Media, Tech, and all those Dove Ads
Hey everyone! My name is Emily. Over our recent long weekend, I charted my media usage. According to what I wrote on my log, I mainly use technology and media for entertainment. I watched television and movies simply for the pleasure of it. I read a magazine because I was interested in what was inside. I used texting to talk to my friends, but only because I wanted to talk. The only media I used for a non entertainment purpose was my email, and that was because I had to look at my work schedule. When I look at this information, I can conclude that I mostly use media for entertainment, but interestingly, it's not a necessary part of my life. I can still entertain myself without it. I can walk around, talk to my friends in person, or even just think. I enjoy media and technology, but I don't rely on it.
Regarding advertising, and the Dove and Rimmel ads we watched, some interesting ideas came to me on this subject.
Let's examine the first ad. My Beauty My Say
First, the construction. The ad starts out with short clips cutting between shots. They show the back of a head, a blurry body. On the up close shots, the camera primarily shoots up at the subject. This is a technique used in film to give more power to the subject than the audience. The video cuts between different women, who we hear speaking in the background. The music in the background is sparse and intense. The women are discussing what other people say about them and the labels they are given. The speed of the clips and the music both pick up, and then it goes silent, while the women speaking begin to define themselves, and we finally see them clearly. The music becomes more powerful, while the women discuss how they see themselves. Of the four big media ideas, construction is the most essential to this ad.
Now, let's compare the two ads which were filmed similarly. Onslaught and Onslaught(er)
The construction of these is also very important. The fast paced clips, paired with intense dramatic music, make a powerful impact. The slow, close, drawn out shot of the little girl in the beginning creates suspense as the music builds, while the watcher gets more prepared to take in the content of the advertisement. However, I think the biggest takeaway of these ads, especially when compared, is the purpose. The Dove ad, while still an ad for Dove products, masks itself as an empowering message to parents. Talk to your daughter, you have control over how she sees herself. You can help her. They just throw in a little "buy Dove" at the end by using their logo. The Greenpeace ad is a clear message against Dove. They are specifically targeting Dove by displaying their products in the video and saying "Talk to Dove before it's too late". Their intended audience is anyone who uses Dove. Their purpose is to convince people not to use Dove. Both have a message, but the Greenpeace video has a much more specific goal. In my opinion, the Greenpeace ad does make an impact and it certainly gets their message across. However, Dove was trying to do a good thing too, by empowering young women. The Greenpeace parody, while powerful, does detract from the also beneficial message of the Dove ad. I understand why Greenpeace did what they did, but Dove's cause wasn't a bad one, and it didn't need to be made fun of in such a manner.
Finally, the Rimmel ad: the only ad which presents itself as such. Edge Your Looks Let me explain: with the Dove commercials, they didn't really try to sell a product. They were trying to sell an idea, which was backed by their products. With this Rimmel ad, though it too promotes confidence and happiness, it uses Rimmel products as as vessel for this message. Each person in the video is seen applying makeup. The video sells the idea of Rimmel as beauty and confidence. However, it still promotes confidence by telling viewers: embrace what you already have. Confidence demands respect. There's no right or wrong image. The message is the most critical part of this ad. It's definitely selling a product, but it's telling people (and not just women!) that they can use these products however much or little they want to and still be beautiful and confident.
Overall these advertisements speak to the beauty industry and the world's perception of it. Both Dove ads promote confidence, while slyly pushing their products. The Greenpeace ad suggests that the beauty industry is not as important as the environment. The Rimmel ad gives the idea of empowerment while also honestly selling their product. The way one already sees the world is going to influence how they watch these videos. Do you think the beauty industry pushes things on young women? Is the environment a more important issue or can both take the spotlight? Can anyone wear makeup, or are there certain rules that people have to follow in regards to it? Let me know your thoughts on these ads and whether you agree with my comments on them.
Regarding advertising, and the Dove and Rimmel ads we watched, some interesting ideas came to me on this subject.
Let's examine the first ad. My Beauty My Say
First, the construction. The ad starts out with short clips cutting between shots. They show the back of a head, a blurry body. On the up close shots, the camera primarily shoots up at the subject. This is a technique used in film to give more power to the subject than the audience. The video cuts between different women, who we hear speaking in the background. The music in the background is sparse and intense. The women are discussing what other people say about them and the labels they are given. The speed of the clips and the music both pick up, and then it goes silent, while the women speaking begin to define themselves, and we finally see them clearly. The music becomes more powerful, while the women discuss how they see themselves. Of the four big media ideas, construction is the most essential to this ad.
Now, let's compare the two ads which were filmed similarly. Onslaught and Onslaught(er)
The construction of these is also very important. The fast paced clips, paired with intense dramatic music, make a powerful impact. The slow, close, drawn out shot of the little girl in the beginning creates suspense as the music builds, while the watcher gets more prepared to take in the content of the advertisement. However, I think the biggest takeaway of these ads, especially when compared, is the purpose. The Dove ad, while still an ad for Dove products, masks itself as an empowering message to parents. Talk to your daughter, you have control over how she sees herself. You can help her. They just throw in a little "buy Dove" at the end by using their logo. The Greenpeace ad is a clear message against Dove. They are specifically targeting Dove by displaying their products in the video and saying "Talk to Dove before it's too late". Their intended audience is anyone who uses Dove. Their purpose is to convince people not to use Dove. Both have a message, but the Greenpeace video has a much more specific goal. In my opinion, the Greenpeace ad does make an impact and it certainly gets their message across. However, Dove was trying to do a good thing too, by empowering young women. The Greenpeace parody, while powerful, does detract from the also beneficial message of the Dove ad. I understand why Greenpeace did what they did, but Dove's cause wasn't a bad one, and it didn't need to be made fun of in such a manner.
Finally, the Rimmel ad: the only ad which presents itself as such. Edge Your Looks Let me explain: with the Dove commercials, they didn't really try to sell a product. They were trying to sell an idea, which was backed by their products. With this Rimmel ad, though it too promotes confidence and happiness, it uses Rimmel products as as vessel for this message. Each person in the video is seen applying makeup. The video sells the idea of Rimmel as beauty and confidence. However, it still promotes confidence by telling viewers: embrace what you already have. Confidence demands respect. There's no right or wrong image. The message is the most critical part of this ad. It's definitely selling a product, but it's telling people (and not just women!) that they can use these products however much or little they want to and still be beautiful and confident.
Overall these advertisements speak to the beauty industry and the world's perception of it. Both Dove ads promote confidence, while slyly pushing their products. The Greenpeace ad suggests that the beauty industry is not as important as the environment. The Rimmel ad gives the idea of empowerment while also honestly selling their product. The way one already sees the world is going to influence how they watch these videos. Do you think the beauty industry pushes things on young women? Is the environment a more important issue or can both take the spotlight? Can anyone wear makeup, or are there certain rules that people have to follow in regards to it? Let me know your thoughts on these ads and whether you agree with my comments on them.
Comments
Post a Comment