Research
Introduction
Why are TV adverts important?
TV adverts are a necessary to help sell a product and communicate to its customers. If an advert can increase sales then in tern its helping its producers/manufactures. It also helps to find other competitors and what that company can do to increase their popularity or meet the level of competition. If a product isn't advertised enough, or at all or even just badly then chances are that will cause a negative effect on sales of the product. This is because people won't see the product before they buy it so they won't know if they can benefit from the product or if it's what will suit them best. For example using 'logos' will increase sales as people may want to know technical details (facts and statistics) about the product. People tend to buy a product once they are made aware it exists and is available in the market. For example perfume adverts tend to use ethos- an appeal to credibility by using a celebrity or model to showcase and sell. If we as consumers see the product being used by someone higher then us we'll automatically think it must be good. This is known as star theory; a promise the product is good. Furthermore, TV adverts can help to reach mass audiences quicker, and are able to pull in specific target audiences when needing to by purchasing ad spots during shows their intended graphic would be watching. So, a children's toy would be likely shown between children's programmes such as Disney or Nickelodeon.
In the rest of this essay I'll be comparing two TV adverts. The first PG Tips, and the second a Yorkshire tea advert. Both adverts sell tea, but both do it very differently. I will be pulling apart these adverts to see which one sells best and how their different techniques can still lead to high sales of the product.
PG Tips- It's the taste
'It's the taste' begins their narrative by Al (Johnny Vegas) asking if Monkey would like another cup of tea, proceeding with Al turning on the radio to which 'The stripper' begins to play. This advert is a tribute to the famous English comedy duo Morecambe and Wise and their well known 'Breakfast Stripper' Sketch. By using this intertextuality it allows PG to have an association with one of the nations most loved comedy duos. It also means that the advert will then appeal to older tea drinkers, but still appeal to a wide audience as a younger generation will know Johnny Vegas, with an even split male/female ratio. I think the humour this advert uses is its main appeal to audiences. I'd say the target audience is roughly 30+.
Neither advert is catered towards a specific gender as tea is not gender specific
Mise en scene- impact on audience.
The setting used is a mid income looking kitchen making it already look relatable, and comfortable, especially along with the bright colour palette, which adds an innocence to the advert. There are various different props used throughout such as; a radio, a kettle, tea bags, mugs a cow, a newspaper. Some of which are used for comedic effect. For example when Monkey milks the cow to the beats of the music and when 'Al' pulls the newspaper out the door, or when he he opens the cupboard doors and they're full of PG boxes, insinuating that they only drink tea. The newspaper shot is also taken from Morecambe and Wise when they pull a continuous line of sausages from the fridge. The costumes worn by the characters are pajamas, for example, Al and Monkey wear dressing gowns. Social relevance is used to relate to the audience as tea is typically a morning drink, and most people would be sitting in their morning wear or lounge wear. The performance of the characters and their movement show how having a cup of tea makes them happy, they dance around the kitchen to music. Even Al collecting the newspaper relates to the audience and how they might get their morning newspaper. The ad campaign shows the your morning can be brought to life with PG tips as the characters are having lots of unexpected fun. So instead of having the characters maybe not being fully awake to relate to the audience, this advert cleverly uses the opposite to get people to think they can have an exciting morning if they drink PG tips too. It presents the product in a simple and fun way, meaning its more appealing, therefore people are more to likely to buy it. Monkey is also used to cultivate brand loyalty as hes recognisable and it gives people something to associate PG tips with. This helps people to recognise it which a key thing in advertising and an effective way of selling a product.
Obviously the main sound in the advert is ''The stripper' by David Rose, that was originally used on a breakfast skit by Morecambe and Wise. The music allows the audience to follow whats happening on screen, whatever Al and Monkey do they are doing to the beat of the music. There are some sound effect used for example when Al throws Monkey into the air, there's a 'whistle' noise, and when Al's stirring both cups of tea there's a dingling noise that plays along with the music. There's not too much dialogue in the advert as most of the advert is humour based on what we see. However, dialogue does include them saying the tagline to the product such as "there's no other tea to beat PG" and "it's the taste"
Content sign
Brand reinforcement- They use a clever use of colour as the tablecloth is red, the windows are green and Al's dressing gown is also red and green, this helps with brand reinforcement as the PG tips box is red and green. The tagline on screen is also green.
