charity adverts: tide advert

charity advert analysis, tide

layout and design                                                                                                                      The advert, tide, is structured in a way which allows us to see exactly what the tide advert wants us to focus on the most. Due to the Z-shaped composition, the first thing the audience will read and notice is the subheading. This subheading reinforces collective identity to those who buy it and assumes that everyone that purchases tide products are in fact women and not men. The other heading and slogans also portray this, by using the term women and tide has made it clear that every woman buys tide. The large copy at the side is the biggest and boldest text on the page, which means that this is most probably the most important text or the text they want us to focus on the most. As well as text, there is also images which is shown across the poster. For example, the biggest picture is of a woman hugging a box of tide and the smaller pictures all focus on women too. This image could connote a loving relationship between women and the brand. This is also a good advertising method, making the tide product look good and making it look like its loved by this women meaning it can be loved by many others too. The poster as a whole is layed out in a way that the audience and viewers looking at this poster, could work out what is going on and what the message is of this poster.

lighting and colour                                                                                                                      The colour scheme that is used in this poster is mainly the colours red and white. The reason as to why they could've used these colours is due to the fact they contrast nicely with each other. For example, the red in the poster, stands out against the white background. Making the text stand out by the use of colour, allows this piece of text to catch the audiences attention, which helps people notice what is happening in the advert and what it is about. Tide the brand is also based in red boxes, so this could connote the convention of tide and what tide is all about. The lighting is very subtle, due to the fact that all the pictures shown are drawings instead of actual photographs. 

images                                                                                                                                          The images that are shown are all focused on women, which is conventional seeing as the target audience for this poster is in fact women. The biggest and central image is the image that the advertisers wants us to focus on. In this image, we can see a woman hugging a box of tide. This could connote that just because one women love the product and has a good relationship with it, the why can't other women also enjoy this product. This image also has very historical view points based around it. The woman in the main image, also looks very similar to naomi parker fraley in the rosie the riveter poster. The rosie the riveter poster symbolises the world war and how women were expected to be housewives and work from home while their husbands or partners went out to fight in the war. It symbioses the female defence workers and the women in the poster stood as a symbol for the women during this time. The way the woman in the main image is dressed and is portraying herself, could connote aspects of rosie the riveter poster. The way that she is hugging a cleaning product could show that women were expected to just clean and nothing else, which could be a unique selling point of this time period. The other images on the advert, such as all the smaller images, all focus on women. Most of these women are also dressed very similar to rosie the riveter aswell as doing housework too. The women shown are also young, newly married women which is what a lot of the audience could relate too. 

graphics

The graphics in the print advert is all very clean and very put together. The poster shows a collection of things which makes a print advert good and structured. The first thing we can point out is the selection of images, which are all drawings. This is good as it could show us more depth on what the advert is about. The further text and headlines etc are also significant as it gives us more detail behind the images. The composition of the poster is a z-line composition which means that the advert has been structed in a way which the advertisers want us to follow. For example, our eyes will go straight away to where they want us to look.

clothing/props/gesture/expression

The costume and gesture of the central image represents the empowerment of women back in 1940s etc. The women in this advert are put together in a way which shows they are housewives, if this is based on their clothing or gesture. The costume is very stereotypical of women. The props used are both household items and most importantly a box of tide which is what the advert is based around. 

lexis and language

In this advert, there is a variety of both informal and formal text. The slogan of this advert which is 'no wonder you women buy tide more than any other washday product' plays with the stereotypes of women during this time. Women were stereotypically expected to stay at home being a housewife and not going out to help just like men did. By using this informal text, it could tell us that this advert was aimed at women and makes the audience feel as if they have a reason to view this advert. There is also a use of hegemonic code which reinforces collective identity to those buying the advert. This makes women feel as if they have to follow what every women does. The more larger text, is written in a more formal font, so that it can go alongside the information provided. The information is made out to be like its factual, however there isn't really any evidence to support this idea. This helps the selling point as it makes the advert seem safe and does everything that is expected from the tide product. It also provides some reassurance to those purchasing or thinking of purchasing. There is also a use of some alliteration, which is when two or more words start with the same letter. This allows the advert to become more rememberable. 

unique selling point

The unique selling point of the advert is displayed through the use of text. The use of text state that this product is practically special and does things that other washing products can not do. For example, we can see this where it says 'Tide gets clothes cleaner.' Other text that also display this is the use of alliteration such as 'worlds whitest wash' this makes the advert unique and rememberable. The advert also is unique as not a lot of people really knew what products to buy, and hopefully by putting out such a rememberable poster, it could help them understand this.

mode of address
The tide advert has a direct mode of address. The adverts images does not portray that it wants to speak directly to the audience, however the text most definitely has a direct mode of address. The words the advert uses such as 'you' or 'your' helps the advert makes you feel as if they are talking directly to you and this makes the audience more certain that this product will be for them, meaning they don't want any other washday product unless its tide.

context
Due to this poster being set in the 1950s, they have included a lot of information that you probably wouldn't expect to see now. This is mainly due to the 1950s or post world war two consumer boom. This was a rapid development in new technologies in the household, which made cleaning and other domestic chores, more easy to tackle. It was also the time in which the members of public understood what was happening and they only wanted an increase standard in the way they was living. Therefore, this poster had to live up to this and engage with the viewing of them and show how their tide product is much better than any other product they may have seen advertised elsewhere.

theories

stuart halls representation theory

Representation is the meaning of things through a text. This could reduce people to a certain viewpoint within a piece of media, or it could also let people decide what they want to decide. In the tide advert, despite the use of a comic strip, there is a scenario fixed around women and housewives, which could be a familiar scenario to the audience meaning they are more likely to find a sense of escapism within the print media text. 

van zoonens feminist representation theory
Gender is constructed through this piece of print media, due to the fact the advert is focused entirely on women, with no signs of men. The use of women in the print media, reflects off the cultural and historical context of the time. While the social and political role may have changed in the years after the war, the advert contradicts van-zoonens theory as to how the media contributes to social change by representing women in non traditional roles and using non-sexual language, which is what this advert isn't doing. There is also the consideration of race and glass which determines how certain individuals are displayed. Usually if women are used women are the target audience, so on. The power of these women have been challenged from the context of american history in world war 2.