The next key aspect to consider is language . This is a big area to cover, but falls into two sections: Cultural Codes

2. The next key aspect to consider is language. • This is a big area to cover, but falls into two sections: • Cultural Codes • Technical codes

3. So what on earth do we mean by codes? • Cultural Codes – the signs, symbols and clues that help us make sense of what we see in the context of our culture e.g. the connotations of the colours used, the connotations of certain images, the lifestyle represented and how that is conveyed to us. • Technical codes – the methods and tricks used to assemble the text, and to actually create it (e.g. the font used, the layout of the page, the choice of images).

4. Getting the codes right is essential to successful advertising – you must know what will appeal to your audience, grab their attention, stop them from turning the page. Just as with every type of media text, there is nothing that goes into an advert that has not been scrutinised and pored over by a team of ‘creatives’ and marketers to make sure it is sending precisely the message that they intend to send. Everything you see in the ad – people, their clothes/hairstyles, objects, décor, weather, colours – has been picked for a reason, and it’s your job to decode what that reason is.

5. There are two aspects of each code that we should be looking to understand: Denotation – This is the literal meaning of what you see. Think back to the first ad we looked at – Dog, for Pedigree Light. To say what this ad denotes, we simply describe what we see, e.g. The dog is stuck in a catflap, with his hind legs sticking out. There is a flower pot on either side of the door. One of the flowers has been picked and has been placed in the dog’s behind. To the dog’s right, we see a cat walking away with his tail held high. There is a slogan in white handwriting-style script in the middle of the page along the bottom, and an image of the product in the bottom right corner.

6. The second aspect is connotation. This is when we look at the meaning behind what we see. We take each code and think about why it has been included. For example: The fact that the dog is stuck in the flap connotes that he is too fat as he has not been eating well, and would benefit from a lower fat food. The cat’s tail is set at a jaunty angle, as if he is walking with a swagger. This suggests that he is the one who has placed the flower in the dog’s behind, perhaps as revenge for trying to use his cat flap. The fancy curled handwritten text suggests that this is a premium product, to appeal to those with disposable income who require their purchases to appear ‘high class’.

7. Let’s consider the technical codes first. • With print ads, the technical codes include the following: • Graphical elements – the pictures, logos, backgrounds, borders and other images used in the ad. • Text Formatting – the colour, size, font and style of the text used in the ad. • Layout – how the text and images are arranged on the page. • Framing of a photograph – what has been included in the ‘frame’ of the image that we can see. • Lighting – the use of light and shadow in a photograph. • Camera Angles – where the camera was positioned when a photograph was taken.

8. Graphical elements Most print ads will contain a variety of images. Often there is a central large image, a logo, and perhaps an image of the product being sold. There may be a border around the image, or an interesting background. You may also consider whether the image is ‘real’ or has been manipulated (‘photoshopped’), and why. Identify the graphical elements in this ad for Chupa-Chups that we have seen before. Do you think this was a ‘real’ photo or has it been manipulated? How can you tell? Now do the same for this ad for McDonalds Cheeseburgers.

9. Logos We have briefly looked at logos already. These are a crucial part of most ads – they may be the only way we know which product is actually being sold! Often the logo contains the name of the product, but it doesn’t have to (the Nike swoosh is recognisable alone, as is the McDonalds ‘M’ or the Renault diamond logo). Look at these ads with prominent logos. Could you tell what they were for if the logo wasn’t there? The logo anchors the meaning of the text and makes sure we understand the message. PriestSanta Klauss

10. Text Formatting The writing used on the ad will have been just as carefully chosen as the images. When we talk about text formatting, we’re really not taking about the meaning of the text; we’re talking about its appearance (although sometimes the appearance will be designed to reinforce the meaning, such as an ad for a hot chilli sauce where the text appears to be flaming, or for a horror movie where the text drips blood). The next few slides will look at the different ways text can be formatted in more detail.

