 |
| The urban american setting is easily identifiable for audiences across the world, and reflects the edgy, positive and exciting ideology integral to Adobe's brand identity. However, we must consider: why is a product that allows people to remotely work across the world being advertised in a stereotypically busy city? It all comes down to hyperreality! |
How does media language combine to create meaning in the Adobe advert?
Knee jerk reaction
Media language combines to emphasise themes of creativity, colour, fun
Plan
Mythical creatures
Centre shot, mid shot
Cartoony
Camera movement: lots
Major key music! Chilled! Classic rock!
Binary oppositions
Low key artificial lighting
One take shot/long take
Woman dress casually
Alternating camera movement speed
Bright, primary colours
Audience positioned w/ woman
bell hooks
Van Zoonen
Many mid shots long shot
ints and exts
Proairetic code
Content
- New york setting: connotations of excitement, and a truly international city. Also an indication that the advert is primarily targeting urban audiences. Anchored through the MES of the subway train
- Extreme long shot of city in clouds establishes a dreamlike and wistful mode of address for the target audience. It utilises conventions of the sci-fi genre, such as flying cars and a beautiful chrome city, reinforcing the ideology that Photoshop can 'unlock the imagination of the target audience.
- Generic hybridity allows the producers to use elements of repetition and difference in order to appeal to a diverse range of audiences
- Low angle close up shot of beautiful green grass forms a binary opposition with the grey, dull train. Binary oppositions allow producers to reinforce certain ideologies through the use contrast, and by contrasting the beautiful with the mundane, Adobe emphasise the excitement that Photoshop has to offer
- Sci fi iconography is beatmatched to the music, and its presence in emphasised by a chilled, instrumental passage of music, once more reinforcing the contrast and diverse range of art styles that photoshop can deal with
- Editing pace changes frequently, slowing down and speeding up. This functions as a symbolic code, making reference to the action genre, and the excitement and variety of everyday life
- Many intertextual references throughout the advert including Keith Haring, a New York Artist, known for his brash pop art style. Intertextuality here allows the symbolic theme of creativity to be further emphasised. This clearly anchors the meaning to the audience: use photoshop and become the famous artist you want to be
- MES of a variety of mythical creatures emphasises the ideology that Photoshop can allow the target audience to present a range of creative styles
- The advert arguably sells a false sense of reality, and the easily identifiable message Photoshop can 'bring the audience's imagination to life'. However, Photoshop is boring and ugly to look at, is clunky, and increasingly hard to use. The purpose of any media product is to create revenue for the conglomerate which owns the product. The very high production values of this advert clearly indicate that Adobe is a huge, multinational conglomerate.
- Representation of gender, selection of a young mixed race woman is a clear nod to equality and diversity. She is wearing perhaps stereotypically masculine clothing and minimal makeup, which is clearly an unconventional representation of women.
- Advertising exists to sell the audience a lifestyle... Yet this lifestyle arguably differs quite significantly from the unglamourous reality of working in the creative industries!