1.0: Introduction
In this blogpost, I am going to be analysing the advertisement for Virgin Atlantic Airlines. This advert will be analysed using YouTube.com and the name and URL of the video is:
Official Virgin Atlantic Advert 2011 - HD 'Your airline's either got it or it hasn't'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbib-A6NpW8 (11/09/2012)
2.0: Questions:
Describe the advert you have chosen
This advert that I have chosen is for Virgin Atlantic Airlines, and it is based on a surrealist concept of dreams, to help grasp the "feel-good factor" using special effect techniques and graphics. The advertise has been created and described as a "Bond-style" advert, with the swanky jazz music and themes. The advert goes through a series of scenarios advertising the services, cabin crew and products available from the company.
The scenes go through the transistion of boarding a airline (glamourous air hostesses arriving first, then going through extensive security check, boarding the plane and saying goodbye to close ones, arriving on the plane and cabin crew going through compulsory security checks, getting comfortable and recieving refreshments and entertainment, then falling asleep on the duration of the flight while traveling from London to New York "trans-atlantic", and finishing with leaving the cabin crew.)
The whole sequence has been altered and made as glamourous as possible by adding suave music, graphics, themes, colours and techniques. At the end of the advert, there is a short dialouge between two air hostesses which helps bring the viewer back to reality and the tagline appears on screen in written format.
How long is the advert?
The advert is 1 minute and 30 seconds long.
What is the subject of the advertisement?
The subject of this advertisement is the service and product of travelling on Virgin Atlantic Airlines. The advert focuses mostly on the services available on the airline rather than the actual products it offers (e.g. which countries/cities the airline flies to).
Who is the target audience and how do you know this?
The target audience for this advertise is aimed at adults because of the themes, music and iconography used (attractive women, alcohol, sex factor). Although this advertise seems as if it is advertising to high-status, successful, niche customers, it allows lower-class jetsetters to be welcomed by first attracting them in surrealist dreams and then relating to them by normal dialouge.
What persuasive techniques are used?
The persuasive techniques that this advertise has used are the use of attractive males/females to help gain viewers interest and attention.
They have used emotional response techniques of questioning ones conscious on their lifestyle, social position and self-perception because the advert was made to protray a very high-class and glamourous setting. The slogan also makes the viewer question their choice of airlines, on whether or not they have the "it factor".
The advert also includes visual relation back to the brand using housestyle factors such as the logo, company colours, brand names, slogans, etc. to help the customer realize and remember the company.
The advert used the correct airline iconography to help the customers realize what services or products the advertisement is promoting, as well as using the appropriate iconography for the era/theme of jet-setting, luxurious and bond-style setting.
Finally anothe persuasive technique that the advert has used is the techniques of taking the viewer on a chronological order of boarding a plane. This is to fool the customer of going on a journey with the airline and to help them dream/realize how efficient the product/services are.
Is there a slogan? if so, what is it?
The slogan for the advertisement is 'Your airline's either got it or it hasn't'. This is the slogan as it gives the audience a sense of belonging by saying "your airline", as well as making the viewer feel a little bit jealous or downrated if they do not belong to a airline as luxurious as this. (emotional responses to feeling self-perception/social position).
Who has made the advert?
"James Bond-style TV advert forms part of a £6m global campaign. Soundtracked by Muse's cover of Nina Simone's Feeling Good, it was created by ad agency RKCR" (1)
Has the advert had a positive or negative effect on the product?
The advert has had 29 negative comments and complaints of sexism and derogatory towards women, but the ASA looked into the matter and dismissed any comments or judgement as they think
"The ASA said the ad was unlikely to be seen as sexist or derogatory towards women or to cause serious or widespread offence."(2).
But the advertisement has made a positive effect for the product as a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said,
"The ASA has rightly dismissed these complaints, which probably come from competitors jealous of our fantastic cabin and flight crew," said a spokesman for Virgin Atlantic.
"Our advert has been brilliantly received worldwide and reinforces why so many people want to work for Virgin Atlantic." (2)
3.0: Bibliography:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbib-A6NpW8 (11/09/2012)
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/newtvaduk.jsp (11/09/2012)
(1) http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2010/sep/30/virgin-atlantic-ad (11/09/2012)
(2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/09/virgin-atlantic-ad-not-sexist-rules-asa (11/09/2012)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/01/virgin-atlantic-ad-muse-feeling-good (11/09/2012)
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