Possible exam questions - Past Papers

How typical of their genres are your chosen texts?

Consider:

Discuss the audience appeal of your three main texts.

Consider:

Most media texts target a wide range of audiences, how true is this of your chosen texts?

Consider:

'Most texts today mix genres.' How true is this of your three main texts?

Consider:

Describe Niche and Mainstream audiences with specific text examples

Consider:

Pp ms4 2013 from ealeya

MS3 Production

The following info is from the WJEC specification.

Production
• The production should develop from, and be informed by, the student's research
investigation. Reflecting their research findings (either by conforming to or deliberately
challenging their findings) is essential.

Task 1: 25.2.2014
Create a list of findings by revisiting you research investigation.

Task 1: 25.2.2014
Create a second list explaining elements you will include in your production that are informed by your Research Investigation.

Task 3: 26.2.2014
Annotate your script or a printout of the lyrics in your text describing what you are going to shoot and giving a reason for the...

• framing
• camera moves
• editing
• lighting

Everything in your production needs to be there for a considered reason.
That reason as you all know is to attract a target audience.

Task 4: 27.2.2014
Storyboard your production and include rough timings.

Task 5: 27.2.2014
Create a shot list. Something like this.

Next week you should be ready to go out filming, be patient and prepare properly.

The effect of proximity within shots.

In visual representation, social distance is related in part to apparent proximity. 
In camerawork, degrees of formality are reflected in shot sizes
 - close-ups signifying intimate or personal modes.
 - medium shots a social mode and 
 - long shots an impersonal mode. 
In visual media, the represented physical distance between the observed and the observer often reflects attempts to encourage feelings of emotional involvement or critical detachment in the viewer. 
Proximity is not the only marker of social distance in the visual media: angles of view are also significant. High angles (looking down on a depicted person from above) are widely interpreted as making that person look small and insignificant, and low angles (looking up at them from below) are said to make them look powerful and superior

The interplay of these techniques is important. In the three photographs shown here of Michelangelo's David (1501-4, Accademia, Florence), whilst all of the shots are taken from below this gigantic figure, the close-up from below seems to me to emphasize the power of the figure in contrast to the mid-shot, in which - despite the musculature - David seems somewhat softer and more vulnerable. The closer we are the more we look upwards. 
Power is signified most strongly by a low angle which is also a close-up - as if, as we get closer, we become more vulnerable.

Colors in Advertising

The use of colors in advertising and how it is used in other countries. Advertisers have to be extremely careful when choosing colors for specific advertisements based on location and what the product is for. Every color has a psychological connection to some type of thought or feeling whether it is good or bad. A few examples: (Colors in Advertising)

·         Red: speed, power, excitement, stop

·         Green: health and nature

·         Blue: serenity, clarity, intellect, and precision, formality, elegance

·         Yellow: happy, energetic, rejuvenation, sunshine

·         Purple: luxury, high quality, feminine

·         Orange: adrenalin, cheapness, energy

·         Pink: feminine, baby, calming, sweet, angelic

·         Black: exclusive, excellence, formal, traditional

·         White: purity, calm, clear-cut

Advertising Industry - Dove and INDUSTRY

Advertising is a paid form of communication, delivered through media from an identifiable source,

about an organization, product, service, or idea, designed to persuade the receiver to take some action, now or in the future.
Dove - Industry Issues

Production

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a worldwide marketing campaign launched by Unilever in 2004 that includes advertisements, video, workshops, sleepover events and the publication of a book and the production of a play. The aim of the campaign is to celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and inspire them to have the confidence to be comfortable with themselves. Dove's partners in the effort include such marketing and communications agencies as Ogilvy & Mather, Edelman Public Relations, and Harbinger Communications (in Canada). Part of the overall project was the "Evolution" campaign.

Consumers were asked to make judgment about a series of photos of women who didn't fit the glossy mag mould. Was a plus-sized woman oversized or outstanding? Was a woman with small breast half empty or half full?

Background/Context 
The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was conceived in 2004 after market research indicated that only 2% of women consider themselves beautiful. The campaign's mission is to "to create a world where beauty is a source of confidence and not anxiety." It was created by Ogilvy & Mather Brazil.

The ads invited passers-by to vote on whether a particular model was, for example, "Fat or Fab" or "Wrinkled or Wonderful", with the results of the votes dynamically updated and displayed on the billboard itself. Accompanying the billboard advertisements was the publication of the "Dove Report", a corporate study which Unilever intended to "[create] a new definition of beauty [which] will free women from self-doubt and encourage them to embrace their real beauty."

