Advertisement Production Evaluation

Now that the final advertisement is ready, we gave out questionnaires to some people to collect feedback and evaluate it. Here below are some of the filled in questionnaires that we collected.

Advertisement DVD cover

Here is the DVD cover I designed for the Advertisement Production assignment we had this semester. I used Photoshop and some screen shots and photos taken during filming.

Advertisement Production Pre-Production

Treatment

The production team has finally agreed to work on an audio-visual advert for the book “The Encyclopedia of Hollywood; An A-Z Guide to the stars, stories, and secrets of Hollywood”. We plan to introduce a variety of Hollywood personalities impersonated by actors who are inspired by their looks and styles, whilst representing different roles in the Media Industries. The actors are to be filmed in one location featuring a black background, standing individually in different shots. The location will be mostly dark using just one redhead to light one side of each actor to create the effect of over-exposed highlights and shadows. Most shots are going to resemble popular scenes from Hollywood, each having their own signature props and music tunes. Finally we plan to end our advert with an effective caption and details of where the book can be bought from.

Script

Storyboard

Inital Storyboard

Final Storyboard

Production Schedule

Location Recce

As a location, we studied two different ones; a garage and a stage at Mgarr. We decided to use the stage for the simple reason that we would not disturb anyone when using it and for the fact that there was already a black screen in place. It is located in Sala Dun Edgar, Oratorju Qalb Bla Tebgha ta' Marija, Mgarr.

Risk Assessment

Crew

Producer/Director/Location Scouting/Props/Actors - Maria Vella

Camera Operator/Music Production - Josef Cohen

Make-Up/Props - Jessica Catania

Scriptwriter/Gaffer/Key Grip/Risk Assessment/Editor - Luke Zammit

Actors

The Godfather - Jason Vella

Mary Poppins - Alison Vella

Charlie Chaplin - Stefano Vella

Elvis Presley - Chris Deguara

Walt Disney - Mario Sammut

Audrey Hepburn - Ema Camilleri

Laurel - Stefano Vella

Hardy - Clayton Gauci

Marilyn Monroe - Nathalie Vella

With thanks to Anthea Vella for the help provided on the shooting day

Filming!

Last Saturday, the 30th of April 2011, my group and I filmed all the footage we need for our advertisement. Filming was supposed to take place also on Friday the 29th of April but due to a problem with one of the actors who couldn't come (the one who was supposed to impersonate Charlie Chaplin), we filmed everything in one day. However, we immediately solved that problem because Charlie Chaplin was impersonated by the same actor who impersonated Laurel.

Filming overall went well; we had all the paperwork, props and set ready and so there was nothing that could have possibly been of a hindrance to us. We were a bit off schedule in the morning since we took a bit more than expected to set up, but we soon got right back on track and everything went smoothly. The actors were all on time and cooperated greatly with all of the group.

I think that we worked very well as a team since everyone had his specific role and did it as best he could. We did have some minor arguments, due to some small changes we made to the storyboard, but we had good communication between us and we solved everything instantly. It was a very tiring day, but all worthwhile because it's the end product that counts and I think we have some great shots to produce this advertisement. And now?? Editing awaits us!

Advertisement Production Ideas

Idea Generation & Initial Plans and Proposals:

The initial idea for my advertisement production was to assemble the contents of the book cover by stop motion. The idea was that various drawings or cutouts of items which are found on the book cover, move towards each other to finally create the image of the book. I wasn't too convinced about this idea so then I got to think about the Unique Selling Point of the book [The Encyclopedia of Hollywood; An A-Z Guide to the stars, stories, and secrets of Hollywood]. What can one read about in the book? What would make people interested in buying and reading the book? The book gives concise information about Hollywood artists, films, jobs, equipment and also technical terms; all having to do with the film industry. I continued to think about this concept and finally came up with a story which I was happy and satisfied with.

