Analysing existing fashion advert/websites

Introduction

In this blogpost, I am going to be analysing 3 current fashion adverts and look at their websites to see what techniques they use to promote their store and why it works. The three stores I am going to be looking at are, Topshop, River Island and Boohoo. I am going to analyse the adverts using the following questions;

-Target audience: Who will buy the product?

-Content signs: Signifier and what is signified

- Sounds: Diegetic and Non-diegetic

- Mise-en-scene: What colours, props and settings are used? Why?

- Camera shots: What shots are used and why?

- Advertising techniques: what techniques are used and why?


Topshop - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZl9GiVnh0Y

- Target audience: Who will buy the product?

Fashion-conscious women from the ages of 16-25. Topshop is aimed more at a niche high street audience due to the high prices and strong trend setting pieces.

- Content signs: Signifier and what is signified

The content signs that are used to signify the messages to the audience are;

- London bus/bridge/landmarks - to show how Topshop is a British founded high-street fashion retailer, which is important as it shows that the trends being showed are British trends.

- Chinese and British model - To signify the clash of cultures and to help portray the message of the Chinese New Year.

- Chinese lanterns - to signify the Chinese New Year and to help relate to the message of wealth and prosperity.

- Sounds: Diegetic and Non-diegetic

The sounds used in this Topshop advert are just non-diegetic music called "This Little Light of Mine" by Berend Dubbe and Gwen Thomas. This soundtrack has been used to relate to the message that the advert is trying to portray. The song is slow and melodious to help the customer feel relaxed and feel the message of the festivities.

- Mise-en-scene: What colours, props and settings are used? Why?

Colours: The colours used in the advert are quite dull and grey colours to represent the Autumn/Winter season, and to help portray the messages of "light" and Chinese prosperity easier. The dark colours help to show off the clothing that the models are advertising, as these are what are currently in trend.

Props: The props used in the advert are Chinese lanterns to help signify the message of the Chinese New Year. The clothing displayed in the advert are also props, as it helps to represent Topshop and the type of clothing they offer.

Settings: The settings used in the advert are famous London landmarks to help represent the British based Retailer.

- Camera shots: What shots are used and why?

Some examples of the camera shots used in this advert are;

- Close-up shots - To focus on the clothing items and help send a stronger message to the audience on the trends or products of Topshop.

- Long shots - The extra-long shots are used to capture everything in the scene and to inform the views on the surroundings and full outfit of the advert.

- High angled shots - To help represent the confidence of the models and to capture the sky/lanterns in the sky, which helps portray the message of the Chinese New Year.

- Low angled shots - To relate to the mood and colour of the advert. The low angled shot helps to represent belittling, but this technique is used to help symbolize as if a higher/spiritual presence is looking down upon the models.

- Advertising techniques: what techniques are used and why?

Some of the advertising techniques used in the Topshop advert are;

- jingles, music and sound devices: The use of jingles, music and sound devices help to make and advertisement more appealing and help persuade customers to watch it because it uses the attraction of sound to help grasp the customers attention. Also, by including music/jingles, it helps to set the mood of the media product and the type of message the brand wishes to portray.

Topshop use the soundtrack, "This Little Light of Mine" to help relate to the message of the Chinese New Year.

- Logos, product design and brand colours: (house style) by including the company logo's, brand colours, house style designs, etc; within an advertisement is an effective strategy to use, as it helps the viewer know and realize the brand/company behind the product/service.

This Topshop advert uses the colours and font which are according to the house style of the company to help the customers recognize it and relate it back to its products.

River Island - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMpF_D-El0U

 

- Target audience: Who will buy the product?
Aimed at fashionable men from the ages of 18-25. The advert is presenting the trends for Autumn/Winter 2012.

- Content signs: Signifier and what is signified
the content signs that are used to signify the messages to the audience are;

- The use of old, British cars to show the meaning of vintage "London Boy" style

- Showing use of cameras to portray the "Fashion photo shoot"

- Backstreet London Streets to relate to the trend being displayed.

- Sounds: Diegetic and Non-diegetic

The sounds used in the advert are both diegetic and non-diegetic. There is use of diegetic dialogue, as the River Island stylist is talking through the trend, as well as use of non-diegetic background music which is like a upbeat/high tempo style music.

- Mise-en-scene: What colours, props and settings are used? Why?

Colours: Bright colours, use of red, white, blues and browns to relate to the vintage British trend that River Island are trying to portray

Props: Cars to represent masculinity, and they are old vintage cars, which relates to the era in which this trend was first out.