11. Font/Typeface The font that the designers choose to use in an ad can help convey the ad’s message. There are thousands of fonts to choose from, and each has a subtly different effect on the reader. Let’s look at a few of the most common categories of font.

12. Serif Fonts Serif fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond, Book Antiqua and Rockwell. Serifs are the fiddly little bits that stick out from the letters in these fonts – the red bits in this image: They tend to suggest trustworthiness, intelligence and a sense of being traditional or classy. They’re often used in newspapers and official letters, and may be used in ads to make the product or message seem serious and believable. Where might you find a serif font in the world around you? Why do you think it is used there?

13. Sans-serif fonts Sans-serif fonts don’t have the fiddly bits (sans is French for ‘without’): Some examples are Arial, Comic Sans, Helvetica, Tahoma, and the font of this presentation, Gill Sans. These are usually considered ‘friendlier’ than serif fonts – they may seem reliable, readable, simple and easy. If a company wished to convey the message that their product was easy to use, they may choose a sans-serif font. Do you usually choose a serif or sans serif font in your own work. Why?

14. Handwriting Fonts Sometimes a font is designed to look like handwriting. These include Lucida Handwriting, and Edwardian Script, but they could also be hand-created by the graphic designer working on the ad. Depending on the type of handwriting, this font could make an ad seem friendly, romantic, approachable, classy, helpful or informal. What effect might a child’s handwriting font have on the reader in an ad for an educational toy?

15. Stylised Fonts Stylised fonts don’t fit into any of the other categories. They are heavily designed, and tend to be used for headings, signs, packaging and logos. They are often designed from scratch by the creative team in an ad agency. What do these stylised fonts make you think of? Why?

16. Text Formatting You’ll be familiar with these ideas from your own use of DTP (desktop publishing) programmes such as Microsoft Word. Formatting the font involves changing the way the font looks. This could mean changing its size, colour and weight. It could mean making the text bold, italic or underlined. It could also refer to the way the text is justified on the page – is it: centred, aligned to the left (flush left) or right (flush right) or spread evenly across the page (justified)?

17. Size and Weight Text on a print ad can be HUGE or tiny, or somewhere in between. The weight could be verylightor very heavy. Large text will catch they eye, and help get a message across quickly. Very small text is often used for the ‘smallprint’ – the details about a product or an offer that the ad maker legally must include, but that perhaps they don’t want you to pay too much attention to.

18. Size and Weight Comment on the use of large and small print in these common examples: FREE PHONE 12 month contract New customers only A new car for only £99!* *£99 deposit. Monthly payments of £250 for 3 years with final payment of £5000. Total payable £14099 up to 75% off Sale

19. Colour Text colour can also affect an audience’s reaction to an ad. Plain black on a white background may seem classic, clean and clear (favoured by companies like Apple, which trade on being stylish). The use of lots of colours may suggest a lively, youthful product, for an audience that like to think of themselves in the same way. Certain colours have certain connotations, such as red for danger or love, green for ‘go’, envy or nature, black for death, blue for depression etc. and some are associated with different genders. We’ll talk more about the impact of colour when we look at cultural codes.

20. Layout • This means how the various graphics and text are laid-out on the page. Let’s ask ourselves a few questions about some ads (some you have seen before). Note down the following questions, and answer them for the ads you are shown: • What’s in the middle? • Where is the logo? • Where is the writing (the copy)? • What’s the main object that draws your eye? • Where is it? • Why is it there? • This ad for McDonald’s cheeseburgers • This ad for Lego • This ad for Heinz Fiery Ketchup BLAH! blablablabla

21. Framing Imagine you are looking at a beautiful landscape. You can see hills, a lake, a sunset, a huge sky with fluffy clouds. Now you hold up your phone to take a picture. You look at your screen. No matter how you turn it, you can’t get all of the image on the screen. You must choose how much of the scene you will capture with your picture. You line up your screen with the image you wish to capture – you are framing your picture. You have decided how much of the available image you will capture.

