30.1.1

What is a TV advert?

A commercial advertisement on television is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization, which conveys a message, typically to market a product or service. Advertising revenue provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks. The vast majority of television advertisements today consist of brief advertising spots, ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes. Advertisements are used to promote a wide variety of goods, services and ideas to the public through television.

Marks and Spencer 2014 Christmas advert:

. The target audience ranges from about early 20’s to late 60’s. Anyone that could be doing there own shopping, and then they have to get an average age to sell there product to.

. The narrative is about love, Christmas whishes coming true, the happiness of children at Christmas and the magic in Christmas as well. Although it has children in the advert the advert is not aimed at this age group. It is aimed at parents celebrating Christmas with their children.

. There was very little product placement in this advert. The only time ‘Marks and Spencer’ was mentioned was at the very beginning and at the end. This is effective because it means people are not overpowered by the brand. They are just subtly told about it.

John Lewis 2014 Christmas advert:

. The target audience ranges again to people about early 20’s to late 60’s although some children might be interested in watching the advert because there is a little boy with a penguin as a friend. (This might get children to tell their parents about the advert they watched, meaning that the advert has worked anyway because the parents are convinced to go to the shop by their children)

. The narrative is based around love. A little boy’s pet penguin does not have a mate for Christmas so the little boy decides he wants his penguin to have one. On the morning of Christmas the female penguin is under the tree. The ‘real’ penguin then turns out to just be a stuffed animal. This is affective because it is a sweet story and will make people want to go to john Lewis.

. Again there were not very many product placements, apart from the stuffed penguin at the end. And the audience was only aware that it was a John Lewis advert at the end. This works because it means no one will have certain expectations. So they will enjoy the advert without knowing what the advert is for. Then they will be interested to see what the advert is for at the end.  

Sainsbury’s 2014 Christmas advert:

. The target audience is again aimed at adult age 20-60. Most if not all groceries shopping advertisements will be aimed at adults because that is the average age of people that go shopping. Even though this advert did not have a lot of product placements.  

. The narrative in this story was about when the British and German troops stopped fighting in the First World War and enjoyed Christmas together. This was more of an advert to show that Sainsbury’s worked with the Royal British Legion instead of advertising their products.  

. There was hardly any product placement in this advert. The only product placement was a bar of chocolate but in the advertisement it does not state weather the chocolate is from Sainsbury’s or not. At the end of the advert there is some branding only the fact that they state the advert is made by Sainsbury’s along side and supporting the Royal British Legion.