Advert Analysis

Ben & Jerry's | We Make It All Better

https://youtu.be/vTvbkoJ8HuI

Who is it for?

My chosen ad is for Ben & Jerry's ice cream and it advertises how their different flavors can brighten your day and make it all better. 

Who is the target audience?

In terms of demographic, the target audience seems to be for older people. The gender does not seem to matter as this ad doesn't suggest if it is for men or women.

In terms of psychographic, the ad is targeted at people who seem to be going through a tough time in life and perhaps want to muffle out those thoughts relating to the bad times. 

When was the advert aired/when I think it should have been?

The above video was added to the official Ben & Jerry's YouTube channel on the 5th of April 2017. I like to think the ad would have been shown on television between 5pm and 7pm, and my reasoning for this because this is the time after people get home from work and they're tired and exhausted and even possibly sad. Airing this specific ad at this time would be smart as it addresses the audience's problem and gives Ben and jerry's as the solution. 

What form does the ad take?

The advert is a stand alone add, it's not part of any mini series but advertises many variations of the product. It combines both live-action and animation.

The product and hands are live-action.

However I believe the mouths on the spoons are done

using CGI which is a 3D form of animation. 

What style is the ad and what persuasion techniques are used?

The style of the ad is "solution to a problem". This means the ad has highlighted a problem and showed their product as the solution. 

The problem shown is common problems we all have or have been through.

The solution is to muffle the problems in Ben and Jerry's.

Does the ad follow AIDA? If so, how?

Attention - it gains the consumers attention by asking them a rhetorical question. 

Asking questions make people curious of the answer.

Interest - it gains interest by showing all the different flavor options, this shows that there is variation in the product.

Desire - it convinces consumers by making them think their different flavors can brighten your day and make it all better. 

Action - it guides the consumers to tale action by making them think this ice cream make everything better.

Discuss the characteristics of the product

The lifestyle appeal of the product is those of all classes but particularly people who are having a bad day. The ad makes it sound like the benefit of having Ben & Jerry's is that of being able to muffle out any negative thoughts and "make it all better"

Who is responsible for regulating this advert (and all advertising) in the UK?

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK's independent advertising regulator. The ASA makes sure ads across UK media stick to the advertising rules (the Advertising Codes). The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) is the sister organization of the ASA and is responsible for writing the Advertising Codes.

Annalise the codes and conventions of the advert's construction

The advert primarily uses close ups. I believe it does this, so the reader just focuses on the product. In terms of mise-en-scene all that is seen in the scenes is the product, the spoons, and hands. I believe the reasoning for using so little is to once again keep focus in the product. There is nothing else in the scene to distract the consumer from what is being advertised.

It uses bright lighting because if it used dark and bleak lighting it wouldn’t give the message the company is after of making people feel better.

In terms angles it just stays head on. There is not tilt to stick with the intention of focusing on what is being advertised.

The actual product is framed in the center of the screen to draw attention to it. 

The music is a calm happy music, this is because the thought s the spoons are saying are bad but having ben and jerry's calms them and the music calms the viewer.

The special FX used is the mouths on the spoons which is obviously and important effect as the spoons and their negative thoughts are what are convincing people to muffle them in ben and jerry's.