Study Task - 09 - Project statement

Emily Coultas OUGD401 - Project statement / evaluation: The following project was based around the question ‘How does advertising persuade and manipulate the audience?’ Many subject matters and advertising appeals/ approaches were discovered during the  research process. In addition, concepts behind advertising and the issues that are often put forward when persuading and manipulating the audience were also discovered and resolved. When starting the project first of all the difference between persuasion and manipulation was explored. Fields (2010) claimed ‘The difference between persuasion and manipulation lies in: The intent behind your desire to persuade that person, the truthfulness and transparency of the process, and the net benefit or impact on that person.’ In connection to this, the different advertising appeals were discovered and put into practice, discovering the impacts of different appeals and whether or not they persuade or manipulate the audience. The appeals which were tested out within practical work were a informative, beauty, fear, emotive, humour and endorsement appeal approach’s. From the following initial ideas the three most impactful designs were condensed down and developed digitally. This consisted of taking the beauty, informative, humour and emotive appeal further due to them seeming to be most relevant and most suited to the company which the brief was related to ‘MAC’. The first design development explored the humour approach. This connected to the formulated essay as within the essay it stated the impact of humour within advertising. Dubois (2010) claimed ‘As an audience, consumers most enjoy being entertained instead of pitched, and so appealing to them emotionally can lead to further engagement with your product in the future.’ However, it seemed that this approach did not fit the high-end brand. This was because M.A.C holds more of a sophisticated look as a company, which the humour approach took away from the brand. The second developed idea focused on informative and emotive advertising along with a beauty appeal. This was used in order to present M.A.C as supportive company connecting with gender equality and appealing to a male and female audience. Founded research from Kokemuller (2001) stated  Informative advertising delivers messages through mass media with the intent of informing a target market about the benefits offered by a new product or innovation.’ This approach also linked to the the third digital development corresponding to this specific part of research directly, through the title of the advert ‘LET THE EYES HYPNOTIZE.’ The informative title persuades and manipulates the audience into believing  that the following product will gain them attention and admiration. The product is also described in small print to the viewer using persuasive techniques such as smilies stating the product is ‘like a treasure chest’ making the product seem superior and the best whilst informing the viewer about the product. The final outcome approach works successfully when answering the question set and referring back to research. This is because it uses a range of advertising appeals such as informative and emotive techniques. It also considers the target audiences of the product. Douglas (1985)  claims ‘there are always new people coming into a market, ready to try new products and services they did not want before. As people get older, their tastes and needs develop, and advertising must constantly address them sales to these new potential customers.’ Addressing that age and interests up sales within advertising. This part of research is highlighted in the final outcome due to it targeting a young market as well as reaching out to a male audience instead of just the primary female audience. For this reason a neutral, Futura,serif typeface was used within the design to represent the gender neutral advert. This also was done to encourage a wide variety of people towards the product rather than being gender specific.   Overall, the productions created link to research as they correspond to different advertising techniques whilst considering the effects of the techniques. They also take on board other elements that affect advertising such as the target market, age, instructive advertising for products which are not as essential so need to be emphasized more and advertised in different ways in order for them to gain attention from the viewer.