Denotation & Connotation blog tasks: advert analysis

Denotation & Connotation blog tasks: advert analysis

Create a new blogpost in your GCSE Media blog called 'Denotation and connotation'.

1) Write an analysis of the WaterAid advert above using denotation, connotation and analysis. What can you see? What are the deeper meanings in the advert? What does the advert communicate to the audience? How might an audience react after seeing the advert?

Denotation:

This printed advertisement consists of a young African boy stood in front of a rural suburban village (technical code). It also features a water aid logo (symbolic code) and a slogan (written code).

Connotation:

The slogan is deliberately written in bold and white to get people who are seeing this to notice what is going on and what they are struggling with. The connotations of placing the logo and slogan encourages people to help out those in need. They may feel guilty for just ignoring what they have seen.

Analysis:

The choice of the background could be so that people can feel bad for them and want to help them. 

2) Now choose your own choice of advert from Google images. Save it to your documents, insert it into your blogpost and write an analysis using denotation and connotation, explaining what the advert is communicating to the audience.                 

Denotation: 

This printed Nike advertisement consists of blue and orange boots (symbolic code). It also features a blue background (technical code), Nike logo (symbolic code) and a slogan (written code). 

Connotation:

The slogan is deliberately in the colour white for the poster to to eye-catching as the blue background has the white text really visible. The colours blue and orange represent the brands target audience (male) which is also stereotype gender characteristics. The connotations of adding the logo and slogan may encourage and persuade the target audience to purchase these football boots.

Analysis:

The choice of the orange in the boots could hint that these boots have power and will help you when playing your football game. An advert about boots will be for males.

Extension: Print advert research