CODES AND CONVENTIONS

Codes are the use of signs which are used within an advert to create meaning. These could be divided into two-symbolic and technical. Technical codes use equipment to tell the story. This is done through cinematography. Symbolic codes on the other hand, are actions or the way something has been positioned to make us feel a certain way. For example, the actions of a character reflects how they are feeling. Some codes fit both technical and symbolic, for example music/sound. Conventions are what we as the audience convey and  interpret from the codes that we are presented to.


Codes and conventions consists of:

• Cinematography (Camera shots and angles)
• Iconography
• Editing
• Lighting
• Sound
• Music
• Computer graphics
• Special effects (SFX)

In this Apple Music advert we are introduced to James Corden who is a comedian in which the advert immediately becomes parodic. In this, James is trying to come up with ideas of what the new Apple commerical should be like. He suggests many famous people to be part of it, for example Justin Bieber, Spice Girls, Pharrell. The reason for James Corden being chosen to advertise the Apple Music App is due to his popularity and success within The Carpool Karaoke in which has a mass audience watching.Through celebrity endorsement, Apples aim in this advert was to attract a mass audience as well as have a population rise with a diffrent socio economic and demographic, whether they like Pop music to Rock or are an older audience rather than young. The use of cinematography remains simple throughout, most shots are medium close ups of James Corden and the 3 Apple workers in which they constantly jump back and forth through the editing technique of shot reverse shot. This shows  us the conversation they are having and allows us to understand better. The use of close ups reveals to us his facial expression and creates a funny atmosphere as the pace is quick. The extreme close up of the lady holding the iPad zooms into the Music App and their brand identity is evident as the audience recognise it.The lighting used is high key as the advert is bright, this conveys the message that it is a positive advert and confirms to the humorous style that it belongs to. The diegetic sound of their dialogue is evident as it allows us to hear James ideas and their conversations about it. In addition there is non diegetic sound of varies of songs playing as the celebrities names are mentioned. The covert message behind this is that we hear teasers of the songs that could be found in Apple Music.  is used towards the end where we see James driving in the desert with a covertable car as well as when he is standing on the edge of the ocean. We know that the shots are green screen generated as he wouldn't jump into an ocean with 40 million Apples. The purpose of this was to show that Apple has 40 million songs on their app that they are able to offer. Also, the apples in the ocean symbolise their brand as it well known.

CHARACTERISTICS

USP, also known as a Unique Selling Point is a factor or consideration which presents the ideology of the seller that their product or service is better than another companies. Each company has a technique or characterstic which they use constanly when advertitsing.This is to enhance and make sure that their products or service remains with the audience in order for their product to be remembered and valued.

Examples of advertisements and their USP:

Both KFC and McDonalds are known as one of the best fast food places to eat. KFC is familiar for its delicious fried chicken and McDonalds for varies of their meals, for example their burgers and wraps. They both offer reasonable quality of food that their consumers buy and enjoy. McDonald's unique selling point is their famous slogan, "I'm lovin' it" which everyone recognises alongside the letter M next to it. The aim of their slogan is that through buying their goods you will be "lovin'" everything that they make. It has become so successful that when advertising their new recipes, their brand identity does not even need to be mentioned. Similarly, KFC's slogan "It's finger lickin' good" implies that everything that they distribute to their consumers, is so good that they lick their fingers. However, McDonalds has had a greater success, their slogan has stayed the same since 2003, whereas KFC is constantly changing. This shows that KFC's unique selling point isn't strong enough therefore they change it to something generic everytime.



The unique selling point of Nike which is "JUST DO IT" is a successful slogan which we as consumers immediately associate with Nike rather than any similar brands. Once we see the tick by itself, or just the slogan we are aware to who this advertisement belongs to and this is due to their success. This benefits the sellers of Nike as they are advantaged over similar brands like Adidas, Puma, Reebok and so on. "JUST DO IT" implies that once you see their footwear, clothing and services which they are in charge of, you will just want to buy them. The covert message passed on by them answers your internal questions of "Should I buy this?"- JUST DO IT.

FORMS OF ADVERTS

Realistic- A realistic advert is the representation of an advert which has a real life narrative in order to make the audience believe the product or the service they are providing is right for them. In this Daz advert,we see that it has been recorded live therefore makes the advert very realistic for the audience. It shows that there hasn't been much rehearsing as well as editing. Moreover, the use of celebrity endorsement (Danny Baker) not only shocked the audience but the women who is being challenged for her white clothing. The aim of this advert is to present Daz as the best washing powder, by using celebrity endorsement, it is to verify and send out covert messages that even celebrities use Daz. The conventional target audience for this would be females as they are mostly associated with roles within the house, however some males may break away from the conventional idea. Through the use of celebrity endorsement, Daz may have broken the stereotype of cleaning being a female role. The psycho-graphic of this advert are aspirers and mainstreamers who seek security and status by being in favour of family brands, like Daz. The demographic of this advert differs from A-E, however within each demographic consumers may favour a different washing powder. A disadvantage of realistic adverts is that it can be deceiving, despite the minimum editing in this specific advert there has been a pre-rehearsal as well as editing. 