Settings: The settings are based in a standard back street in London to again, relate with the trend being portrayed. This helps to give the viewers a stronger understanding of the trend, and relates to the intersexuality of old London boy trends like the film, Richie Rich.

-Camera shots: What shots are used and why? Some examples of the camera shots used in this advert are;

- Long shots - To capture the full length of the outfit in the camera shot. This will give viewers ideas on key trends and how to mix/match items to complete the look

- Mid panning up shots - Mid panning shots are used to take a closer look at the key item looks and to help see the full outfit, it pans upwards, like how the human eyes will shift up to capture the look.

- Close up shots - To portray the emotions of the models having fun and enjoying themselves while feeling confident as they are strutting around.

- Extra-long shots - The extra-long shots are used to capture everything in the scene and to inform the views on the surroundings of the advert.

- Advertising techniques: what techniques are used and why?

Some of the advertising techniques that are used in the River Island advert are;

- Talking heads: A talking head advertisement is a staged advert and is presented by a worker/customer in their working environment (the River Island stylist in this case). It also contains the feature that the presenter is directly addressing/communicating to the viewer. This advert does this by talking to the audience about the key trend, a little bit on the history of it, and how River Island products can help to achieve that.

I think the structure of talking head was appropriate in this advert as it allows the stylist to endorse to the audience directly, making the audience feel special and informed on how they can achieve the same look.

- Amazing products/services: By showing that the product/service (that the advert is based on) is amazing and works efficiently is so customers would be more persuaded to purchase it. This advert does this by using only River Island products to help get the achieved look.

I think this a really effective strategy on getting customers to buy the product as it shows how the product achieves their desired look/function and it helps to ensure that they show the consumers that this is the product/service they should go for as opposed to their competitors.

- Expert witnesses: By using expert witnesses within a television advertisement is a similar approach to using facts and statistics. Including expert witnesses as a persuasive technique helps the product/service seem more reliable and effective to use as experts seem to have more valued opinions on matters, so their comments will be taken into account by the target market.

In this advert's case, they have used expert advice from the stylist, as he knows how to work the trend and how to achieve it. If the audience see that the information is coming from a actual stylist for the company, they will be more sure that they have or can achieve the look.

Boohoo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PnDK87Uyc8

- Target audience: Who will buy the product?

Aimed at both males and females from the ages of 16-23. Appealing to fashion conscious and trendy individuals as it presenting new trends for Spring/Summer 2013.

- Content signs: Signifier and what is signified

The objects that are used within the advert to help signify the purpose and products of the online store are;

- The fashion/clothing products

- Strobe/Pipe lights to represent the catwalk and glamour

- Catwalk

- Transition shift in background to show new trends and change in seasons

- Sounds: Diegetic and Non-diegetic

The sounds used in the advert is a non-diegetic soundtrack called Freedom on the Dance Floor

Written by Nanchang Nancy and Rich House

- Mise-en-scene: What colours, props and settings are used? Why?

Colours - First in dull settings were coloured dull lights and then the room brightens a little with use of lots of purple/blue/green to help relate to the trend. Then the trend shifts to monochrome and the room is lit up with black and white patterned backdrops to represent the monochrome trend.

Props - The props are the models to help present the clothing items.

Settings - The settings used for the advert is a basic studio to help create a graphical setting for the company to show its creativity and originality.

- Camera shots: What shots are used and why?

The advert uses loads of shots to represent snapshot taking on a catwalk or red carpet. Some shots that were used were;

- Low angled shot - to show authority and status of the clothes, boosting confidence and ego.

- Close up shot - on walking boots to present the product

- Long shot - to show the full outfit and how it was styled.

- Advertising techniques: what techniques are used and why?

- attractive people: the persuasive technique of using attractive people within a advertisement is a effective in gaining customers for a product/service because the viewers are attracted in the people, which grabs their attention, and the message conveyed in the advertisement is picked up consciously.

The Boohoo advert uses flawless and attractive models to help present their clothes.

- jingles, music and sound devices: The use of jingles, music and sound devices help to make and advertisement more appealing and help persuade customers to watch it because it uses the attraction of sound to help grasp the customers attention. Also, by including music/jingles, it helps to set the mood of the media product and the type of message the brand wishes to portray.

The advert uses upbeat and modern type of music to show how it is up to date and on trend. At the end of the advert, it displays and says the company name, which is also the slogan "boohoo.com".

- Selective editing: Selective editing is a strategy used by advertisement creators to edit the footage filmed according to the message they wish to portray. They usually use clips that show the product in its best form. This is to show the audience how well the product works.

The advert shows proof of using selective editing as the camera shots are cut and edited quickly to help gain an effect of photography, as well as presenting the products in an effective form.