Shot types
The first shot of the Advert is a wide shot showing the two characters sitting at a table, establishing the setting. It allows the viewer to focus on the characters. A wide shot is used again when Al dances around with monkey to show its a fun video.
They use close up shots of the kettle, the PG tips box, which also behind has a bowl of fruit, this could insinuate that drinking tea could be used as part of a healthy lifestyle. Long/wide shots are used when Al pulls the newspaper out from the door, this is too keep enforcing the comedy aspect through the advert. Its followed by a mid shot of Monkey milking a cow, further humour as most people just take their milk out the fridge but AL and Monkey seem to have a random cow in their back garden. Tracking shots are used between events of making tea to lead on to the next one without being abrupt, it allows the advert to flow smoothly. There's a shot of the bin when they throw the tea bags in simultaneously and a close up of the cows mouth singing along to the music. Towards the end we get a mid shot each of Al and Monkey about to enjoy their tea. Then we go back to a wide shot at the end when the brand name and tagline come up.
I think the main advertising technique they use is humour and Monkey himself. Since 1956 PG Tips have been using a very recognisable concertising technique to promote their product. The tea advertising campaign made use of a chimps tea party. The chimps used in the original adverts were loved by the public and helped make the brand popular. Nowadays the brand uses a puppet Monkey, still continuing the original brand techniques but in a different way. Monkey was used in a short advertising film shown before the beginning of selected showing of, Horton hears a who, the Spiderwick Chronicles, Hannah Montana 3D, and the game plan, to promote PG Tips. He was also sold as merchandise where the money went towards comic relief. At one point you would receive a Monkey when purchasing a box of PG. This helps promote the brand as it gave it a mascot and something to associate it with. Every generation would know what the brand stood for and could target almost any target audience.
The Tea Song- By Yorkshire Tea
Section 1- Target Audience
The advert starts of with a women breaking up with her boyfriend and telling him 'you'll be fine, you just need a cuppa tea', she then proceeds to sing about how all you need is tea, whether you've got an arrow to the knee and just won the Monaco Grand Prix. This shows how tea is universal and is for everybody, widening the target audience. As the song is catchy and the video is quite bright the target audience would probably be younger than PG, as the cast is younger and there's no connection to anything in the past. However, that's not to say older people can't enjoy it. Yorkshire tea have said there target audience is 35+ however when it comes to tea, if your a tea drinker then a catchy comedic advert like PG or Yorkshire is gonna catch your eye either way not relying on how old you are or your gender, only maybe on where you live, as the brand promotes Harrogate, and Yorkshire. Typically this would mean that there are more Yorkshire tea drinkers up north then there would be down south.
Neither advert is catered towards a specific gender as tea is not gender specific
Unlike PG's advert set in the kitchen, Yorkshire Tea is set outside on a field, fulfilling the stereotypes of the north and countryside. This video is similar to PG's as its also fun and exciting, and uses vibrant colours. The main prop used is the mugs used by each character, they're all Yorkshire Tea branded meaning the brand never leaves the screen so your always hit by the product. On screen is a ray of different characters that the protagonist gives a cup of tea too, the only one that talks however is the boyfriend, as the video has another narrative. It comes full circle when she says "feel bad for a messy breakup" The mise en scene is widely related to the lyrics of the song.
Sound
As the advert is a music video the majority of the diegetic sound is being sung or played by instruments. There is little dialogue as they get their point through about tea by lyrics and characters that go with it. The sound is in major key which contrasts to the narrative of the video; a break up. This allows the audience to realise that tea can make a bad thing better or solve any problem. The music is upbeat and comedic which makes it catchy and almost motivates you to have a tea.
Content Sign
Brand reinforcement is also used by Yorkshire tea, instead of everything being tailored towards those colours, they just branded tea pots and mugs on set.
Cinematography
The cinematography used is limited as the entire advert is filmed in one take using a tracking shot. The camera follows the protagonist Sarah along a long a field as she tells the audience that tea can solve any problem and anyone can have it. It could be argued that the video breaks the 4th wall as you start to see all the people shes past along the way, for example you are able to see the burning pee mans fire source and see people coming from one position to the next. At the beginning a two shot is used to show a connection to the two characters Sarah and her now ex boyfriend, which starts of the narrative of the video. Wide shots are used from then on until another two shot at the end with Sarah and her ex boyfriend. Then at the end there's a close of a Yorkshire Tea branded Teapot.
