'Nu' Perfume Advert and Evaluation

To what extent have you met the brief? How did you do this, or what prevented you from doing this?

I think I have met the brief because the print advert I have created does, in my opinion, 'feature the product and promote the product to new, youthful audiences in an engaging way'. I was able to do this because I created an advert for people like myself, so I was able to use what I would find appealing in my concept. This is also true for the model featured as she is like myself and the audience. The 'new' comes from the product itself and the concept as a whole because it is different to real adverts, the 'youthful' comes from the model and the 'engaging' comes from the variety of images to look at and text to read, as well as the way it does not fit with what would be expected of a print advert for a product like this. The product is featured as the brief also required. Of course, it is important to remember that different people will find different things engaging, so whilst I think my advert meets the brief, it will not be appealing to everyone. With a greater budget and time frame I think I may have been able to meet the brief in a greater way as I would have had fewer limitations when coming up with the concept. In terms of this concept, I think the only thing which prevented me from meeting the brief in a greater way was my Photoshop skills - with more skill I could have been more creative and experimental when producing the advert, which may have made it more engaging.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real adverts?

My media product is unlike real adverts, but this was a conscious choice I made to work with the concept of the perfume and draw in audiences. Most real adverts have a single main image, whereas my media product is a grid of 16 different images which are a combination of posed and candid - this is another way in which my media product challenges forms and conventions of real adverts because it shows what the model is really like rather than being perfectly set up. This is also true in terms of the styling as the model is not wearing any makeup, her hair isn't styled and she is wearing a plain white top, whereas normally, models in real adverts are wearing little to no clothing, their hair is done and their faces are covered in makeup. My media product should be more relatable for audiences, and won't provide them with unrealistic expectations. In some ways, though, it does use forms and conventions of real adverts. One example of this is the text and how minimal it is. All that is said is the name of the product, what it is and the slogan, as the audience's main focus should be on the images, but also because it makes the branding the text provides more noticeable.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Due to the fact my media product features numerous pictures of the same model, most social groups are not featured and therefore not represented. The model in my media product is a young female, so her social group is the one that is represented. She is represented as playful as she laughs and messes around with the product and her hair. Representations of the model are particularly important because some of the images are candid, so she has not been forced to act in a certain way and therefore represent herself and her social group in a certain way - it is her true self. In addition, the model is shown as confident as she isn't hiding behind makeup or over-the-top styling. Whilst this may not be true for everyone in her social group, it is something which the advert hopes to help them achieve as the concept is based around being comfortable with who you are and what you look like. The social group is represented as important - the fact that the model is featured so many times, in so many different ways, highlights her significance, especially as there is nobody else involved. The representation I have achieved may not be what is expected of the social group, or from the type of advert that I have produced as I have tried to subvert stereotypes, but I think this is empowering and exciting.

How did you attract/address your audience?

I attracted my audience by being different, as I have mentioned so many times before. By producing a media product which is unlike any others on the market my audience should notice and respond. Whilst the theme could be seen as plain, I think it actually makes an impact, because there is still so much to take in with the various images, and the white colour scheme allows the text to stand out and be recognisable as a part of the brand to audiences. One thing which is similar about my advert in comparison to others is the way that it showcases what the audience could be like if they had the product, without being unachievable. This is attractive because it isn't difficult - all the audience have to do is purchase the product! Also, simply, in some of the images the model is looking directly at the audience, emphasising her confidence and implying a demand or request, as well as the expectation of a response - in this case the purchasing of the product.

What do you feel you have learnt in the process of conceptualising and producing your advert?

I have learnt a lot in the process of conceptualising and producing my advert - it isn't easy! It is important to have a clear goal of what you want to create. At the beginning of the process, I had a lot of uncertainties which made it harder when it came to finalising my concept and actually producing my advert because there were still aspects I was unsure about. I thought so already, but the process of conceptualising and producing my advert also confirmed to me how important every single part of a concept and advert is. The name and message as well as the font, colour and composition are all significant to the brand, producer and audience - nothing should be left out.