Radio adverts- Research

We have decided to make a radio advert as part of the second half of the ancillary task , we will research national radio station adverts first as they are much more accessible to us. During the process we hope that we will be able to get an understanding of the structure, language, content etc of the adverts. We expect the national radio adverts to be different in comparison to local radio adverts as the content of national radio adverts will cover more main stream topics and feature adverts for products such as cars i.e. Toyota , international supermarkets etc.


National radio adverts:

http://www.rab.co.uk/hof/full.htm

The TOYOTA AVENSIS WITH ELECTRONIC TRAFFIC AVOIDANCE “MEETING" advert( number 1) uses the common structure of action followed by consequence, they mimic a guy who later hears them and we understand why they were mimicking him- it follows the enigma code. The reason why they have used humour is to make up for the fact that it is a radio advert, there is no visual aid to help the audience understand and also it allows them to feel involved in the interaction therefore listening to the advert.

Just like the Toyota advert, the BT CALL STIMULATION “MAX AND HOLLIE” (number 3)advert uses humour to keep the audience interested and also follows the enigma code- keeping the audience guessing at what may happen next and what it is leading to. The fact that they have used a little girl helps as people may relate to the situation, therefore making the advert affective.

IKEA “MARRY ME” advert (number 3) follows the same structure as the two above. It is affective as just like the other two, it uses and plays on a real life experience and tries to make it into a disaster in order to make it funny. The difference with this advert, is the use of a famous actors voice for the role of the victor, this was done by Jim Broadbent. This adds familiarity to the audience and allows them to picture the situation better. There is use of the Swedish accent which people would associate with Ikea and again, gives it a humorous tone.

Local adverts:

SOMERSET DRUG ACTION TEAM “MYTH” (number 13) This is the only local radio advert I managed to find. It tackles a much darker and tougher subject in comparison to the national adverts. It differs again to the others as it informs the audience straight away what it is about. As it is an advert for the Somerset, they have chosen a guy with the areas accent and socialect, therefore, establishing who and where they are targeting at. The guy has quite a rough voice, which people may associate with drug users etc, therefore making it easier for people to imagine the situation and have a better understanding.

Just like the rest of the adverts, it finishes with a voice over, re-establishing or clarifying the situation and the aim of the advert, giving information on how to find out more I.e. website address etc.
Just as predicted, the national radio adverts cover much more mainstream issues and products than local radio adverts. The reason for this difference is purely because if it is advertising a well know product, brand etc, everyone will be able to relate to it rather than advertising something which is only specific to a particular area, it is a lot more affective.