaits) overcompensates"

masculinity in advertising
"male charecters in an advertisment has the required authority & suggests the appropriate power is through visual apperance"

"strength suggested not only in terms of physic. But also in the suggestion of his influence and business sucess."

Gauntlett, D. (2008). Media, gender and identity: an introduction. (2. ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Men's magazines
In the second edition, I discussed some of the most prominent themes in today’s men’s lifestyle magazines, rather than going through particular magazine titles one by one. But, for those who want it - although it is now necessarily dated - the more detailed discussion of particular men’s magazines from the first edition appears here.

http://www.theoryhead.com/gender/MGI2008-extra1.pdf

Coad, D. (2008). The metrosexual: gender, sexuality, and sport. Albany: SUNY Press.
“It is through patriarchy that power is attributed to males and withheld from females”

“the gender categories of masculine and feminine are fundamental to the structure of patriarchal power” (52)
Heteroeroticism is defined as an “erotic interest in gender different from one’s own” (64)

“It is commonly believed that sports helps produce men, there is a close connection between athletic proficiency and masculine gender status”

(Reference to be used linked to this: Casey,B. Casey,N. Calvert,B. French,L. Lewis,J. "Televisiom studies:Key concepts" (London :Routeledge,2002)

"While stereotypes may be partial , they are not false:they generally contain a grain of truth")

Task 1

Charlize theron - Dior Perfume advert

In this advert charlize theron is in a slightly-suggestive, upscale striptease. This text shows the representation of women being compared as the “hourglass figure”. The Sex framework which was displayed in the advert connotes this sort of behaviour is what attracts audiences into the advert. The not-so-subliminal message is, that J’Adore makes beautiful women ‘take their clothes off’.

The advert about the celebrity Charlize Theron being stalked through this beautiful house in her heels and gold beaded evening gown and jewellery, flinging it all off with what looks like relief, saying things like, “Gold is cold, diamonds are dead… Don’t pretend, feel what’s real.”

Charlize Theron represented as a sexual object being compared to a naked perfume bottle, the constant comparison between the two can be perceived as a stereotypical representation of a woman. The combination of high and low key lighting in various shots of her face and straight to her feet gives the impression of an elongated figure.

Issues and debates

Media affects - how an advert for a perfume makes it seem that the user can have such a glamorous life, this would target more to aspirers as they wish to live this lifestyle and therefore may purchase the product.

Regulation – from sue of shots we can see how some things have been regulated such as when we see the women and her legs – this is sign of sexual gratification, however the audience only sees a small section on her legs as it’s a medium shot rather than having a long shot – as we would see in more lower demographic targeted adverts.

Media technology and the digital revolution – this shows how emerging technology has affect advertising has they are trying to keep up with it. This allows them to meet audience needs and wants as they have higher expectations because of technology.

Theories

Hegemony – this advert shows how elite are in power, this is made apparent form the use of mise en scene with props such as money, and cars. Also form the protagonist himself and his clothing (dressed in smart suit) which represents his wealth.

Marxism- to some it may show aspects of Marxism and how it could make it seem that by purchasing this perfume – you would have that status and style of living, this could be misleading to psychographics such as aspirers; as it may give false hope.

Hypodermic needle – this advert uses aspects of this theory as it is injecting messages into the minds of the viewers, it is trying to draw attention to the power the producer has. As it is making it seems that having this perfume will make you get women or men.

Laura Mulvey is an important theorist of the male gaze which enforces the ideologies in the advert for the “male gaze” as although it is sexual because the women is taking her clothes off , she is also an attractive women who has a substantial reputation. Also as Charlize seems to be in control of herself also “out of control” within the situation she holds the questionable theory of Post Feminism as she is represented as rich and dominant.

Who are the major players in terms of news providers in the UK and what exactly do they own?

News Corp- Rupert Murdock
The news providers which Rupert Murdock owns are :

· News of The World

· The Sun

· BSKYB

· Rotten Tomatoes

· The Sunday Times

· News International

Independent Television Authority - Kenneth Clark

· ITV

· ITV2

· TWW

Media Magazine

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/mm22_DVD_extra.html

"These audiences now enjoy the similar access provided by television extras, which can also be seen to provide access to wider on-screen audiences, whether they be in the studio or communicating with the programme via phone or computer"

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/mm27_global_marxism.html

" Marxism can inform our understanding of the political and economic relationships underpinning global media."

"Marxism can inform our understanding of the political and economic relationships underpinning global media."


http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/mm22_what_is_news.html

"Elite nations are often focused upon, reinforcing their perceived importance, whilst many smaller and poorer countries and communities are ignored altogether. News is inherently ideological."

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/reading%20charity.pdf


http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/Buffalo_Sold.html

An ideology is a collection of ideas that form a larger system of beliefs. Typically these are the ‘isms’ that you will have heard of, many associated with political beliefs – communism, Marxism, capitalism – together with other ideologies like feminism, Christianity and environmentalism

http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/_mmagpast/4sets.html

The technological forces are then harnessed, or exploited, by economic forces, the companies in the business of making profits

technologies that make it possible to manufacture a certain media product at a certain time. For example, highly miniaturised digital circuitry and broadband telecommunications for the so-called 3G (third generation) mobile phones, which are starting to hit markets this year.

