Laura Mulvey theory

1.0: Introduction

In this blog post, I am going to research on a theorist called Laura Mulvey, what her theory is, and I am going to apply the theory in a analysis for a feminine fragrance television advertisement.

2.0: Basic background

"Laura Mulvey (born August 15, 1941) is a British feminist film theorist. She was educated at St Hilda's College, Oxford. She is currently professor of film and media studies at Birkbeck, University of London. She worked at the British Film Institute for many years before taking up her current position." (1)

A feminist is a theorist who highlights and fights for the oppresion and inequality for the female population. Feminists follow a theory called Feminism and they believe that society is a Patriarchal society, which means it is male dominated and they see women as the inferior gender.

Laura Mulvey conducted a theory which looks at how the film industry look at women and how they objectify the female gender in media.

3.0: Mulvey's theory

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist who came up with a theory through her essay called "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema". Her theory was called "Male Gaze".

The theory basically says in simple terms that in media, the men are predominantly the protagonists and the women are portrayed in a view of sexual objectification which exploits the gender. She says that through the media, they continue the patriarchal view of men being the dominant sex and females are used just to attract viewers and make the film more attractive/sexy.

"understanding how film creates such a space for female sexual objectification and exploitation through the combination of the patriarchal order of society, and 'looking' in itself as a pleasurable act of voyeurism, as "the cinema satisfies a primordial wish for pleasurable looking."

"Mulvey identifies three "looks" or perspectives that occur in film which serve to sexually objectify women. The first is the perspective of the male character on screen and how he perceives the female character. The second is the perspective of the spectator as they see the female character on screen. The third "look" joins the first two looks together: it is the male audience member's perspective of the male character in the film. This third perspective allows the male audience to take the female character as his own personal sex object because he can relate himself, through looking, to the male character in the film." (2)

She published this theory in 1975, but the theory is based around the 1950/1960 era, which was the era where classical movies boomed in Hollywood. This was during the period of the second wave of Feminism was establishing.

"In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who tended to be a man. Meanwhile, Hollywood female characters of the 1950s and 60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness." Mulvey suggests that there were two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing women as 'whores') and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing women as 'madonnas')." (1)

4.0: Bibliography

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Mulvey (02/10/2012)

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminist_film_theory (02/10/2012)

http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/michaelwalford/entry/laura_mulvey_and/ (02/10/2012)

Gathering information/research for advert examples

1st advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WlRcXIO5ik (10/09/2012)

Barclay card advert- waterslide 2008 [HQ] 

surrealist concept, no narrative, style "humourous, surreal,", codes and conventions appropriate use of listed,

purpose of advert: only advertises/promotes the service/product, does not mention any information except website.

advert shows normal working class adults, caught up in the busy metropolitian life, just want to have fun and relax, but get rid of debt's/chores that need doing.
with a free flowing slide, shows how easy it is to use the barclaycard.

the techniques used - emotional response "wanting to have fun, release happy side and get jobs done"

the characteristics of the advert is to stamp brand identity and appeal to the lifestyle of all adults. this is shown in the different scenarios included (e.g. grocers market, library)

Add. Information: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2008/barclaycard-water-slide/ (11/09/2012)

"A bespectacled office worker, played by British actor Robert Wilfort.
The Water Slide ad was developed at Bartle Bogel Hegarty London by creative director Pete Bradly and creatives Gary McCreadie and Wesley Hawes, agency producer Nerine Soper.

Filming was shot in Rio de Janeiro by director Peter Thwaites via Gorgeous with director of photography Marcelo Durst and producer Anna Hashmi, production designer Tule Peak.

The ad features the 1976 single ‘Let Your Love Flow’ by the Bellamy Brothers."



2nd advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbib-A6NpW8

Official Virgin Atlantic Advert 2011 - HD 'Your airline's either got it or it hasn't'

surrealist concept, no narrative, style "surreal, attractive, luring", codes and conventions appropriate use of listed, SFX

emotional responses: makes the viewer attracted, wanting to be a passenger of the flight. glamourous dream, high class (social position)

The advert presents the airlines, services offered, represents the crew on board in a glamourous and high standard way. attracts and informs the audience of luxurious life and comfortable flight. use of colours and music relates to the mysterious and sophisticated theme

characteristics: advantages over products (show the high life), the USP is the attractive cabin crew, uniform and services. lifestyl appeal - highclass jetsetters, brand identity - trademarked Virgin red colours, brand, logo and uniforms.

audience classification: rich, jetsetters, business people, cross atlantic customers (London, UK and New York, America) upper class adults.

Add. information:
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/newtvaduk.jsp (11/09/2012)

"Welcome to our first ever global TV advert. Featuring the strap-line 'Your airline's either got it or it hasn't', the campaign takes the viewer on a metaphorical flight with Virgin Atlantic - a surreal and glamorous world of airline iconography and dramatising how it feels to fly with the airline."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2010/sep/30/virgin-atlantic-ad (11/09/2012)

"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"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/feb/09/virgin-atlantic-ad-not-sexist-rules-asa

"The ASA said the ad was unlikely to be seen as sexist or derogatory towards women or to cause serious or widespread offence. 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."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/01/virgin-atlantic-ad-muse-feeling-good



3rd advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJhOLSTpwpk (11/09/2012)

Confused.com advert - Collect 1,000 Nectar points! 

structure: anti-realist narrative, talking heads, stand alone, basic codes and conventions, basic special effects, cartoony/animation

techniques/characteristics: humour/animation used, shows the viewers reward incentives/stimulants to help gain customers. lifestyle appeal/solution to a problem.

the advert uses animated charaters to appeal to all types of people (targeting adults) to compare insurance quotes. use of colours, brand images/logos.