Following this success, the campaign expanded into other media, with a series of television spots (Flip Your Wigs and the Pro-Age series, among others) and print advertisements ("Tested on Real Curves"), culminating in the 2006 Little Girls global campaign, which featured regional versions of the same advertisement in both print and screen, for which Unilever purchased a 30-second spot in the commercial break during Super Bowl XL at an estimated cost of US$2.5M.

Marketing/ Promotion

What We Can Learn From Dove’s Marketing Strategies?
Since its launch in the 1940s, Dove by Unilever has evolved from a mediocre company to one of the most trusted beauty product makers in the industry. In a time when soaps were simple and known to dry out the skin, Dove was marketed as a more gentle option that was actually not soap at all but a product of careful military research. The company was slow to take off with a lack of global identity and a decentralized product. A lack of corporate strategy also played a part, and the small amount of products the company released did not rank high among competitors. However, by the 1970s, Dove’s popularity as a gentle beauty bar had risen. It was marketed as a skincare bar containing 25 percent cleansing cream. 

By 1980, it was the leading brand recommended by physicians. Eventually, the company launched body washes, shampoos and other beauty products. But how did their marketing change to make this a success as more and more companies released gentle soaps and hygiene products? Dove’s unique strategy focused on revealing the natural beauty in every woman instead of spotlighting famous celebrities or models. By using ads and campaigns to focus on everyday women and how each one has a different look or body shape, the company was able to successfully increase consumer awareness and sales. Dove launched ads celebrating curvy women and older women. While most brands focus on the importance of the product itself, Dove’s key message was the importance of every woman feeling good about herself. 

A strong emotional touch was one of Dove’s main goals. Dove product displays showed pictures of women who did not fit the tall, blonde and thin society stereotype showing just as much self-esteem. This is the idea that makes the product appeal to the majority of women. The company also has evolved to use social media for feedback and sharing innovative ideas. One of the company’s most successful ads was a video that went viral called, Dove Real Beauty Sketches with over 55 million views on YouTube.   Dove continues evolving to keep up with the changing world. By using advertisements with women from all age groups, the brand has a broad enough reach that all ages have developed trust and loyalty to its products. Two of the main ideas that keep Dove going strong are developing adaptive ways to market the brand while also keeping a smaller product base. By lowering their original amount of 1,600 brands to just 400, they were able to select master brands and categorize the remaining products under those to avoid confusion. 

Dove’s story of marketing changes that eventually led to great success is a good example of how changing strategies can lead to increased sales and customer loyalty. Some companies make the mistake of narrowing the appeal of their brands to a small group of people without intending to do so. Some ideas may work for a while, but technology and your target audience are constantly changing, so companies must also adapt their marketing strategies to embrace these changes.

Regulation

1. advertising and regulation recap lesson from ealeya




Task 2 (June 3rd): Answer this question in relation to the Dove campaign only. 

B2. How effectively is your selected industry regulated? Refer to your chosen texts in your answer. [30]

Global Implications

Here is a sample WJEC question on global implications:

With reference to your selected industry, explore how far your chosen texts are 

global. 

Here is the examiner's response to the answers submitted:

This was quite a broad question but it was not a popular one. Some candidates responded

extremely well and were able to write about the content of their texts (e.g. setting, themes,

actors/stars/celebrities) as well as the global ownership, distribution and audiences for their

selected texts. However it was disappointing to see how few candidates knew anything

about the context of their selected texts and too many made quite bland statements claiming

their texts to be global without really understanding the term itself.

This is what you need to consider for an answer on global implications:

 ADVERTISING: 

• Product, brand, identity and status

• Promotional strategies

• Use of international celebrities

• On-line adverts

• Facebook, Youtube

Task 3 June 3rd Homework: Answer this in relation to the Dove campaign only.

B4. To what extent are your three main texts global? [30]

Distribution/ Exhibition

The first stage of the campaign centred around a series of billboard advertisements, initially put up in the United Kingdom, and later worldwide. The spots showcased photographs of regular women (in place of professional models), taken by noted portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz.

The series received significant media coverage from talk shows, women's magazines, and mainstream news broadcasts and publications, generating media exposure which Unilever has estimated to be worth more than 30 times the paid-for media space.

