Djaja: Analyzing an Advertisement

The advertisement can be seen lately on TV. It is a cigarette advertisement that usually
played late at night. It describes a public transportation driver’s life. He is a fine young
Indonesian man. One day his bemo (public transportation) is chartered by a man. Happily, he
agrees because he is about to get more money. This impresses as the first luck. He is
surprised that the people that charter his bemo is a group of a band along with their
instruments. The small car is full of people and the instruments and this seems to trouble him.
When they get to the destination, the man who seems to be the manager of the band still
asks him to help once again. He asks him to help to unload the instruments and then carry
them inside the building. Willingly, he smiles and says: siap which in English is like: I, I Sir.
When he is lifting the instruments inside, he can see some beautiful women. This seems to be
the second luck. The manager once again charters his car. This time his face shows a little bit
discouragement than the first time the manager charters before but still he agrees.
Eventually, when he prepares himself, the people who get into the car all are the beautiful
women. At the end of the scene, he gives big happy smiles.
This advertisement gives impression the life of an ordinary man with the job that
represents many Indonesians’ income. His face is fine, represents Javanese man’s face and
his body language represent his Javanese culture by nodding his heads and crossing his two
hands in front just like the football players facing the penalty. All of these are considered as
he comes from Java middle low class. All the setting, clothes, the faces also the people and
their body language depicted in the advertisement represent the life of middle low class or
suburban area.
What this advertisement is trying to focus is that first, the willingness to accept anything
in life which reflects Javanese culture: nerimo ing pandum and second, always does one’s job
well. By doing so, all the luck and happiness will follow. The third, virtue is always
rewarded.
 GUDANG GARAM
DJAJA
The commercial break is usually played at night on TV. It is Gudang Garam Djaja. The
main character is a well-known actor.
1.
 Subject, theme: it is about an advertisement of a cigarette brand, Gudang Garam
Dajaja.
 Direction: the theme is dealt with one of the important characters of a man should
have in Indonesia
Norms: the advertisement is for adult working man of middle low class
 Values: the advertisement carries a virtue message that willingness to do more will
get reward and this kind of man who displays it uses the product (cigarette)
 Means: the advertisement uses things that related to a man’s life: car, job, describing
how a man should work and of course women
 Features: the features are used in the description of the main character are he wears an
all opened buttons neat long sleeved (fold up to his elbows) grey shirt on a black shirt
though it is neither new nor shiny. He is a simple and kind man. His face is a
representative of any young working middle low class man: tanned, well build, and
friendly eyes. He is a bemo driver whose car is being rent by a band of a suburban
area. His accent and the way he performs himself reveal that he comes from Javanese
culture. He crossed his hands in front of his stomach when he talks to others. The
band members and the manager are wearing old fashioned clothes.
 Actors: the main character and the manager of the band carry the story of the
advertisement. The manager is renting his bemo to take the band to a building
somewhere. It seems that the manager asks too much from him but he is still willing
 Authority:
 Origin:
 Goal: the advertisement is directed for young adult working middle low class man
 Place: the setting is somewhere in suburban area. It can be seen from the small road,
the old building, the activity of working class near a traditional market as the
background which is dirty, untidy (there are some farm animals around) rattan
baskets.
  Conflicts: the conflict begins when the driver agrees to take them. What surprises him
is that the band bring along their musical instruments and this make the bemo
occupied, full and disturb him to drive. Along the journey, the band is doing rehearsal.
The second conflict is when the manager asks him a favor carrying the
musical instrument into the building. Still he smiles and willing to do though it is not
his duty anymore. One of the luggage is a beauty case that is expected by the women
perfomers. They are happy to see him carrying what they are waiting. Carrying the
beauty case makes him surrounded by them and makes him lucky and happy. Then,
for the last time, the manager is renting his bemo once again. This seems to be
unexpected one for him. The back sound of this scene plays an important role.
Though he seems reluctant, he agrees.
 Outcome: every time he does he does his job with good responsibility. When the
manager asks him to lift the musical instruments into the building which is not his
duty anymore, he gets the reward. The reward is he can see some beautiful women
and they are friendly to him. The second time the manager rents his bemo, learning
from the look of the driver’s face and the previous scenes, the audience will expect
that he should drive the band back home. It turned out that, he should drive some
women that occupy the seats. Soon, a big happy smile show in his face.
2. The product of advertisement is cigarette
3. How it is recognized as a cigarette advertisement while it doesn’t show any activity of
smoking or provide any picture of cigarette, there are several things that count.
 From the first scene, the main character is a man (famous actor). The
characters are mostly men and the activities are related to what man does. The
scenes highlight the hard work of a man and his willingness to help others
which is the influence of Javanese culture.
 The color that seems to dominate the advertisement is dark green. This gives
an impression that it can be an old product for men. Dark green can also be
seen as favorite color those of from suburban. People from cities are usually
like soft or bright elegant colors, like beige, blood red or bright yellow. This
thing limits into several things: what men wear or use that can be the product.
It is not something that a man wears because the main character’s way of
dressing is just like an ordinary man. So, it must be something (a product) that
a man uses.
 The jargon: Djaja selalu ada nikmatnya. This will give an impression that this
product will satisfy and the story of the advertisement represents it well. By
willingly help others, one will get a very fine reward (expected and
surrounded by women).
 The letters are those of the cigarette advertisements use: in italics and red that
shows the producer (the brand) Gudang Garam. The last picture is the warning
that is common found on a pack of cigarette.