How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary tasks?

Katie Hunt

We have created four different products which collectively combine across a range of platforms to promote our sports brand, ‘TGR.’ It is important that these products combine in order to create cohesion and link the product, advertising it in a number of ways. However, difference is also valued, as it shows individuality of each product.

These are the logos used in both of our main TV adverts. They are similar in the sense that they both use the same logo, and the same brand name (in the same font). This creates cohesion between our two main tasks, meaning different sporting activities (i.e. football, tennis and running) can all be linked to our brand, broadening our products versatility as well as our audience reach. The other similarity is that both the logo’s cover moving footage. This creates discontinuity editing throughout both adverts and links the products to the sports further. This use of discontinuity editing is a fairly common convention of sports TV adverts, hence why we included it. As for the ancillary tasks, the sponsorship sequence also uses this logo idea for the same reasons. Our radio advert is aural, and therefore we cannot create this same effect. However, our speaker says ‘TGR’ clearly, creating cohesion between our visual and aural products. However, the difference between our two TV advertisements in terms of displaying the logo is that one advert is specific to a running shoe, and so uses the additional ‘run’ as part of the title. This also sets this particular advert apart from our two ancillary tasks, as they are also not sport specific. This idea came from our research and planning, as we noticed some adverts were specific to certain sports. Therefore, this difference was created so to fit certain conventions of sport brand adverts. As for radio adverts and sponsorship sequences, these are conventionally more generalised, which is why they are only similar to the first of our two adverts.

In terms of slogans used for our sports brand, our two main TV adverts take two different approaches. Our first advert uses the slogan ‘change the game.’ This is a more generic slogan, referring to all types of sport and motivating all athletes. It has also been displayed on a plain background, allowing it to stand out, and the use of orange creates cohesion, as this is our brands logo colour. Alternatively, our second advert uses the slogan ‘ready for anything’ referring to the running shoe. This is cohesive with the footage shown, as the runner is seen in a variety of locations, tackling different obstacles on his run. However, this is a key difference between our two TV advertisements, yet does highlight the versatility our brand has to offer. Therefore, this is good when looking at our target audience, as it offers a broad spectrum of what the brand has to offer for them, by highlighting the different avenues the brand can follow. Another key difference here is the two font types. The ‘ready for anything’ does not follow the same font as the brand name, where as the main slogan, ‘change the game,’ does. This is so to set apart the running shoe from the general brand, giving it its own identity, thus representing the product as more individual, unique and appealing. However, it seemed important to maintain a link between the main brand slogan and name fonts, as this is the main driving statement behind the sporting brand. As for our two ancillary tasks, we have effectively created cohesion by displaying the ‘change the game’ slogan in our sponsorship sequence, and it is spoken during our radio advert, following the announcement of the brand name. The sponsorship sequence does value one difference between that of the main TV advert, and that is that the slogan is displayed much less obviously. This is because the main focus of this sequence is to advertise another product, and therefore our products motifs cannot be seen as obviously. As for the radio advert, this is linked very well to our main advertisement, as the ‘TGR’ and the ‘change the game’ are spoken in the same order as they appear in our main TV advert.

Another similarity between our two main TV adverts is the use of costume. The two adverts both successfully use the brands theme colours to help advertise the product. For example, the first of our two adverts follow an orange and black theme, which mirrors the colours used in the brand name and logo. Not only this, but also these colours carry the connotations to help motivate our audience. Orange is a vibrant colour that can be associated with energy. Not only this, but it carry’s a positive tone, which could motivate our target audience as they view the brand in a good light. As for our second TV advertisement, the ‘run’ part of our logo is displayed in a grey colour at the end of the advertisement. Therefore, our runner is dressed wearing grey also, creating the same cohesion as before. Grey is a simple colour that we felt would suit the simplicity of the activity, which is running. People can do this as casually or as competitively as they feel suits them. We didn’t want to intimidate our audience by displaying this kind of activity to seriously, and so we felt the plain colours would suit the tone we wished to create. As for the sponsorship sequence, we decided to maintain the orange and black theme, to link to the brand name and to maintain the idea of energy and positivity. Also, a sponsorship sequence is aimed at making the product stand out against the product it is arguing, and so effectively takes the centre of attention. Using these bright colours would help our product to be noticed in such a situation, as well as linking our footage and brand together well.