I wanted to bring out the message that the book has a lot of text and that every piece of information is brief so the initial idea was to have a person impersonating Marilyn Monroe for a few seconds, then a person with a clapperboard, someone writing a script, and so on; various people impersonating Hollywood stars or doing jobs related to the film industry. Throughout all this, there would be text on screen displaying various terms which have to do with the particular scene at that time. In the end, these graphics would all fade into a shot of someone reading the book.

I continued to develop this story after speaking with my lecturer and I finally decided on the final proposal. There will be 9 actors all impersonating different Hollywood stars and who, at the same time, are doing jobs related to film. For example, someone impersonating the Godfather whilst writing a script,  someone impersonating Charlie Chaplin whilst playing with a clapperboard, etc. I still kept the idea of the text passing by as graphics as I wanted to bring out the idea that the book has a lot of text.

Identification of message:

I think that the message is clearly depicted in this advertisement proposal. Since each scene will be very brief (6 seconds or less) it will send the message that each bit of information in the book is also brief and that it contains a lot of different information. Furthermore, the graphics on screen tell the audience that the book has a lot of text in it.

Content & Style:

Scene 1: "The Godfather" writing a script
Scene 2: "Mary Poppins" getting makeup out of her bag and gives it to a makeup artist
Scene 3: "Charlie Chaplin" experimenting with a clapperboard
Scene 4: "Elvis Presley" using different microphones, including a boom mic
Scene 5: "Walt Disney" drawing Mickey Mouse which is then transformed into an animation of Mickey Mouse
Scene 6: "Audrey Hepburn" holding an Oscar statue in her hand
Scene 7: "Laurel & Hardy" cutting film reels and joining them to give the idea of editing
Scene 8: "Marilyn Monroe" standing on a Hollywood Boulevard star
Scene 9: Person reading the book

The style is as entertaining as possible since we see various Hollywood personalities. Furthermore, it will be humorous at some points especially in scenes 3 and 7.

Relevance to audience:

I think that this advert will appeal to its target audience. It is short, fun and entertaining so that one wouldn't be bored watching it. Furthermore, it depicts the message clearly and hopefully the audience can understand it.

Advertisement Production Background Research

Idea Development and Pitch

Brief:

As a group this semester, we are required to produce a one-minute advert about a non-fiction book of our choice. We were presented with a fictitious scenario; the client, who is an international publishing house, wants to launch a new advertising campaign to promote individual non-fiction books and not the actual publishing house itself. These adverts will be broadcast on diverse television stations and everyone can buy the books since those advertised are distributed worldwide and also sold online. The publishing house is organizing a competition for the best 1-minute advert and asked students who are currently studying media related courses to produce these adverts.

The criteria set by the client is that the adverts must not be more than 60 seconds in length and the book must be a non-fiction one. The advert must fall under the ‘G’ rating criteria as regards to regulation and it should be short, fun and entertaining.

The non-fiction book I have individually chosen to produce an advert about is "The Encyclopedia of Hollywood; An A-Z Guide to the stars, stories, and secrets of Hollywood" written by Scott Siegel and Barbara Siegel. It is a book which gives concise information about Hollywood artists, films, jobs and also technical terms that have to do with filming and editing such as 'final cut' and 'master shot'. It is the perfect guide to anyone who wants to become part of the film industry and also to those who are interested in what happens in Hollywood and want to broaden their knowledge about film. 


Client:


The client of the book “The Encyclopedia of Hollywood; An A to Z guide to the stars, stories, and secrets of Hollywood” is Checkmark Books/Facts on File under Infobase Publishing.

Infobase Publishing: Infobase Publishing is one of America's leading providers of supplemental educational materials to the school and library markets. Product formats include books, eBooks, online databases, eLearning Modules, videos, and digital products under such well-known names as Facts On File, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Chelsea House, Bloom's Literary Criticism, World Almanac®, and Ferguson Publishing. With thousands of titles and numerous award winners, Infobase provides students, librarians, and educators with authoritative, reliable resources supporting the curriculum across a wide variety of subject areas from history, science, and literature to careers, health, and social issues.