In 2006, Ogilvy & Mather were seeking to extend the campaign further, by creating one or more viral videos to host on the Campaign for Real Beauty website. The first of these, Daughters, was an interview-style piece intended to show how mothers and daughters related to issues surrounding the modern perception of beauty and the beauty industry. It was during the production of Daughters that a series of short films entitled "Beauty Crackdown" was pitched to Unilever as an "activation idea." The concept was one that art director Tim Piper, who proposed to create Evolution with the budget left over from Daughters (C$135,000), pushed. It was originally intended to get people to the Campaign for Real Beauty website to see Daughters, and to participate in the workshops featured on the site.

In April 2013, a video titled Dove Real Beauty Sketches was released as part of the campaign. It went viral attracting strong reactions from the public and media. In the video, several women describe themselves to a forensic sketch artist who cannot see his subjects. The same women are then described by strangers whom they met the previous day. The sketches are compared, with the stranger's image invariably being both more flattering and more accurate. The differences create strong reactions when shown to the women.

Related links:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2006/mar/30/doveacleancampaign

http://www.dove.co.uk/en/

the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-the-dove-campaign-for-real-beauty


selfesteem.dove.co.uk


dove-evolves-real-beauty-celebrity-glitz

How-Doves-Real-Beauty-ad-plays-false-idea-women-actually-feel-MORE-attractive-really-are

doves-real-beauty-campaign-faces-real-backlash

Advertising Industry - Case Study: Chanel.

Case Study. Chanel, Coco Mademoiselle:

1. Who created this media message?  Why?

This is a print ad for Coco Mademoiselle perfume which is made by the Chanel Company. This ad campaign features print and television ads, as well as a mini-feature film in which actress and spokesmodel Keira Knightley plays the role of Chanel Company founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. Knightley has starred in films such as Bend it Like Beckham, Pride and Prejudice and the Pirates of Caribbean series. The campaign was created to advertise or feature Coco Mademoiselle perfume and was released to coincide with the holiday shopping season.

2. Who is the target audience?  What text, images or sounds suggest this?  

Coco Mademoiselle perfume was released in 2001 to target Chanel’s younger market and as a new product line to the Chanel Company’s world famous No. 5 fragrance. The Coco Mademoiselle perfume is marketed as a less expensive option, typically selling for between $75 to $100 per bottle. With that in mind, it would seem that Chanel is looking to attract their “younger market” which might imply children as young as eight years old, or possibly the "tween" market (which is generally considered ages 8-12 years old) . Although the target ethnicity is not known, every spokesmodel for Coco Mademoiselle perfume has been a young, white woman. At $75 to $100 per bottle, one might assume the class to be one that could afford such an expense. In addition, Knightley is pictured wearing an expensive-looking pearl necklace.

3. What is the text (literal meaning) of the message?

Knightley is pictured nude wearing a pearl necklace and is strategically covered by a black bowler hat and a white dress shirt. A large image of the Coco Mademoiselle perfume bottle is prominently featured in the foreground. The Chanel logo is in all-white in the top-right hand corner of the ad and the words “Coco Mademoiselle” are in black to the left of Knightley. The only other text on the ad is “shop chanel.com” in small type in the lower right hand corner. The background has a “black and white” theme.

4. What is the subtext (unstated or hidden message)?

The designers of this ad appear to be going for a perceived “classic” look, utilizing a black and white color scheme, old-fashioned accessories and a sexualized female subject. It is important to note that Knightley appears nude (although strategically covered) in all segments of this ad campaign.

The ad also appears to send a message of an elegant lifestyle…one of wealth and privilege. It seems to both glamorize and define “beauty.”

5. What tools of persuasion are being used?

Symbols - This ad uses strong overtones of sexuality. Symbols include the use of the black and white design scheme and the props (bowler’s hat, pearl necklace and dress shirt) in an effort to promote the concept of elegance and wealth.

Celebrities - Keira Knightley is a film actress and has no connection to what
is being sold, aside from getting paid to endorse it.

See Language of Persuasion post.

6. What healthy messages are communicated? What unhealthy messages are communicated?

There really appears to be no healthy messages in this advertisement. The implication that buying and wearing this perfume will help the purchaser achieve elements such as beauty, sexiness, elegance, wealth and refinement is simply a fantasy that no product can provide.

7. What part of the story is not being told?

The price per bottle, between $75 and $100, and the ingredients of the perfume.

The timing of the launch of the ad campaign was of particular interest, as the bulk of the television ads were set to be released in early December, which seems to target the market that is buying for the Christmas holiday. This is a continued push for a consumer culture that makes promises of happiness and fulfillment through product purchases.