22. Framing • When you are looking at an ad, think about the framing used in any images. • How would the ad be different if the picture was zoomed out further, so you could see more? • How would the ad be different if the picture was zoomed in further so you could see less? • Look at these ads – how would they be different if the framing showed us more or less of the scene? Why have the makers chosen to show exactly as much as they have? • This ad for French TV Channel Canal+ • This ad (again!) for Chupa Chups • This ad for Coca Cola

23. Lighting You may wish to comment on the lighting used in a photograph, if the ad is mainly photograph based. Different types of light in an image can create different moods or convey certain ideas. For example, an ad set in heaven may be bathed in bright light (like this ad for Amnesty International), but an ad about safety (like this ad warning against drink driving) may make use of shadows to make the scene seem sinister. Light could seem harsh and bright, soft and romantic, dark and moody, blue-tinged and cold – think about how it might have different meaning if the lighting were different.

24. Lighting Look at these ads, and comment on the lighting used: The Pedigree Light ad ‘Cat’ – think about how the light lets us know the time of day and the weather, and what mood and feeling it evokes in the reader. Find Your Book, for Gandhi Bookstores – how does the light add to the impression you get about this room and its occupant? What kind of atmosphere is created? Toyota ad against drink driving – why is the lighting like this and not a bright sunny day? What is the ad maker suggesting about when this offence might happen? French Ad for Road Safety, featuring famous designer Karl Lagerfeld – Why is the lighting so dull in the background? What effect are makers aiming for?

25. Camera Angles/Types of Shot A final technical code to consider is how a photograph was taken. For this, we’ll look at camera angles and types of shot. Again, this is relevant for ads that are photograph based. We need to think about WHERE the camera was when the picture was taken and the effect this has. Two interesting camera angles we might see in print advertising are low angle,where the camera is beneath the subject looking up, and high angle, where the subject is above the camera looking down.

26. Low Angle Shot What is the effect of the low angle shot here? How does it make the statue and building look? Why might someone want to take a shot from this angle?

27. High Angle Shot How does this angle affect the appearance of the dog? Look at the relative size of the dog and biscuit? Why might someone choose to take this shot?

28. Types of Shot You may be familiar with some different types of camera shot from looking at film. Some of these shots are also used in photography, for example: Close up – so we can see detail of the subject being photographed. Extreme close up – where the camera is zoomed right into the subject being photographed. Wide Shot – where the camera is far back from the subject and we can see its surroundings. There are many more types of shot, but we’ll look at these for the time being.

29. Close Up In which kinds of ads might you find a shot like this? How would its effect change if you could see more of the image in the frame? When might you notwant to use a close up shot?

30. Extreme Close Up This has a different ‘feel’ to the close-up picture. Which type of ad might use a shot like this? What is the effect on the reader of only showing a small section of the face?

31. Wide Shot In this shot we can see people, a street, a road, buildings, railings etc. What is the focus of this image, in your opinion? Which kind of ad might use a wide shot?

32. Camera Angles/Types of Shot Now let’s look at some ads: Identify the type of shot or angle used in these ads, and write about the effect this has on you, the reader: Band Aid – Hulk Amnesty International – Heaven Nutri Balance – Bad Dog Jornada de Londrina - Bob Marley WWF - We Wanna See a Full Moon WWF – Before It’s Too Late Papelito Sticky Notes – Meeting Report

33. Now let’s look at some cultural codes. Just like technical codes, cultural codes are signs used to convey meanings to the audience. To understand them, we need to be part of, or have understanding of, a particular culture. When we talk about culture, we’re not just talking about someone’s nationality, race or religion (e.g. Scottish Culture, Islamic Culture, African-American Culture) although these are important. There are other types of culture, such as: Middle Class Teen Culture Emo, Goth etc. Ned/Chav Office Workers Outdoorsy Middle Aged Working Class Women

34. There are certain clues which let us know that something or someone belongs to a particular culture, and there are certain meanings that we understand only because we are familiar with a certain culture. Lets discuss a few cultural groups and how we might indentify a character in an ad that’s part of them: Teenage: What would a teenager’s face look like? What would they wear? How do they act or behave? How do they speak? Are there any words that are only used by teenagers? What media do they consume? (music, film, TV, press etc)