Facts on File: Facts On File is an award-winning publisher of print, eBooks, and online reference materials for the school and library market. We specialize in core subject areas, such as history, science, literature, geography, health, and more. Their print titles are authoritative references geared toward the high school, academic, and public library markets. Their highly regarded, curriculum-based online products include reference and news service databases, eLearning Modules, and streaming video. Facts On File has nearly 70 years of service to librarians backing our editorial content and decisions.

http://www.infobasepublishing.com

Budget:

With regards to budget, we did not spend much. We found almost all the props with the help of friends and family and we did not pay anything for the location or the actors. The only costs we had was travelling costs, being it petrol or bus tickets, and the DVDs and cases to distribute to our actors as a Thankyou when the advert is finished.


Deadline:

Technical Resources:

• HD Camera
• Tripod
• Chroma Kit
• SD Card
• D-SLR Camera
• Red Head Set
• Editing Software

Technical Constraints:

One technical constraint we encountered during filming was that as we switched on the camera, all that we could see was a black screen. Turned out that all we had to do was open the iris since it was closed. With regards to the other equipment, everything worked perfectly.

Target Audience:

It is a book that appeals to anyone who takes interest in the subject, be it for pure curiosity or studying, regardless of one’s socio-economic status. It is also targeted at both males and females as both genders can work in the media industry and may be interested in it. Furthermore, the cover of the book does not have any particular colour that may appeal to a particular gender rather than to another. This book is targeted at anyone from young teens to adults; it is not targeted at children because it has a lot of text and lack of images. In fact, one can only find occasional photos of Hollywood stars in the book. The target audience of this non-fiction book is a mainstream audience since a broad range of people are likely to be interested in buying it. The audience would expect brief biographies and explanations of subject terminology in simple terms that everyone understands, especially those who are new to the film industry.

Legal and Ethical Issues:


Before producing our advert we must also take into consideration various legal and ethical issues. We should not invade anyone's privacy and the copyright law must also be taken into consideration. Furthermore, it is of great importance that we have release forms for all the talents involved and also a release form for the location which we will be using.


Regulation:


G — General Audiences. All Ages Admitted. 

A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a "certificate of approval," nor does it signify a "children’s" motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture.

http://www.mpaa.org/ratings/what-each-rating-means

Studying an Audio/Visual Advert

Theme Tunes: A tune which creates suspense with the addition of various sound effects according to what is happening in the advert itself (ex: sound of a car engine, a television falling)

Title Sequence: no title sequence, the commercial starts instantly

Credit Sequence: The features of the mobile phone

Captions: Captions to convince you that you can have everything you need in only one mobile phone and that you feel better once you have it

Narrations: The advert starts by showing a man whose television, laptop and CDs are all broken and when he goes to watch a movie he finds it is sold out. He then sees a billboard advertising the Nokia n96 mobile phone and as soon as he buys it, he can replace everything with it. The use of medium shots, long shots and close ups show clearly what is happening and the reactions of the people in the advert.

Continuity: it is a linear story and its development is shown clearly in the advert

Framing: simple captions placed in the middle of the screen but they are effective because when the caption reads “Now everything joins up” the words literally join up on the screen

Techniques: it has a very clear message – you can have everything at your fingertips with just a mobile phone; it has no celebrity endorsement

Characteristic of the product: Brand identity – the Nokia Nseries adverts end with the caption “See new. Hear new. Feel new.”

Type of Audience: It appeals to those who lead a very busy life and need everything at their fingertips and people who love technology

Banned Adverts!

While conducting research after our Advertising lesson, I also came about some banned adverts. The following is a Skype advert which was banned by the ASA.

I then researched the reason why this advert was banned, and I found the following;

The advertising watchdog has banned a TV advert for an internet phone company for misleading consumers over the picture and audio quality of making a video call.

Skype's television campaign featured a new father using the online phone service with a webcam so he could show his parents his baby.

The Advertising Standards Authority upheld five complaints that the advert exaggerated the picture and sound quality that the Skype service actually provided.

Skype argued that the advert, by the Albion agency, was meant to market the ability to make a video call, not the hardware that made it possible. Call quality was determined by factors including broadband speed, so every user's experience could well differ, it said.