Google Scholar - Articles

Abstract

Drawing on previous research, this paper discusses how celebrities act as intermediaries

between culture and economy in the promotional industries. By focusing on celebrity

endorsements in advertising, it outlines how film actors and actresses, athletes, models,

pop singers, sportsmen and women mediate between producers and consumers via the

products and services that they endorse. Here celebrities are cultural intermediaries as

they give commodities ‘cultural personalities’ and perform across different media, linking

different cultural spheres into an integrated whole. But, given the facts that who they

advertise for and what they do or do not do have major financial implications for the

corporations whose products they endorse, celebrities can also be said to be economic

intermediaries.

http://openarchive.cbs.dk/bitstream/handle/10398/7007/wp.%20nr.%2046%202001.pdf?sequence=1

Abstract

Celebrity endorsement for consumer products is widely used in advertising, taking advantage of the public's fascination with celebrities and the belief in a personal connection with them. Tourism Australia and other Through the example of the Australia — A Different Light campaign (2004) this article examines the potential influences of celebrity endorsement on destination image. The application of Gallarza, Gil Saura and Calderón García's (2002) framework of image characteristics suggests that celebrities may affect many aspects of destination image, some of which are under the advertiser's control. A conceptual framework for the analysis of celebrities' potential influence on destination image, and the consequences for destination awareness and choice, was established. Three areas of further research are highlighted that are critical in understanding the role of celebrities: links between celebrity exposure in different media; the fit between destination, celebrity and consumer; and the celebrity's effect on destination awareness and purchase decisions.

http://www.atypon-link.com/AAP/doi/abs/10.1375/jhtm.16.1.16

Abstract

The relationship between celebrity endorsements and brands, by applying a selection of widely accepted principles of how consumers’ brand attitudes and preferences can be positively influenced. Thereby the concepts of source credibility and attractiveness, the match-up hypothesis, the meaning transfer model and the principles of multiple product and celebrity endorsement will be used.

This article addressed a popular method of marketing communication: the use of

celebrity spokespersons in advertising to endorse brands. A brief assessment of the

current market situation indicates, that celebrity endorsement advertising strategies can

under the right circumstances indeed justify the high costs associated with this form of

advertising. However, as several failures show, it is essential for advertisers to be aware

of the complex processes underlying celebrity endorsement, by gaining an understanding

of the described concepts of source credibility and attractiveness, match-up hypothesis,

meaning transfer model, multiple product and celebrity endorsement. While these

concepts can help to answer the question if and when celebrity advertising investments

pay off, it has to be the goal of further research efforts to develop an extensive, consistent

and user-friendly tool to avoid arbitrary decisions and enhance the strategic character of

celebrity sponsorship decisions.

http://worldlywriter.com/images/portfolio/Proposals/Celebrity_Branding.pdf

Abstract

Lifestyles and lifestyle values globally have many common factors other than the

effect of cultural and religious orientation of individuals within a particular society. With

the development of lifestyle segmentation and the use of such segmentation for advertising

and marketing, there is emerging a perspective on lifestyle advertising. We attempt here to

discuss and develop the case for lifestyle advertising, proposing basic variables associated

with lifestyle advertising or the drivers of lifestyle advertising and define how lifestyle

advertising can standardise concept development in advertising practice.

http://www.eurojournals.com/ejefas_21_09.pdf

Abstract

Examines the use of celebrity endorsement in advertising. Reviews the results of a recent study looking at the effect of a celebrity's attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise on product purchase intentions, and of one examining the relevance of physical attractiveness and other symbolic attributes of the endorser in relation to product meaning. Considers implications for marketing managers and concludes that further research is necessary.

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=855688&show=abstract

Abstract

A number of companies use celebrities in advertisements to promote different kinds of products. Indeed, millions of dollars are spent on celebrity contracts each year by assuming that the benefits of using celebrities will exceed the costs. Given the popularity and importance of celebrity endorsements, the impact of celebrity endorsements on advertising effectiveness has been studied extensively over the last 30 years. For instance, to measure the effectiveness of advertisements with celebrities, different levels of hierarchy of effects models (i.e., cognitive level such as brand recall, affective level such as attitudes toward ad, and conative level such as purchase intentions) have been used as dependent variables.

http://cba.unl.edu/academics/marketing/documents/2010_SymposiumProceedings.pdf#page=69

Abstract

Celebrity endorsement advertising is a prevailing advertising technique. Some marketers choose to utilize multiple celebrities to promote their products or brands. Nevertheless, it is surprising that so little research has focused on this phenomenon. This research discussed advantages and potential concerns of multi-celebrity endorsement advertising and documented the actual use of multiple celebrity endorsers in the milk mustache campaign in the USA.. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=857777&show=abstract Abstract The importance of fit between the endorser and the endorsed product has been described as the “match-up hypothesis”. Much dy One examines physical attractiveness as a match-up factor. Results indicate a general “attractiveness effect”, but not a match-up effect based on attractiveness. Study Two considers expertise as the match-up dimension. A match-up effect was fou“match-up hypothesis” research has focused on physical attraction. We present two studies which collectively suggest that, while attractive endorsers do positively affect attitude toward the endorsed brand, expertise is a more important dimension for driving the fit between an endorser and a brand. Stund based on expertise. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=856307&show=abstract