Non-realistic- Unrealistic adverts use fictional/unreal situations or ideas which engage the audience by making them either wonder how it is done or make them laugh. In this Cadbury advert the two children are wiggling their eyebrows to the beat of the soundtrack. This attracts the audience by making them laugh and wanting to continue to watch it. It isn't realistic as it has been edited with CGI.The slogan in the end of the ad "A glass and a half full of joy." implies that if you buy their chocolate bar you will be as happy as them. The demographic for this product is anyone from A-E as it is a Cadbury chocolate,which is popular among a large group of people with flexible backgrounds. The psycho-graphic is mainstreamers because they favour value of brands that are well known. The disadvantage of using non realistic adverts is that viewers may not believe in the product that the advert is promoting because it is not realistic. In this particular advert,viewers from higher status or job may find it silly therefore will not continue to watch it.

Documentaries- Documentary style adverts attempt to document reality by informing or teaching the audience about what they are advertising. The documentary style can also be parodied and is often referred to as a mockery. In this Dogs Trust advert, a man is documenting every day of the week what happens to a dog. This creates sympathy as the consumers feel saddened through the information we find out.However, in the end gives the audience a solution on how to fix the problems that dogs face. This advert caters for animal lovers and in this specific advert- dog lovers. The psycho-graphic group for this advert is mainstreamers who seek security in their dog by not wanting them to get harmed. Also, as dogs are part of a household therefore mainstreamers want the safety and care for their pets as they value them. The demographic group for this advert varies from A-E as there is it is flexible. Both genders could be lovers of dogs from any race,location or employment status. A disadvantage of using a documentary to promote or pass on a message is that viewers may believe that they are not genuine. The donating money that often appears on the screen is for the beneficial reasons of the company rather than the safety of the dogs or whatever they are raising money for. This would make the purpose of a documentary advert less significant as viewers may dismiss it.

Series- Some advert campaigns use a series of adverts to advertise and promote a brand, product or service. For example the famous BT adverts which have a continous plot to their series adverts. Through using this form, it has a massive benefit for the company as the audience await for the next part to their advert therefore their adverts have a successful message towards the audience. By having a story/plot, the audience feel closer to the brand or company as they are able to have compassion towards people within the advert,in this case Adam and Jane. The psycho-graphic  for this ace

Stand alone-  Most advertisement are stand alone, these forms of advertisement promote a product or service and do not link to any already existing adverts. They are original idea for that specific brand, product or service. This THINK! advert does not link to any other existing adverts. It projects an covert message which is to wear a seat belt. This has a strong impact on the audience as it makes them fear of what could happen if they don't wear their seat belts. This message then remains with the audience,reminding them to wear their seat belts. 

Talking heads- Talking head adverts have people talking about the specific brand or product that is being advertised. They give positive feedback of the item to show the audience that they will be receiving a good genuine product as it has been tried by previous people. In this advert, she says "For a healthier mouth start with Day 1", they are advertising their product by saying that they will be healthier than they were. This is important because everyone cares for their health. Also, by showing the dentist in the end who is happy with her progress, it creates a sense of 'realism'. This may mislead the audience to think that Oral B does have such a big impact. However, many people however realize that talking heads manipulate the audience/consumers. This caters to a mass audience, as brushing our teeth is an important everyday feature that everyone should partake in. The psycho-graphic audience for this advert are aspirers who are inspired and impressed through the results of this toothpaste and want to have results as the actress in the advert. Also, mainstreamers who seek security in themselves and their appearance will want to purchase this family brand. The demographic group for this Oral B advert varies from high jobs to lower as it is an affordable toothpaste. A disadvantage of a talking heads advert is that it is generally referred to as biased as they all give good feedback of the product and never criticise. Moreover, this shows that it is rehearsed and acted out from a script rather than genuine response of a consumer.

Animation- Animated adverts are adverts which have been edited either by 2D images or through CGI throughout. They are like cartoons often aimed at a younger target audience. They are most popular during the Christmas time as they create warmth and happiness. This Sainsbury advert is an example of an animated advert as it shows a varies of families enjoying Christmas with products from Sainsbury's. This advert will appeal significantly to a young audience as the animation makes it look like a cartoon and stereotypically young children are mostly excited for Christmas rather than an older audience. The psycho-graphic for this varies from mainstreamers to aspirers and explorers. The reason for this is because, the advert focuses on a happy celebration in which families tend to get together for a nice meal. Mainstreamers seek security and are sentimental about family brands and offering to the family. Through this Sainsbury advert, it gives them idea about what could be put on the table, and it can all be found in their supermarket. Aspirers are materialistic and focus on their image,the adverts refers to "finding the greatest gift" which may aspire them to Christmas shop at Sainsbury's due to this advert. The demographics of this advert vary as the advert focuses on varies of products that could be found at their store. Each demographic group (A-E) can find something that is most suited to them and their budget. A disadvantage of this advert is that it does not show what exactly is being advertised until the end. Viewers may find it confusing and may lose patience. Also, as it is animated, some viewers may lose interest as it is child orientated.