The company added that it wanted to show the service in its "best light" and therefore used the best equipment possible. For technical reasons it was not possible to use a webcam, as users would at home, in the advert for the service, so it had simulated the experience.

Skype argued it had not misled consumers because the quality shown in the advert was achievable at home for users with its latest software.

The ASA accepted that Skype could not show a video for technical reasons but was critical of the company nonetheless.

"While we understood the technology would continue to evolve and improve, we considered that viewers would infer that the sound and picture quality depicted in the ad was typical of the performance that all users could achieve," it ruled.

It concluded that the advert was therefore misleading and should not be shown again on TV without clearly stating that the quality of Skype video calls depended on factors such as broadband speed.

Skype is not the first digital media company to fall foul of the ad watchdog over marketing claims. Apple has had two TV ads banned by the ASA for misleading consumers over the internet capabilities of the 3G iPhone.

- The Guardian

Two adverts commissioned by the British Government to raise awareness about Global Warming were also banned as the ASA claimed that the threat to Britain from Global Warming was exaggerated in the adverts.

Complaints & Adjudications

Following our latest lesson about advertising, I conducted some research about complaints, adjudications and also found some examples.

Complaints 

What is a complaint?

A complaint, in legal terminology, is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons that the filing party or parties (the plaintiff) believes are sufficient to support a claim against the party or parties against whom the claim is brought (the defendant) that entitles the plaintiff to a remedy.

Adjudications 

What is adjudication?

The legal process of resolving a dispute. The formal giving or pronouncing of a judgment or decree in a court proceeding; also the judgment or decision given. The entry of a decree by a court in respect to the parties in a case. It implies a hearing by a court, after notice, of legal evidence on the factual issue(s) involved. The equivalent of a determination. It indicates that the claims of all the parties thereto have been considered and set at rest.

Three types of disputes are resolved through adjudication: disputes between private parties, such as individuals or corporations; disputes between private parties and public officials; and disputes between public officials or public bodies. The requirements of full adjudication include notice to all interested parties (all parties with a legal interest in, or legal right affected by, the dispute) and an opportunity for all parties to present evidence and arguments. The adjudicative process is governed by formal rules of evidence and procedure. Its objective is to reach a reasonable settlement of the controversy at hand. A decision is rendered by an impartial, passive fact finder, usually a judge, jury, or administrative tribunal.

The ASA

Each year, the UK public sees many millions of ads, direct marketing and digital communications about products, services, charities, causes and awareness campaigns. The vast majority of these are responsible and comply with the existing advertising rules.  

In 2008 the ASA received just over 26,000 complaints and assessed thoroughly every one of those concerns, investigating the ads that seemed to breach the rules. As a result, nearly 2,500 ads were changed or withdrawn in 2008, thanks to a range of effective sanctions at our disposal and the cooperation of advertisers who respect our decisions.

Some examples from October 2010

Beiersdorf UK Ltd, 6 October 2010

A TV advert for a sun lotion featured a voice-over stating "New Nivea Protect and Bronze is our first sun lotion which helps protect your skin whilst its active ingredient supports your natural tanning ability without any self tan." The voice-over also claimed "after all, 57% of us admit to being envious of friends who tan easily..." On-screen text read "57% of 11,505 respondents...".

Complaint/Decision

A doctor complained that the advert was harmful and prejudicial to health because it suggested that the ability to tan easily was desirable and to be envied. The complainant argued that tanning was a sign of skin damage and, in light of the dangers of skin cancer, should be discouraged.

The ASA took the view that the statistic in the advert reflected the fact that many consumers liked to tan. It considered that the advert accepted that tanning was popular by encouraging consumers to use a product that provided sun protection whilst assisting with tanning. It acknowledged that the women featured in the advert were not excessively tanned and concluded that the advert was unlikely to be seen to encourage or condone behaviour prejudicial to health.