The main advertising technique would be comedy, and brand reinforcement, you don't want to forget what the advert is about or if you were to see if mid way through not know what is was about. Yorkshire consistently reinforces tea, by having it nearly every line in the song, along with the branded teapots and red mugs. Most of the cast don't wear red which helps the prop mugs and teapots stand out a lot more, they look more vibrant in contrast to the rest of the mise en scene.
Conclusion
In conclusion I think both brands use a lot of the same techniques which is what makes them sell. They both use comedy and a vibrant mise en scene. However, PG uses more intertexuality to target a wider audience. Yorkshire Tea also does there video in one whole take and wants to promote how tea can help in any situation, selling it as this exciting product that everyone needs in a positive funny way. Whereas, PG shows how you'll have a proper morning with PG and be brought to life like the characters in a simple and fun way.
Research Questionnaire-Survey Monkey
1) What is your age?
2) What is your Gender?
3) Where do you live?
4) What is your yearly household income?
5) What is your lifestyle?
6) What activities do you pair Tea with?
7) How do you have your Tea?
8) Whats your favourite brand of Tea?
9) Why?
10) Do you have a favourite Tea advert, if so what is it?
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/FCQKRWW
Audience Profile
Gender-Based on my research the target audience would be predominantly female. Out of 38 people 29 people who answer were female. However, looking at secondary from my advertisement research gender isn't specific to Tea. Neither Pg Tips or Yorkshire Tea cater towards a specific gender.
Age- My target audience for age would be 18-24(76.32%) based on my results. However, my results are slightly bias as I asked more younger people to answer the survey than older people as I was limited. Therefore, the theme of my advert will relate more to a younger adult audience than an older one.
Geographical location- My results allow me to generalise my findings to the rest of the uk, as the majority of the people I asked drink Tea, only one said they didn't drink. This means that the setting of my advert wouldn't generally matter as longs as it was set in England as due to second hand data and my result, tea is typically a British beverage.
Interests- My results show that people generally pair tea with mostly anything, from relaxing, working, chatting, in the morning to any excuse to drink it. This shows that tea goes with anything which helps my advert to have a wider appeal. My advert will be based around a young female doing her work.
Socio economic group- C2-Based on my research Tea drinkers can be from any social group, the only difference is is that people earning less income yearly generally bought the cheaper tea bags, but that doesn't change my results as they still drink tea. The split was near even but the better majority was from average income, so my advert would be set in a average income house, this goes hand in hand with my secondary research as PG adverts are generally set in a kitchen of a house with average income.
Likes and dislikes- My advert would be catered towards tea drinkers specifically PG Tips, as that had the majority of vote(42.11%) the next nearest being only 21.05% with Yorkshire Tea. My advert would not be considered to be catered towards people who like a strong tea as my result showed they picked PG as it tastes better and was a stronger brew. It wouldn't be catered towards any other brand of tea like Tetley.
Lifestyle- Predominantly a student as the age group was 18-24. They are more likely to be creative or academic which goes with a student lifestyle. People also said they would drink tea when working or relaxing.
Tea- There were no data trends to link a specific brand of tea to how they make it. People that chose PG, mainly said strong but they were no correlations to anything else.
Psychographic Group- My audience is more likely to be reigned as they stick to one thing. People are very set on how they have there tea and don't tend to move brands or change the way they have it. Therefore my advert could include how PG is the better brand and use comparisons to show how its better. From secondary data collected as well, PG has also done an advert comparing there Tea bags to another ta bag. Someone in my results also shared the same reason why they drink tea to that specific PG advert.
Advert- My advert will be a comedy as people who chose PG said they like Tea adverts because of Johnny Vegas and Monkey. My research also showed that people who didn't drink PG still also liked Vegas and Monkey, therefore to cater to my audience the advert should be catered towards British 18-24 year old students who like comedy and are from a resigned psychographic group with an average income who enjoy drinking Tea at any time.
Keep it Tea- Print Ad for PG Tips
Tetley Tea- Put chuffin' kettle on- The Tetley Tea Folk are back
I hate blogger.
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