Knightley was paid a reported one million dollars for a one-year campaign with Chanel. However the cost, both literal and figuratively, of products like this one, often doesn’t provide the level of satisfaction the buyer might hope for.

Advertising Industry - Gola and INDUSTRY

Gola - Industry Issues

http://www.gola.co.uk/borninbritain/

Production

11 JANUARY 2012

Sports brand Gola Classics launched an ad campaign celebrating its British heritage.

Created by Huddersfield agency Sharp, the new ads feature models striking sporting poses at iconic London locations including the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament.

The campaign comes with the new tagline 'Born in Britain' and carries the message that Gola's sportswear has been made on these shores since 1905.

Background

The Gola brand was born of humble beginnings in a small factory in 1905. Since then the brand has experienced a rollercoaster ride, surviving two World Wars and various other trials and tribulations to blossom in the 1960s and 70s as the pre-eminent sportswear brand. Today Gola keeps true to its roots and has become one of the most enduring and endearing sportswear and fashion brands in the UK. With 100 years under its wings, Gola steps into its second century in style. Drawing its influences from the successes of yesteryear and building on its genuine sporting roots, Gola constantly unveils exciting new developments season on season.

Context 

Plans are afoot by Gola Classics to unveil its latest advertising campaign at the forthcoming Bread & 

Butter tradeshow.

The exhibition in Berlin (Europe!) will see the UK sportswear specialist unveil its latest marketing efforts on 

January 18th, according to Drapers.

In a new move for the company, models in iconic London locations have been photographed in 

sporting poses to mark the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Diamond 

Jubilee this year.

Gola marketing manager Donna Hill told the news source: "We are really pleased with the new 

direction the 2012 ad campaign has taken.

"We wanted to capitalise on the euphoric wave of patriotism that will sweep the UK in 2012 by 

reinforcing Gola's British credentials and vast sporting heritage."(The Olympics were held in

London in 2012)

Entitled Born in Britain, the campaign is intended to stress the history of the brand, which is more 

than a century old.

Bread & Butter is a streetwear tradeshow and this year's winter incarnation will see leading 

companies in the sector from across the world gather between January 18th and 20th in Germany.

The show has been operating since July 2001, when it was launched as a parallel event to Men's 

Fashion Week.

Many more businesses than this plan to showcase their latest designs at the winter 2012 event, which 

will be held in the grounds of Berlin-Tempelhof Airport.

Companies in attendance are divided into a range of categories, including Urban Superior, Treasury, 

Street Fashion, Fashion Now and Sport & Street.

Founded in 1905, Gola started as a small factory and has expanded in the intervening decades to 

become one of the UK's most enduring sportswear and fashion brands, combining classic styles with 

modern trends.

Marketing/ Promotion 

Regulation 

Task 1:
Can the campaign in any way be considered misleading, harmful or offensive?
Say why. (10 mins)

Global Implications 

Gola Trainers are a true British classic in every conceivable way. The brand is indelibly printed in the consciousness of every sports mad Brit on the planet and today this classic brand is set to shares its history, style and innovation with the rest of the globe.

ADVERTISING: 

• Product, brand, identity and status

• Promotional strategies

• Use of international celebrities

• On-line adverts

• Facebook, Youtube

Task 2:
What codes and conventions within the ad campaign have prompted this review? (15 mins)

Distribution/ Exhibition

Task 3: Answer this question in relation to Gola Classics ad campaign only: (15 mins)

B3. How successful have your chosen texts been for their industry? [30]

Task 4: Answer these questions in relation to the Gola ad campaign

1. Who created this media message?  Why?

2. Who is the target audience?  What text, images or sounds suggest this?  

3. What is the text (literal meaning) of the message?

4. What is the subtext (unstated or hidden message)?

5. What tools of persuasion are being used?

6. What healthy messages are communicated? What unhealthy messages are communicated?

7. What part of the story is not being told?

Advertising Industry - Halo and INDUSTRY

Halo 3 Ad Industry

Production

Halo 3 is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in 2004's Halo 2. The game was released on September 25, 2007 in Australia, Brazil, India, New Zealand, North America, and Singapore; September 26, 2007 in Europe; and September 27, 2007 in Japan. Halo 3's story centers on the interstellar war between twenty-sixth century humanity and a collection of alien races known as the Covenant. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he battles the Covenant. The game features vehicles, weapons, and gameplay not present in previous titles of the series, as well as the addition of saved gameplay films, file sharing, and the Forge map editor—a utility which allows the player to perform modifications to multiplayer levels.

