4.Content and appeal of TV adverts to their audience

What I have learnt about the content and appeal of television adverts and how I intend to demonstrate this knowledge and understanding in my production in order to communicate successfully with the target audience.

The uses and gratifications theory is a very popular approach to understanding the media as it focuses on the audience/consumer. The theory suggests that the audience is actively consuming media with the purpose of using it to fulfill their specific gratifications. The theory is as follows:

Information and Education –to acquire information, knowledge and understanding

Entertainment and Escapism –for enjoyment and so the consumer can ‘escape’ any worries they may have

Personal Identity - to recognise a person or product, role models that reflect similar values to themselves and mimic or copy some of their characteristics.

Integration and social interaction – the ability for media products to produce a topic of conversation between people

In my television advert I will apply this theory to the target audience of 16-25 males and females. I have made annotations on the television adverts below to connote how this theory is applicable to existing adverts. I will be using Dove, Lynx and Impulse deodorant TV adverts. 

(Screenshot from Dove TV ad)

This advert entertains the audience by exaggerating reality with recognizable yet surreal situations. We see this through the contrast between someone who is wearing deodorant and can be confident, as oppose to someone who is not wearing the impulse deodorant therefore cannot ‘free’ her arms.
(Screenshot from Impulse ad)

The far fetched unrealistic story entertains the audience as they are easily able to escape reality when watching, however the story line is also a means of interaction and the audience can easily discuss it.

The stereotypical story line 'boy meets girl' is also very familiar.

Actors featured are in the TA age range therefore this gratifies the need for personal identity as the audience may relate or be aspired by the actors/characters.
(Lynx advert in full) 

From this I have learnt that the uses and gratifications theory can be applied to understand television adverts and their audiences. Due to this I will be focusing on the audience/consumer when constructing my advert in order to adhere to this theory. For example, conventional story lines entertain and help the audience to 'escape' as well as increase social interaction, so the audience can talk about the advert. Information about the product is included to inform the audience. Also, featuring actors that are within the target audience age range is ideal, so that the audience can relate/ be aspired by them.