Forms of TV Adverts

What are the forms of an advertisement?

There are a variety of forms that advertisements can come in and there is sometimes an expectation that they will be presented through specific conventions.

Forms of TV adverts:                     

• Realistic                                              
• Non Realistic
• Narrative Driven
• Animation
• Documentary
• Talking heads
• Stand alone vs Series

Realistic Adverts - These type of adverts are effective in communicating to the audience a message relating to current issues or events in society with a realistic feel about it. They are especially effective in allowing the audience to relate to the advert in some type of way, due to its simple and easy features. If an advert is presented in a realistic way and it's not staged, there is an honesty with the product. As a result, these type of TV adverts will appeal to the audience due to its believable features, but may fail to stand out compared to non realistic adverts, which are normally more flashy and distinguishable. Despite realistic adverts not having the same impact as others, they are at best when there is something going on in real life that the audience can relate to for the moment, and companies will recognize this. 

The following video is a prime example of a realistic advert. This is because of the realism that is implemented in the video with Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher enjoying their time playing FIFA 16. There is a suggestion that this is a common activity between the two which is realistic for the audience and effective as it is inviting them to play as well. The audience get the impression that people want to play Fifa and it doesn't appear that they have been forced to play it. 

Non Realistic Adverts - This form of TV advertising is commonly used by production companies solely due to their power of standing out and being remembered by the audience. Non realistic adverts involve an unrealistic representation of the product being promoted through a fictional or surreal narrative. There will often be an unrealistic situation presented which will prove distinguishable to the audience as they will likely be amazed or will find it humorous. This is particularly useful for the creators as they will be granted the freedom to be creative with the adverts, and thus will attract the audience through its unrealistic features. However, non realistic adverts may be ineffective in the sense that some audiences may not understand the plot or the message and some of them will be detached from the product.  

The following advert is easily recognized as a non realistic advert due to the highly surreal narrative. This advert is clearly fictional as you do not see babies rollerskating in real life and performing all types of stunts solely due to effects of 'Evian' water. Unlike the previous example, the behavior in this advert is not associated with normality. Despite this, it is clear how 'Evian' attract their audience promoting a 'healthy' water product by presenting the effects of it in a bizarre, yet humorous and effective way. 

Narrative Driven - Narrative driven adverts utilize the advert's narrative as the focal point in hope of it standing out to the audience. There will be a perceptible story within the advert that the audience will follow and it will trigger a certain emotion depending on the story. This will encourage the audience to buy the product being advertised, however this form of advertising is risky in the sense that it may be boring for some audiences. They may not wait until the end of the advert, where the product is usually revealed, because of the nature of the narrative. Narrative driven adverts are also sometimes effective in promoting a product through clever ways involving a story line. Ultimately, narrative driven adverts engages the audience and their main aim is to make sure you actually watch the advert.  

The advert above is a good example of a narrative driven advertisement. Although the message becomes very different from what the audience may have originally perceived, it is effective in producing a shock for the audience. This emotional advert tells the story of a homeless man who is supposed to be a nuisance for a shop owner, but is anything but after the shop owner goes through footage on his CCTV camera. The shop keeper as well as the audience find out that the homeless man who died was actually looking after the shop and trying to do good. In the end, the advert brilliantly promotes VIZER CCTV cameras where audiences perhaps assumed the promotion to be not to judge someone by their appearance. 

Tzvetan Todorov's theory can be identified in a narrative driven advertisement as it follows the suggested three part structure of a narrative. The advert follows the three main parts of a conventional narrative structure as the advert starts with equilibrium where everything seems normal until the homeless man appears and disrupts the equilibrium. When the homeless man dies, the shop owner goes through camera footage to find out the truth and return to normality and find a new equilibrium.

Animation - Animated adverts involves the illusion of movement through different frames displayed rapidly. There are different types of animated adverts which can involve the traditional computer generated images (CGI) in either 3D or 2D hand drawn animations. There are also some adverts that are displayed through motion graphics or stop motion but companies will rarely use this format. There will often be voice overs in the animated production and it will require the use of modern technology which can be more expensive than using live action. The animation process may take longer for production companies which will delay the advert's release. However, animated adverts help to impress the audience by portraying something that is impossible in real life, and will be more recognizable for the audience. 

It is clear to see that the advert above is an animated advert. It is an advert from Sainsbury's during Christmas time which promotes family and sharing. From the beginning it is identified as a CGI animation and although it could have involved real actors, it seems more impressive to the audience through the animation. 

Documentary - An advert that is in the form of a documentary aims to earn the audience's trust through accurate content. There will be real locations as well as staff communicating to the audience the reasons to buy their product. A documentary advert will try to implant a definite reliability that the audience can rely on, by identifying the pros of the product. This can be highly beneficial to some audiences, however some may be put off as the advert may come across as manipulative. Some production companies present other types of documentaries to promote a movement relating their product which may boost their global appeal. 

The advert above is a documentary about the New Zealand Rugby team and their iconic Haka dance. The advert is brought by 'Beats by Dre' and is part of their promotion 'The Game Starts Here,' where they aim to tell their pre-game story and appeal to a new global audience. The documentary is effective in portraying the journey of the physical and mental preparation through Richie McCaw. 

Talking heads - Talking heads usually involves a person who addresses the camera by talking about the product or company and listing all the positive details that come with it. The advertisement comes across as direct advice to the audience which will encourage them to buy the product. Despite this, just how documentaries may come across, it can be seen as quite manipulative as the talking head is directly trying to grab your attention. 

The members of the public feature in the advert above to promote Asda's new guarantee. They all directly address the camera which installs a sense of reliability with Asda's new guarantee. The audience will feel that they can benefit from it just like the customers in the advert have done. 

Stand alone vs Series - Stand alone advertisements are adverts that are unique from the company and a one off in terms of the narrative. There will be no other similar adverts and stand alone adverts are effective in communicating a unique aspect of the product. 

On the other hand, there is a series advert which involves a constantly developing narrative with each advert. There will often be a main character that the audience will recognize from previous adverts. This form of advertising is effective as it will invite the audience and make them feel more involved with the product. They will be able to follow a developing narrative which may be interesting on its own and will also encourage them to buy the product in time. A series advert is a more interesting form of advertising that the audience like. However, sometimes it may feel repetitive for the audience and will make them lose interest. 

This advert above is a good example of a stand alone advert produced by Coca Cola. It features a unique version of Avicii's 'Hey Brother' only available in this advert, as it promotes brotherly love where the drink is symbolized as a thoughtful gift. Coca Cola have not produced any other adverts in relation to this so it is labelled as a stand alone advert.

A prime example of a series advert would be from EE's Apple Music adverts. The adverts feature Kevin Bacon as he is caught up in many different events while listening to Apple Music. In this particular advert, he runs into Britney Spears while he is listening to her songs which is an amusing way to promote Apple Music from EE.