Unit 15: Advertising Production

LA.P2 Explain the codes and conventions of print advertisements

Name:

Codes and Conventions of Print Advertisements

Intro questions:

 List the different forms of print advertisements.

-magazine
-newspaper
-leaflet
-billboard
-film poster
 Explain why these forms may have slightly different codes and
conventions e.g. what are the main differences between a magazine/
newspaper print advert and a billboard print advert? Why are these
differences effective in targeting the audience?

The reason why the different forms of print adverts have different codes and
conventions is because they are targeted to audiences that will see the adverts in
different situations. For example, between a magazines and a billboard the
magazines are layered out with two images of a product and a celebrity model
with information to intrigue the audience who are flipping through it whereas in
a billboard advert the prints design is centered with only one image that is large
so the it is visible from afar and a slogan with the logo brand next to the image
with no other information. This is because these adverts are mainly targeted to
drivers on the road who are either stuck in traffic or driving past. It is meant to
be a quick interest as people on the road don’t have time to leisurely look.

1. Choose TWO of the print adverts below and label them with the
following codes and conventions (Main Image/secondary images,
package shot, slogan, anchorage copy, brand name/ logo, layout and
design (rule of thirds)

Secondary
Key image image

Layout and
design

Brand name Slogan

Packshot
Layout and design
rule of thirds
 Unit 15: Advertising Production
LA.P2 Explain the codes and conventions of print advertisements
Name:

Layout and design

Key image
rule of thirds

Secondary
image
Packshot

Anchorage
text
Slogan

Brand name

2. Explain the codes and conventions for each advert in terms of how they
construct the overall advert to sell the product/ service/message to the
target audience. (Use the Rimmel make up advert on the powerpoint slide
as a guide)

Advert Examples (delete the ones you won’t be using)

The key image features Beyoncé (a top singer, dancer and model
that had previously been in a successful band ‘destiny child’ and
solo artists) that is centred to be the largest image on the print
making it clear that she is the main one. The image is reveals
Beyoncé in a striking pose dressed in sparkly dress which
suggest the construction of the overall advert is to spread this
message of this glamourous period that you would receive using
this perfume. The secondary image uses the background as
spotlight lighting making it seem like she is on stage during a
concert. The chiaroscuro lighting used in this print contrasts with the key
image as it sells this Hollywood lifestyle. This is mainly in order to attract
the audience as most females take pride in how they look almost as much
as how they feel and so this print advertise this message that using this
perfume would make you feel like Beyoncé singing on stage.

The slogan is a clear indication of the selected target audience as it states

‘the new fragrance for women’. In any way most people could already tell
that this is targeted for women as they use a female for the main image
but by using a slogan that suggestively talks to woman gives the audience
reassurance that this perfume is strictly meant to make women feel this
way. The packshot identifies the way the perfume looks and provides a
visual for the audience to peek some curiosity into purchasing the advert.
It will also familiarise the audience when they see it in the shops with this
whole spotlight/stage idea. In any advert the anchorage or campaign
slogan will most likely be the second largest text on the advert. This is
Unit 15: Advertising Production
LA.P2 Explain the codes and conventions of print advertisements
Name:
mostly meant for magazine ads as other ads such as billboards only have
slogans. In the Beyoncé advert the campaign slogan is ‘diamonds’ and is
used as extra information to really put it out there. This will help the
audience to immediately see the name of the perfume that sells all that.

In the Beyoncé advert the text in printed in only white and this is because
it contrasts with the dark blue background presenting it to be very clear
and vibrant. It suited the idea of the print because a diamond is
transparent as so the colour white is the closest to the diamond idea. The
rule of thirds is how an advert producer will think the best way to attract
the audience through. The whole idea is set up in three boxes horizontally
and vertically so that the advert is split into a grid of 9 squares and was
created to tell what the audience was most likely to catch their eyes. The
four intersection point on the Beyonce advert point out that the main
things that would catch the eyes of the audience first is the main image of
Beyonce and the product. This would be like this as the audience would
need to know what their advertising how it looks but also use Beyonce as
this approval towards the product.

The key image features two

young teenagers, one boy and
one girl, on the floor with the
girl holding onto the boy very
tightly and the boy just lying
in a frozen stance on the
ground. The boy’s eyes are
wide open but show no sign of
movement possibly
suggesting that there has
been an accident, and this has
caused the boy to lose his life.
We can see this through
further evidence as even
though we cannot see the
girl’s facial expressions we
can infer from her body
language that she is holding
him like she doesn’t want to
lose him. In a lot of cases, we
see this type of body language
when members of family or
friends encounter one of their
loved ones that have died unexpectedly making them feel grief and
therefore not wishing for the truth. The slogan ‘think! Look out for your
mates’ really proceeds to fit with the picture because this image is initially
describing the slogan with the girl being the one who is now looking out
for her mate and the boy being the one that didn’t think and in the end
disaster happened causing the worst outcome. The anchorage text states
Unit 15: Advertising Production
LA.P2 Explain the codes and conventions of print advertisements
Name:
‘don’t let your friendship die on the road’ is used to make the audience
think about the consequence of not taking the road seriously with some
cases people leaving their relationships with others behind. This would
strike to the audience as it would make feel concerned about the people
they know and also themselves.