35. Ned/Chav Culture What would a ‘chav’s’ face look like? What would they wear? How do they act or behave? How do they speak? Are there any words that are only used by ‘chavs?’ What media do they consume? (music, film, TV, press etc) Scottish What would a Scottish person look like? What would they wear? How do they act or behave? How do they speak? Are there any words that are only used by Scots? What media do they consume? (music, film, TV, press etc)

36. A lot of your answers may be stereotypes where we reduce people to over-simplified categories that are not usually accurate. We’ll look at stereotypes in more detail when we discuss the key aspect of representations. Cultural Codes cover more than just how people fit into certain cultural groups. The setting of an ad in place and time can be conveyed through cultural codes - how do we know a text is set in the Victorian era? How do we know it is night time? The colours used and the weather portrayed help us to understand cultural codes, as they can change or add to the meaning of the text. On the next few slides we’ll discuss some common cultural codes and how to decode them.

37. Nationality What clues could you look for to determine someone’s nationality? Clothes Hair/Skin Language Used Possessions Home Surroundings Anything else? Religion What clues could you look for to determine someone’s religion? Clothes Language Used Symbols Worn Behaviour (e.g. goes to church) Surroundings Anything else?

38. Age Group What clues could you look for to determine someone’s age group? Clothes Hair/Skin Language Used Possessions Home Stature Anything else? Interest Group What clues could you look for to tell if someone is in a particular interest group (e.g. outdoorsy, Goth, hipster)? Clothes/accessories Language Used Colours/Symbols Behaviour (e.g. goes climbing) Facial Expressions Anything else?

39. Social Class What clues could you look for to determine someone’s social class? Clothes Hair/Makeup Language Used Possessions Home Surroundings Anything else? Wealth What clues could you look for to determine if someone is rich or poor? Clothes/Jewellery Home Language Used Possessions Hair/Makeup Surroundings Anything else?

40. Emotion What clues could you look for to determine how someone is feeling? Body language/position/gesture Facial Expressions Colours used Weather Surroundings/Setting Anything else? Job/Occupation What clues could you look for to determine if what someone does for a living? Clothes Language Used Symbols Worn Surroundings/Setting Objects Anything else?

41. We’ll look at the cultural codes used in some ads. • Copy down these questions and then answer them for this ad for Nutri Balance dog food. • What time of day is it? How can you tell • What is the relationship between the man In the hat and woman? How can you tell? • What is the man’s job? How can you tell? • Are the couple poor or well-off? How can you tell? • How is the woman feeling? How can you tell? • Who is behind the curtain and why are they there? (Keep it clean!) How can you tell?

42. Anchorage Sometimes one code is not enough to fully get the message of the text across. You need to consider two or more codes together to fully understand the meaning. We would say that the second code anchors or provides anchorage for the first. Quite often, it is the slogan (the catchy phrase or sentence used on the ad) that helps you fully decode the meaning of the images, or vice versa! Look at the ads on the next slide and answer the questions.

43. Anchorage Cat for Pedigree Light – How does the slogan help to anchor the meaning of the image? Ants for ChupaChups – why do we need the slogan here to make sense of the advert? Husband for Nutri Balance dog – how does the slogan anchor the text and help us to understand the behaviour of the dog? Margarita for Transport Authority (Australia) – how does the slogan help you to make sense of a confusing image?

44. So, how do we write about the language of a print ad? Your teacher will project/hand out an exemplar answer on this ad for Listermint Mouthwash Once you have read it through and discussed it, your teacher will project/hand out a suggested structure for an answer on the language of a text. You will be shown an ad – following the structure on the sheet, try your own analysis. You can use the Listermint example to help you. Suggested Ads: Jdate (Dating Site) – It’s Time for Someone Serious Transport Authority (Australia) – A Little Bit Dead Canal+ - Football