This adjudication is interesting because although tanning is potentially prejudicial to health, the advert encouraged the use of sun protection at the same time as tanning, and was therefore considered acceptable. The ASA did not comment on the statistic quoted in the advert by the advertiser because the complaint did not relate to substantiation, however a positive response of 57% in a consumer survey is arguably not a particularly emphatic percentage.

Sit-Up Ltd, 20 October 2010

A teleshopping advert for a wind-up radio featured a presenter encouraging viewers to purchase the product. The presenter stated "here comes the price that we paid for it, £18". The price at which the product was being sold was £4.

Complaint/Decision

The complainant challenged whether the claim "here comes the price that we paid for it, £18" was misleading and could be substantiated.

In its response to the ASA, the advertiser explained that a production error had meant that £18 was quoted as the advertiser's cost price, when in fact this had been £7.80. The ASA noted that customers who had bought the products had still received the product for less than the cost price, despite the error. However, presenting a price that was so much higher than the real cost price implied that consumers were getting a better deal than they actually were, which the ASA considered might have encouraged viewers who would not normally have purchased the product to do so. The complaint was therefore upheld.

Although this adjudication concerned a clear error on pricing, this is another area which often attracts complaints. When advertising these sorts of pricing incentives, advertisers need to ensure that they take account of the BERR Pricing Practices Guide as well as the CAP or BCAP Codes. The OFT is also currently looking at pricing issues including reference pricing.

Virgin Media Ltd, 27 October 2010

A newspaper/magazine insert for Virgin Media advertised "TV and calls from £5.50 a month when you switch to a Virgin phone line ... It's all yours from just £5.50 a month..." Text below stated "All the best channels", "Plus a range of HD channels" and "Plus loads On Demand" and showed logos of a number of TV channels and On Demand services. The text also stated "Over 500 movies On Demand, many in HD, and thousands of TV shows to watch whenever you want ...".

The advert contained small print which read "On Demand movies are pay-per-title. TV Choice On Demand is included with TV size XL or £7 a month with TV sizes M and L..."

On the third page, under the heading "£5.50 a month", ticked boxes stated "TV - 65 digital TV channels ...". Ticked boxes underneath the heading "£23 a month" stated "TV -160 digital TV channel ... All our amazing HD channels ...".

Complaint/Decision

The advert attracted a complaint from Sky, who challenged whether the claim "It's all yours from £5.50 a month" misleadingly implied that all the TV channels and On Demand services listed in the leaflet were included in the £5.50 package. Sky also challenged whether the claim "All the best channels" was misleading and could be substantiated, as only three of the listed channels were in the top 15 most watched satellite and cable channels.

The ASA considered that the tick boxes on the third page of the insert made it clear that 65 channels were included within the package. However, the tick boxes did not indicate which channels those were and the ASA considered that the use of the TV/On Demand logos with the claims "It's all yours from just £5.50 a month..." and "All the best channels" implied that all of the listed channels and services were included. As this was not the case, the ASA upheld the complaint in respect of Sky's first challenge.

In relation to the second challenge, the ASA considered that the insert did not make reference to the most popular or most watched channels, but instead referred to the "best" channels. The ASA considered that this was subjective and consumers would understand this to be Virgin's opinion. Accordingly the ASA did not uphold this challenge.

This adjudication, the latest in the ongoing battle between Sky about Virgin Media, is a useful example of the ASA allowing a "best" claim and acknowledging that consumers would recognise that the claim was an expression of the subjective opinion of the advertiser. Advertisers should still take care not to mislead when using such claims; the ASA in this case noted that the insert contained logos making it clear to which channels the claim related. However, this adjudication also emphasises the need for clarity when seeking to rely on a "from £x" claim, particularly for products or services which include complex packages.

Sony Europe Ltd, 6 October 2010

A TV advert featured children playing football in a large stadium full of supporters. After a shot on goal was saved, one of the boys turned away and spat. The advert cut to the same children playing in a park. On-screen text read "Imagine reliving the greatest games... Sony Internet TV".

Complaint/Decision

56 viewers complained that the shot of the child spitting was offensive and that the advert risked causing emulation of antisocial behaviour, on the grounds that it glamorised spitting.

