What is Advertising?

Advertising is a form of marketing

communication used to encourage, persuade,
or manipulate an audience to take or continue
to take some action.
In newspapers
On TV
Before movies.
Billboards.
Radio.
Clothes.
Where do we see it?
Catalogues.
Infomercials.
Online (Facebook/Youtube)
Sky writing.
Car stickers.
Understand how media effects us.

Be better media consumers.

Understand how gender, beauty and
sexual stereotypes are formed.
Importance for Sociology?
Analysing
Advertising:
Within an advertisement we want to look for the
Signifier: The physical form.

And link it to the

Signified: The meaning of the signifier
Key Concepts:
Signifier =
Alcoholic
Drink:
Fun.
Friendship.
Party.
Good time.
Relaxation.
Signified?
Signifier =
Mercedes
Logo:


Car
Wealth
Luxury
Prestige
Status
Signifier?
*IMPORTANT:
There is no one answer for advertising. Instead
we can only make educated guesses which are
more likely and less likely.
Cultural
Knowledge
What previous
knowledge do we
need to make
sense of this
advertising?
Colours
What emotions do you associate?
What brands do you associate?
Context?
Where did you find this advertisement? What
does this tell us?
People:
Celebrity? Expression?
Themes?
Sociological Attitudes and Assumptions:

What social norms are reflected? (e.g. gender)
Analyse the following
advertisement using:

Cultural knowledge Previous understandings?
Colour Associations?
Context Who would read?
People Celebrity? Stereotypes?
Themes Story? Mood?
Attitudes and Assumptions Gender?
Effectiveness - Why/Why not?

What is the Signifier and Signified for each?
ACTIVITY: Find and Advertisement
Online + Present Findings to Class.
Individually, find your own advertisement to analyse.
Use the concepts and headings from these slides as the
basis for your analysis. You will present your findings to
a small group.

*Look For: An advertisement that is mostly image-based.

*Remember: There is no right answer - depends on personal view.
Make an educated guess!

Assessment:
Criterion 2: communicate ideas and information
Criterion 4: use evidence to support sociological and psychological viewpoints.