I have been analysing a television advert by Ocean Finance. They went to an advertising agency to show their advert on UKTV History. UKTV is a commercial channel so it gets money from businesses that want their adverts to be shown. Ocean Finance then paid UKTV History to give them enough air-time to show their advert. Ocean Finance and UKTV History have a symbiotic relationship because they rely on each other for money. Unlike UKTV History, the BBC gets money from the government, so they don’t need any adverts.
Ocean Finance is aimed at home-owners and is a loan company for home owners in debt. In the advert there are many different sound effects used such as a lawnmower. The lawnmower’s sound is loud and harsh – like a chainsaw. The sound of the lawnmower is diegetic. Diegetic sound is a sound that other characters would be able to hear such as a television or a radio. This advert also included non-diegetic sounds such as a voice-over, music and SFX.
There is no dialogue in this advert. The family in the advert do not speak. The only speaking is a voice-over. The voice-over is a male voice. He comments on how to solve the debt problem and makes the viewer involved in what’s going on in the advert. He is speaking in 2nd person singular which makes the audience feel as thought he is talking directly to them. This is called pronominal reference. His voice is very understandable and appeals to a wide audience. He also speaks in Received Pronunciation. He speaks like this to avoid negative connotations towards Ocean Finance.
This advert also includes editing. In the opening scene things are dark and dull and they seem to have a blue tint over them which make them seem washed out. Everything has this effect except for the grass. The grass is always bright, as it represents the dept the family have. There is a focus pull when the camera zooms out really far and makes the man look small and inferior. This focus pull also makes the garden look like a field that he looks lost in. But when Ocean Finance is mentioned the atmosphere changes. After he joins, his family seem happier. It also appears that an extension has been added onto the house. This shows that they now have more money and their debt problem has gone. Also, the weather changes from dull and cloudy, to bright and sunny. This is pathetic fallacy which is when the weather mirrors the characters emotions.
At the beginning of the advert the camera angles are fast and choppy to make the situation seem out of control and to make the audience feel confused. There are many camera angles such as big close up’s (B.C.U’s) to show the family’s frustration and other emotions and high angle’s looking down on the man to make him feel smaller and to exaggerate the situation. There are also quick shot changes and camera angles to make the characters look confused and agitated and to make the viewer feel confused. Over the shoulder shots show how the family reacts and very long shots (V.L.S’s) show that the main character is alone.
Before the family joined Ocean Finance there was no music playing. However, after they joined there was happy tuneful music. The music includes sounds like weddings bells and ice cream vans to remind the audience of their care free, young days. At the beginning of the advert the characters clothes seem quite dull, ordinary and cheap. But after they joined Ocean Finance, their clothes are bright and ordinary. The characters represent an average, middle class family to make the audience feel that it appeals to them.
Ocean Finance mentions that they have been in business for 15 years. This makes them seem reliable and trustworthy. They also mention that they have helped over 200 000 homeowners to make the audience feel as if they know what they are doing. At the bottom of the screen there are tiny facts that don’t stay on the screen for very long. The images take up about 99% of the screen so the viewer doesn’t notice the hard facts at the bottom. The facts include what percentage an Ocean Finance customer would pay. The phone number and website is big and highlighted so the viewer will notice it. The phone number is also free to make it easier for the viewer to call them.