Add. info:

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/disciplines/digital/confusedcom-introduces-animated-logo-in-fresh-push/3018087.article

"The new Confused.com ads were created in-house in collaboration with New York animators Hornet."

"according to Nielsen, while Confused.com spent £22.5m."

BTEC Guidelines:

Structures: form, eg realist narrative, anti-realist narrative, animation, documentary, talking heads, stand alone, series; style, eg humorous, surreal, dramatic, parodic; codes and conventions (camera angle, shot, iconography, editing, lighting, sound, music); computer graphics; special effects (SFX)

Techniques: hidden and overt messages; emotional responses or association, eg solution to a problem, fear, concern, compassion, self-perception, social position; celebrity endorsement

Characteristics of products or services: benefits offered; advantages over other similar products; unique selling proposition (USP); lifestyle appeal; brand identity

Regulation: Advertising Standards Authority (ASA); Ofcom

Audience information: audience measurement panels; ratings; face-to-face interviews; focus groups; questionnaires; programme profiles; Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (BARB); television research agencies

Sources of information: rates cards; advertisers’ information packs; research agency websites

Audience classification: Standard Occupational Classification; psychographics; geodemographics; by age; by gender

History of TV adverts

Introduction:

In this blogpost, I am going to show the first every TV advert in the US and UK. I am going to compare them to current adverts that are available now that present similar products/services and see how the techniques and structures used have changed.

US advert:

OLD

"The first television advertisement was broadcast in the United States at 2:29 p.m. on July 1, 1941. NBC affiliate WNBT aired this 10 second spot before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies, displaying a Bulova watch over a map of the U.S., with a voice-over of the company's slogan "America runs on Bulova time!"

The Bulova commercial was the world's first legal television commercial and cost the Bulova Watch Company a whopping $9.00 USD" (1)

This advert does not contain any advertising techniques or structures (e.g. colour, music, themes, etc). To help promote the company, it presents a basic satellite image of North America and the old Bulova logo, which it a outline of a clock. There is also a voiceover which says the company slogan "America runs on Bulova time!". This slogan is a metaphor, explaining that America uses the product to help run and control things.

As the technology and graphics were not so advanced at the time, I feel this advert was still and effective advert for the time period as it informed the audience on the product, the logo, the slogan, where the company is based/established.



(1)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JenAyMmZ68

NEW

"Citizen Eco-Drive, famous for solar powered watches, is launching its Christmas ad campaign during X Factor live tomorrow night (Saturday November 13).

The TV campaign, which will showcase for 6 weeks in the run-up to Christmas, features a series of 30 second adverts with key sports stars (Eli Manning) and a voiceover which announces the brand's core values as "power, precision and artistry."

The ad highlights the “unstoppable” power of Citizen Eco-Drive watches, which are fuelled by light and so never need batteries." (2)

This advert presents similar products/services to America's first TV advert, but thanks to the technology and media techniques, the quality of the advertisement has evolved immensly over the past 70 years.

The techniques that have been used within this advertisement are celebrity endorsement, special effects and CGI, backing music, colours, camera angles and shots, logo, branding, iconography, etc. All of these effects and techniques have helped advance the quality and effectiveness of the advertisement, which is to help attract and persuade the audience.

The updated Bulova advert is much more effective because as time progessed, so did technology. This made it easier to include attractive elements such as colours, graphics, motion, sound, etc to help enhance the message to the appropriate target audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG_SCIMsJHg&feature=relmfu

(2)http://www.time2.co.uk/blog/citizen-eco-drive-to-launch-ad-campaign-during-x-factor/


UK advert:

OLD

Advertising history was made at 9.01pm on 22 September 1955, when Britain's first television commercial squeezed on to the air. Made by AB-Pathe, it was a 70-second ad for Gibbs SR Toothpaste. (3)

Because this advert was released a few years after the first advert in America, the quality and techniques of the advertisement has evolved more, as this advert includes features such as music, narrative voice overs, statistical facts/charts, information of the products ingredients, a slogan and catchphrase, product ideology (ice, tingly fresh) and product iconography (toothbrushes, toothpaste, teeth).

The slogan that is used within  this advert for the company Gibbs is "the tingling fresh toothpaste for teeth and gums!". This is a effective slogan as it uses onomatopoeia and alliteration to help promote the company and its product.

The advert for Gibbs SR Toothpaste is effective as it includes elements usch as sound, motion, props, camera shots, etc. It portrays the message of the product better as it has more advertising techniques to help to promote the product in a more effective way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKuEwsEiSp8

(3) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/the-first-ad-on-television-1601624.html 

NEW

Another difference between this new advert and Britain's first advert is that it is much more shorter (old = 1min 10 secs, new = 10 secs). This shows that adverts have reduce their advertising slot time as it is more expensive and the attention rate of the audience has reduced significantly.

This advert does not bore the consumers with facts, stories and details, it uses the advertising techniques of special effects to present facts/stats on what the product covers, and there is a overhead narration which just uses verbal advertising techniques to display empathetic reactions to the audience. the voice-over says "we take care of all these things to make sure we take care of the most important thing. You. Colgate Total, the number 1 toothpaste brand used by dentists". The slogan of the product is also very reliable as it allows the customer to think that this is the most safest and effective product, as it is used by specialists.

The updated toothpaste advert is much more effective because as time progessed, so did technology. This made it easier to include attractive elements such as colours, graphics, motion, sound, etc to help enhance the message to the appropriate target audience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E7q6S_BH94