The ASA noted that the scene in the advert was brief and appeared in the context of children emulating professional footballers, who spit after intense physical exercise. The ASA therefore did not consider that the advert was likely to cause serious or widespread offence, although it did note that some would find it distasteful. Also, the ASA considered that the final shot of the boys playing in a park emphasised the clearly fantastical context of the advert and did not consider that the act of spitting had been glamorised.

Despite a relatively large number of complaints, this is an example of an advert that was acceptable to the ASA, notwithstanding its acknowledgement that some consumers might find it in bad taste. This accords with recent decisions taken by the ASA, such as that in respect of the Nandos adverts. This is an example of a situation where emulation was not considered to be a risk on the basis that the advert was fantastical and removed from reality.

The Automobile Association Ltd, 13 October 2010

An internet sales promotion for driving lessons was entitled "HALF PRICE AA driving lessons from only £10.50 per hour*". The asterisk referred consumers to a footnote which stated that the discounted lessons were based on a minimum block booking of five hours, the first three hours of which would be charged at full price with the last two being charged at half price.

Complaint/Decision

One person complained that the headline claim was misleading, as the footnote stated that the first three hours would be charged at full price, with the fourth and fifth at half price.

The ASA upheld this complaint. It acknowledged that the asterisk referred consumers to the terms and conditions of the offer and noted that it was acceptable for the AA to offer discounted lessons dependent upon the booking of additional full price lessons. However, it considered that the headline claim implied that unlimited lessons could be booked at the discounted price; the promotion did not make clear that the discounted price stated was limited to two lessons booked as part of a block booking.

This adjudication reminds advertisers that conditions shown in adverts should qualify, rather than contradict headline claims in order to avoid misleading consumers. It is interesting to note that the conditions were available in subsequent click-throughs, but on the basis of the information in the advert, the ASA still concluded that the advert was likely to mislead.

Ryanair Ltd, 13 October 2010

A national press advert for Ryanair was headlined "CHEAPEST WAY TO THE SUN" and listed various destinations to which Ryanair travelled. Small print at the bottom of the advert read "Book now for summer 2010..." and gave the advertiser's website details.

Complaint/Decision

EasyJet challenged whether the headline claim "CHEAPEST WAY TO THE SUN" could be substantiated, and whether the advert was misleading because it did not make the clear on what the claim was based.

In its response to the ASA, Ryanair provided evidence in the form of fares published by its competitors and screen grabs from its competitors' and its own websites. The ASA considered this, but concluded that the statement "Book now for summer 2010..." meant that the claim must be substantiated by evidence showing that Ryanair was cheapest during the whole of summer 2010. Ryanair had not provided evidence to show that they were the cheapest for the whole period of summer 2010, and therefore the ASA concluded that the claim could not be substantiated. The ASA also noted that the advert did not make clear to consumers upon what the claim was based, and consequently readers were unlikely to know whether the claim was a price promise, an average claim relating to previous fares or Ryanair's opinion. Accordingly the ASA concluded that the advert was misleading and upheld the complaint.

This adjudication shows that if advertisers are making wide claims, they will need to have evidence to substantiate those claims. The ASA has upheld several claims against Ryanair in the past few years. Indeed, in 2008 the ASA specifically expressed extreme concern about Ryanair's breaches of the advertising codes and, in the same year, took the rare step of referring Ryanair to the Office of Fair Trading. The reference to the OFT was concluded somewhat unconvincingly in July 2009. Following that there were no complaints about Ryanair adverts for a year, until EasyJet successfully challenged a Ryanair advert in July 2010 and now this adjudication.

References:

                       - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complaint

- http://www.asa.org.uk/Complaints.aspx

- http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/adjudication

- http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=116428

Honda Civic Advertisement

A Honda Civic advertisement I came across. It is very effective because it is innovative and original and leaves a great impact on its viewers; it is not an advert which is easily forgotten.

One can imagine how much work and planning was put into this advertisement, so I am posting the 'Making Of' video below