Bungie began developing Halo 3 shortly after Halo 2 shipped. The game was officially announced at E3 2006, and its release was preceded by a multiplayer beta open to select players who purchased the Xbox 360 game Crackdown. Microsoft spent $40 million on marketing the game, in an effort to sell more game consoles and broaden the appeal of the game beyond the established Halo fanbase. Marketing included cross-promotions and an alternate reality game.

On the day before its official release, 4.2 million units of Halo 3 were in retail outlets. Halo 3 grossed US$300 million in its first week. More than one million people played Halo 3 on Xbox Live in the first twenty hours. To date, Halo 3 has sold in excess of 11.5 million copies, making it the fifth best selling Xbox 360 game of all time, the best selling game in the Halo franchise, the best selling Xbox 360 exclusive title and the best selling first person shooter on the console outside of the Call of Duty games. The game was also the best-selling video game of 2007 in the U.S. Overall, the game was very well received by critics, with the Forge and multiplayer offerings singled out as strong features; however some reviewers criticized single-player aspects, especially the plot and campaign layout. A prequel to the game, Halo 3: ODST, was released worldwide on September 22, 2009. A sequel,Halo 4, was developed by 343 Industries and released on November 6, 2012.

Background/Context 

Halo 3 is the third game in the Halo Trilogy and provides the thrilling conclusion to the events begun in "Halo: Combat Evolved." Halo 3 picks up where "Halo 2" left off. The Master Chief is returning to Earth to finish the fight. The Covenant occupation of Earth has uncovered a massive and ancient object beneath the African sands - an object who's secrets have yet to be revealed. Earth's forces are battered and beaten. The Master Chief's AI companion Cortana is still trapped in the clutches of the 
Gravemind - a horrifying Flood intelligence, and a civil war is raging in the heart of the Covenant. This is how the world ends... [Bungie]

Marketing/ Promotion 

The first-person shooter video game Halo 3 was the focus of an extensive marketing campaign which began with the game's developer, Bungie, announcing the game via a trailer at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May 2006. Microsoft, the game's publisher, planned a five-pronged marketing strategy to maximize sales and to appeal to casual and hard-core gamers. Bungie produced trailers and video documentaries to promote the game, partnering with firms such as Digital Domain and Weta Workshop. Licensed products including action figures, toys, and Halo 3-branded soda were released in anticipation of the game; the franchise utilized more than forty licensees to promote the game, and the advertising campaign ultimately cost more than $40 million.

While Halo 2's release had set industry records, the mainstream press was not fully involved in covering the game; part of Microsoft's strategy was to fully involve casual readers and the press in the story. The saturation of advertising and promotions led Wired to state: "The release of Halo 3 this week was an event that stretched far beyond our little gaming world. Everyone from the New York Times to Mother Jones wanted to cover it."

Released on September 25, 2007, Halo 3 became the biggest entertainment debut in history, earning more than $170 million in a few days and selling a record 3,300,000 copies in its first week of sales alone. Halo 3's marketing won several awards, and was cited as evidence of the increasing mainstream popularity of games.

A significant form of marketing was done by the release of videos. While Bungie often partnered with other companies to create advertisements, they also produced their own video documentaries, or "ViDocs", detailing the behind-the-scenes development of aspects of Halo 3, including redesigning enemy Brutes, additions to multiplayer, and other game features. The first ViDoc was released shortly after the game's announcement and was a "making-of" style video, while the final ViDoc made its debut on September 20, 2007.

Regulation 

The game is rated "M" for Mature for blood, gore, violence, and mild language by the ESRB. Europe's PEGI rating system gave the game a "16+" rating, which serves as a guideline rather than as a rule. It is rated "15" by the BBFC for UK release and rated "M" by the OFLC for it's Australia and New Zealand release.

Global Implications 

Halo 3 was released on September 25, 2007 in Australia, Brazil, India, New Zealand, North America, and Singapore; September 26, 2007 in the UK and Europe; and September 27, 2007 in Japan all exclusively for the Xbox 360.

Distribution/ Exhibition

https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halo3

http://www.globalbydesign.com/2007/09/27/halo-3-puts-age-before-language/

Task 1: Answer this question with consideration given to the three Ad campaigns: (50 mins)

B1. How important is the internet to your selected industry? Refer to your chosen texts in your answer. [30]