(BA Hon) Media Studies

Analyze one advert. Discuss the (audio-) visual and semiotic codes used. How does the advert reference or relate to other images? How does it represent the real world?
Audio-Visual Literacy

This advert for Wrigley’s gum from 1990 starts with a bus travelling down a long American dirt road. On board sitting across from each other is a man and women, who are slightly flirting with sideway glances. The bus has to stop due to a tractor breaking down, and the heat is getting to the women. The man takes out his last piece of gum and hands it to the woman. To his surprise the woman tares it in half and shares it with the man. An icebreaker the man and women start to communicate. When the bus pulls up the man has to get off at his destination, a little sad he sits waiting at a bar staring at his torn gum wrapper. The woman walks in unknowingly to them man, she walks up behind him and places her half of the wrapper to his completing it. Through the advert there is a voice over saying the lines. Wrigley’s spearmint gum, great to chew, even better to share. Cool, Refreshing Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum. There is also the non-diegetic music ‘All Right Now’ by Free.

I found a previous analysis on this advert and looked at what G.Cook thought of this advert, I understood how he pictured this advert and I agree with his assessment. He said:
“In this ad, there are four distinct pictorial perspectives. There is the broad sweep of the outside world of nature – sunlight, corn, mountains – a benign, fertile, agricultural world at harvest time, in which the traditional and the new are in harmony. Moving in more closely, there is the social world of the bus and the bus station. This too is harmonious, with a cross section of American society: the old man and the little boy, the rural couple, different ethnic groups. Moving in even more closely, there are shots in which we see the young man and woman, within this social context, forming a relationship. Lastly, closest in of all, we see their faces from so short a distance that the image is one of complete intimacy. Only in an embrace would one see someone so close.” (G. Cook page 57)

The world is therefore painted rather perfect, the world is at peace and the focus is a scene of romance. The advert has no verbal script for the man and woman, suggesting this relationship is simple, there is no need for words.

The chewing gun is bringing the man and woman together, which is very common story line within adverts, the product bring social revelation. The way it is apparent is not by the man and woman talking in this advert but through the shot specifications. The gum and the couple are at close-up, we move out to the interior of the bus which is a mid shot, then outside which is set at wide shots. As the advert progresses at the start the shots get closer and closer in until we see the gum. Not only is it bringing the man and woman together but it is bringing the audience into this world and the product.

The advert is juxtaposed to the social conforms of a wedding. G. Cook states “The view of the bus is reminiscent of a wedding viewed from the alter” (ibid)

The inside of the bus is set out like a wedding ceremony with the man and woman at the front, the audience takes on the role of the minister. This is apparent when the man reaches for the gum out of his pocket, like a wedding ring, the image of the woman with the flowers behind our bride, which is like a bridesmaid and then right at the end when they join back the wrapper symbolising a joining or marriage. The boy in front has his head turned away by his mother, which suggest this is an adult’s product because he is being shielded from a metaphorical sexual encounter.

The gum is at the focal point of this advert, it is introduced mid way into the advert and until then there is very little action. When it is introduced the narrative thickens and there is more intimacy. The gum is ‘the last stick’ which reminds me of ‘the last rolo’ from the chocolate rolo slogans. Which because it is the man’s last one and he is willing to give it up for her, he is showing a great affection for the woman.

The gum is very idealist, as it represents two very unrealistic things. Firstly it represent the man and woman at all times, it is introduced to the story like the couple are introducing themselves, when it split in two it represent them being apart and when the woman places the wrapper back together it shows that so is the man and woman. It also represents something that is bringing two people and can in real life for different social setting, together. This is very unlikely which is designed to fool the audience into thinking this gum is different to other gums.
The song ‘All right Now’ and the intimacy of the advert suggest a very sensual setting. The songs period, the 70’s, the slow movement of the hands and when the woman places the gum in her mouth emphasises this also. The song juxtaposes with the advert because it is also about two strangers meeting. Therefore the dialogue comes through the song, rather than the actors.
At the end of the advert when the man says the catchphrase, it said by a man with a rather deep voice, I think this is to speak down to the audience like a voice from god. This makes the audience idealised the product as something unnatural. This type of mode of address also has an underlined message, if the narrator says this product is good and refreshing then the audience will try and identify with the characters in the advert. Women and men will she how the product, Wrigley’s Spearmint gum helps these two people find each other, and they assume that after the advert ends the relationship continues. This also send the impression to the audience that this isn’t an advert, this has actually happened and they are willing it to happen to them when the purchase the product.

The advert represents an American culture of mid-west with the rural setting, the old man sat on his porch, the hot day, and the tractor. It is represented as a harmonious world in this advert. The man and woman represent a perfect attraction, as they are fair, blonde and considered beautiful.

However they do take on a stereotypical role at places but are changed towards the end. The man is the one to give the gum to the woman, to start the engaging conversation, to make the first move. And then at the end the woman is taking control, the woman comes back for her man instead of the other way around, the man going chasing after the woman.

The advert relates to films of a western genre in several ways. The bus is called ‘The westerner’ people are wearing cowboy hats, it is a rural area with mountain, and sandy ground. The western is iconic of America, as it is a common film genre there. It is represented a little differently. However it is a simpler life for the people in this advert, which is mostly on seen in the saloon in a western. It is unlikely if there was another aspect of this advert, which it wouldn’t be of cowboys and Indians.

This advert also reminds me of Levis adverts, which also play on the American love story being perfect. Jeans are iconic to the rural mid-west America also.

Today this advert may have a different type of sex appeal, the woman would most likely represented differently so that she is more sexual, more flesh may be revealed if was made today. The focus is not on their bodies but their eyes and hands, which is more romantic rather than all about sex.There is not a lot of emphasis on the product until the end of the advert even though it features in throughout the advert. Which is common with a soft sell to an audience, the advert is not in the audience’s faces trying desperately to cram the product and its name as many times into the advert by means of a song, or an annoying actor.

Bibliography
G. Cook. The Discourse of Advertising.