Introduction

Advertising is all around and is integral to everyday life. It is one of the largest sectors of the media industry, adverts being presented in a wide range of media such as television, film, radio, magazine, posters, billboards, the press, and the Internet. Of all of these, television advertising probably has the highest profile, some television advertisements being so effective and memorable that they become classics and part of the cultural background for a whole generation of viewers. Television is used to market almost every product one can imagine from everyday consumables, like washing powder, to extravagant sports cars, whilst some advertisements promote a service such as insurance, banking or vehicle breakdown cover.

Television advertising has become more and more sophisticated, utilising the very latest digital production techniques. Content and style can be simple or complex, using traditional narrative structures or less obvious surrealist imagery, and messages can be overt or understated.

I have created this blog to show my understanding of the structures and techniques used in television advertisements.

I have covered structures relating to form, style and the codes and conventions used in adverts.

I have also discussed with my examples the different techniques that advertisers used to promote a product.