Advertisement analysis - Exploratory Worksheet
Context What is important about /
what can you state about
 the time? [ temporal
context]
 the physical location
 the social / political
issues
that surround the image?
Intent What is communicated
/purpose through this image?
Audience To whom would this image
appeal?
For whom is this image
meant?
Construction What is the signifier?
- It was posted on 2010 and later published on 2016 which shows how
the problem continued for 6 years.
- The physical location could be the home setting for the wife and the
husband the road which is one dangerous place and can lead to death
if focus is lost from solely driving.
- The issue of people texting or calling while driving or riding a bike.
- The message communicated through the image is that wives and
immediate family should stop calling as it may lead to the death of
their loved ones due to an accident on roads.
- The target audience are people how call up a person who is driving. It
is mostly focused on house wives that call their husband on their way
back from work.
Signified- death of husband
of meaning What is signified?
How does
 the title of the campaign
 the body language
 the gaze
 position of hands
 torso
 the anchoring texts
 the position of the
anchoring text
 font
 colour and size of the
font
 Kinaesthetic imagery
help in the construction of
meaning?
What visual narrative is told
here? i.e,
 Whom does the
character represent?
 What culture is
portrayed?
 Explain the effect this
character on the
audience.
 What is happening in
the image?
 What happened before?
 What will happen after?
Negotiation of How does the
meaning  Visual narrative
(Impact on the  Use of colours - and
audience) their symbolism
 Mehandi / decoration
on the hands of the
 Colour
image
 Layout
 Persuasiv Impact the audience?
e appeals How does the lay out impact
 Techniqu the audience? Discussion
es aspects - Layout
a. Foreground:
 what do your eyes
notice first?
 How is the building
structured?
 Images in the
foreground
 Placement of images
 Impact of all these on
the audience
b. Background
 Images in the
background
 Impact of them on the
audience
 Their role in
constructing the visual
Signifier- blood, text/copy
Construction of meaning-
Body language- female, blood splashes on her, cringing, hand on phone + hand
trying to cover herself from blood- trying to shy away from death of husband
The gaze- looking away and eyes are closed- cannot accept that she may be
the reason, there is a little disgust- at sight of blood
Position of hands- one hand on phone, other hand covering phone- preventing
from being covered in blood.
Torso- clenched and away from the phone- distancing and rejection
The Anchoring texts- don’t talk while he drives- spelling out the problem
leading to disaster
Position of anchoring text- next to the speaking end of the phone trying to
emphasize on not speaking to husbands while they drive
Colour and font of text- red + messy handwriting, looks written by blood
Kinaesthetic imagery- jump backwards- due to the blood out of fear and
disgust the woman is seen to jump backwards and trying to block herself.
Visual Narrative-
- The character represents most housewives that call their husband
who are driving to or back from work.
- The culture of checking where the husband has reached when it's
time to come back home.
- This character in image depicts the audience and how the audience
may feel if they were to lose their husband or someone close to
them.
- Obviously, a phone doesn’t bleed but it signifies what may have
happened on the other side of the phone to the characters husband
- Before: her husband on the way home, was driving, is alive
- After: husband didn’t reach home, had accident, is not alive anymore
Visual narrative explained above
The whole setting is bland and that of a kitchen which has full white wash
effect, then there is the dark red blood being splattered across in the image. It
symbolised to expect the unexpected, also that one blot can ruin canvases
Mehandi on the hand my symbolise newlywed or have attend an Indian
celebration
The impact on the audience was that they realised that this could be them in
the future and hence understood the consequence of their actions.
Foreground:
- What was first noticed was the characters expression + blood coming
out of phone
- Background- basic kitchen platform+ a few cabinets seen
- The foreground- the dark red blood
- Placement- importance to character and blood coming from the
phone through which husband may be have called
Background:
- Images- a cooker- preparation of food, cabinets- for storage, basically
a kitchen
- That the character is calling to ask for food for one that won't be able
to make it
- Kitchen is white- enhancing the effect of blood being splattered
 narrative across
c. Role of negative space
d. Role of properties on
Role of negative space:
screen
e. Mise -en – scene effect if - character almost blends into background making it harder for
any photographer to capture full effect of the behaviour of the character
f. Lighting and its role in
impacting the audience Lighting- the light is bright but simple showing the blood clearly
(the source of lighting,
use of shadows etc.)
g. Overall composition Use of rule of thirds -Persuasive appeals:
h. Camera angles - Seeing the blood- how someone died because of calling while driving
i. Use of rule of thirds makes you ponder if it may happen to you or someone that you may
Persuasive appeals: [See the care for
illustration below] - Advertising technique used here is Emotional Appeal
 How does the - It should to the audience how long this problem has been going on
advert persuade
for, how it is actually increasing again, that it needs to be republished
you?
 What advertising and following
technique has been - The tone is demanding and expresses how this problem is of
used? immediate solution and atmosphere is fearsome as it talks about one
 How does the losing their life.
medium of its
publishing enhance
or diminish the
impact on the
audience?
 What is the role of
the tone and
atmosphere?
What is your critical This advert is very impactful in my option. It's made pretty well and the visuals
Conclusion summation about the speak load and clear to the audience. The tactic used isn't very assuring if the
created and negotiated advert will be effective or not. Ideally there should have been a great effect
meaning? but seeing that the rate of deaths due to road accidents didn’t significantly
Your insightful comment on
decease speak otherwise.
the advert?
Also, it is strange how women are more largely blamed for the accidents than
men of the country, but India being a very confusing and sometime dangerous
market makes it had for the advertisers to put up ads on such crucial topics.