Another thing to consider when it comes to our actors, is the idea of target audience. We have purposefully used young sportsmen/women to appeal to a young generation, and motivating them to get into sport. We felt that by using a similar character, our ideal audience could relate and feel more confident about using our product and doing sport. We have maintained the idea of youth through our use of costume, also, as some of our actors can be seen wearing hoodies, which are stereotypically associated with the youth. As well as young appearing actors, we have also used a confident young sounding voice for our radio advert, in an attempt to create a similar effect on our target audience. Therefore, we have effectively used cohesion in order to maintain the same target audience throughout all of our media products.

Another area to consider in terms of similarities is the use of music between the two main TV adverts. Both our our main products include the song 'You! Me! Dancing!' to create a link between the two products. Also, we felt this was an upbeat song which created a positive tone and placed the idea of sport in a positive light, motivating our audience. It is also then a song people will associate with our product, and therefore makes our product and, more importantly, our style of advertising, more well known. However, there is a difference, as the two adverts use two different edits of the same song. The running advert uses the part of the song which is fast pace, matching the fast pace of the cuts in the advert as well as the motion of running. The other advert, however uses not only the fact pace section, but the slower part of the music, to accompany the actors preparing for sport. This was done therefore to not only give our two adverts a slight sense of individuality, but also to work with the pace of our footage and editing.

As for our ancillary tasks, the radio advert uses a different type of sound to accompany the voiceover. Instead here, we have decided to use running footstep sounds, as an ambient sound, in order to help the audience visualise the action of running and therefore to help them associate the words with sport. This was important feature of radio advertising we found during our research stage, as the audience have to be able to relate and understand through imagery. We have also included a some backing music that is a basic beat, yet adds an edge to the speech during the radio advert. It is different from the song used during the main TV adverts, as we felt this song could become overused and perhaps wouldn’t fit the pace of the speech. Therefore, we have found another song to act as the non-diegetic sound for this piece.

A final aspect of sound worth mentioning, is the use of a voiceover. In our radio advert and sponsorship sequence, we have used the same voice to speak, creating cohesion in this way. We decided to do this as the voice used is strong and confident, and so creates this tone for our product, adding to its success.

In terms of actors, we have used a wide range of people to help us film our two TV adverts and sponsorship sequence. We have used a different actor for the running advert to give it that sense of individuality and uniqueness. However, the actors in the sponsorship sequence and the first of our two main TV adverts are the same, as familiar faces are good in terms of the audience being able to recognise them and associate our product with them. This works in a similar way to celebrity endorsement, as certain sporting stars are often associated with certain brands (for example, David Beckham is associated with Adidas.) As for the idea of voiceovers, we have used the same voice for both our radio advert and for the aural aspect of our sponsorship sequence. Again, a familiar voice is good for audience recognition, as it is what they would associate with our product. Also, the pronunciation of the brand name 'TGR' is aurally important, as people will recognise it and know the brand immediately. This idea works well for products such as the comparison website 'Go Compare,' as that singing is instantly associated with that website, and so people know what to expect from a radio or TV advert when they hear it.

Another similarity between all of our products is the use of a simple location. Both of our main TV adverts use the simple locations of either an urban town area, or rural park or country park area. This creates cohesion and also promotes the appeal of our product as being the simplicity of sport, as oppose to the competitive side. This is the appeal we wanted to create amongst our target audience, as we wanted to promote the idea that sport is for everyone, and our product is openly available to all levels of sporting ability. This idea of the simplicity of sport could be considered to be represented through the use of colour. The majority of our footage is shot in dull colour, and is much less vibrant, connoting the idea that this is sporting for beginners, away from the vibrant lifestyle of professionals. Also, the use of ‘training’ locations, such as the netball hoops and tennis court, suggests a similar idea. This idea connoting simplicity is maintained throughout the sponsorship sequence and two main TV adverts. As for the radio advert, the speech and non-diegetic also follows a simplistic editing style, and so fits this idea well.