The two adverts I will be comparing are for Center Parcs.
Center Parcs is a network of holiday villages based in Europe. It was founded
in the Netherlands in 1968 by Piet Derksen.
My initial opinion of both adverts is that they are very
professionally shot and the use of animals to sell the product. Both adverts
make it seem like Center Parcs is better than wherever you are now. This is induced by the lighting, which creates
the impression that it is warmer and more comfortable at Center Parcs.
Media Forms
The deer advert was found in a newspaper, whereas the bear advert is for television. The print advert is an effective way of advertising because it’s cheaper than television, and when advertising in newspapers, you can usually pick your target audience. For example, the Sun is stereotyped as being read by the lower working class, and the Guardian is usually read by upper middle class. This means that Center Parcs can choose to advertise to the people who are most likely to buy their product. However because of this they can only reach a very
The deer advert was found in a newspaper, whereas the bear advert is for television. The print advert is an effective way of advertising because it’s cheaper than television, and when advertising in newspapers, you can usually pick your target audience. For example, the Sun is stereotyped as being read by the lower working class, and the Guardian is usually read by upper middle class. This means that Center Parcs can choose to advertise to the people who are most likely to buy their product. However because of this they can only reach a very
The bear advert is an effective way of advertising because TV
is watched by pretty much everyone who would be going to Center Parcs, and it
is useful because it reaches a wide audience with just one or two adverts. This
broadens the potential audience of Center Parcs.
Target
Audience
The use of print advertising is targeting an audience of middle-aged commuters, as most people reading newspapers now read them on the train to and from work. It would not appeal to a younger audience because they are less likely to read newspapers, or see print advertising, unless they were passing a bus stop or something similar.
The use of print advertising is targeting an audience of middle-aged commuters, as most people reading newspapers now read them on the train to and from work. It would not appeal to a younger audience because they are less likely to read newspapers, or see print advertising, unless they were passing a bus stop or something similar.
The use of a deer (which is familiar) in an Indian headdress
(which is exotic) appeals to the working class because it makes the viewer feel
that something ordinary could be new and exciting, which helps because most
people would got to the Center Parcs that is closest to them, and if they feel
that it is different from where they are currently then they are more likely to
go.
The advert seems to be primarily aimed at parents, as the
bears quite clearly represent the average working class and their family. The
dull monotony presented in the advert before the bears visited Center Parcs is
hyperbole of modern life as it exaggerates the repetition that takes place in
the life of the stereotypical office worker. The contrast between the boredom
of everyday life and life at Center Parcs is furthered by the sunniness and
warmth of Center Parcs in the advert. This makes the advert appeal to an even
wider audience as Center Parcs is portrayed as amazing when contrasted with the
other sets, meaning that everyone can see Center Parcs as warm and happy.
The story of the advertisement is one of the main factors in
determining target audience, as it narrows it down to a very select audience,
mainly parents of children who aren’t connecting with nature. This is shown by
the independence and separation of the child before the family of bears goes to
Center Parcs, and the high angle, close up shot of the child taking off its
headphones and looking up with an expression of wonder as the family enters the
park shows the child connecting with nature and with its family. The song also
reinforces the message of the advert, especially its lyrics e.g. “see your true
colours shining through” signifies that your child will be less reclusive and
reveal their true colours. This is an effective use of pathos advertising as it
appeals to the emotions of the parents, who really want to get to know their
child, and take them away from the sheer amount of technology that they are
using.
The print advert is not as effective because it can only
reach a small portion of the target audience that Center Parcs wants to appeal
to, and it doesn’t have the same visible production value as the television
advert. As well as this, the television advert is more memorable because it has
clear themes that can relate to everyday life, whereas the print advert relies
on guerrilla advertising to stick in the memory of the customer. Because of
this I think that the television advert is more effective for advertising to
its target audience because it can appeal to everyone through pathos, and its
wider viewer base, but it also targets a specific audience through use of story
and music.
Institutions
In both advertisements, Center Parcs is represented as a happy, inviting brand that is welcoming to everyone. This can be seen by the use of animals on both adverts. Animals do not usually book into a holiday home, but the use of animals in this unorthodox way makes the consumer think more about the connotations and metaphors surrounding the advert, which makes them more likely to remember the product.
In both advertisements, Center Parcs is represented as a happy, inviting brand that is welcoming to everyone. This can be seen by the use of animals on both adverts. Animals do not usually book into a holiday home, but the use of animals in this unorthodox way makes the consumer think more about the connotations and metaphors surrounding the advert, which makes them more likely to remember the product.
The print advertisement represents Center Parcs in a
different way, as being quirky and fun, shown by the deer in an Indian
headdress, which is far from the normal conventions of what a deer should look
like, which represents Center Parcs as being fun and different.
The television advertisement imposes the logo and slogan of
Center Parcs over the scene at the end of the advert where all of the family
are together and happy. The slogan is “Get together again” which further
reinforces the message of coming together as a family and revealing your true
colours that is present throughout the advert.
Both adverts represent Center Parcs in different ways, but I
think that the television advert is more effective as the print advert may be
representing Center Parcs in a different and newer way, but it isn’t true to
their brand values and it isn’t an effective way of advertising to the audience
that their advert will reach. The television advert represents the brand values
of Center Parcs both explicitly (through their logo) and implicitly (through
the bear family being separated and coming together again when they visit
Center Parcs). The use of music that is sad and regretful before Center Parcs,
and the change in the same song to it being cheerful and satisfying also
reinforces their brand values of getting together and enjoyment. This all comes
together to make the television advert more effective and more representative
of Center Parcs.
Representation
The deer in the print advert represents the everyday being transformed into something exciting and exotic, which helps the consumer visualise the atmosphere of a Center Parcs near them, which it is most likely is where they will be going. The Indian headdress is a signifier of culture and foreignness, and when presented with the familiar deer it signifies that something close to home can still be new and unexplored.
The deer in the print advert represents the everyday being transformed into something exciting and exotic, which helps the consumer visualise the atmosphere of a Center Parcs near them, which it is most likely is where they will be going. The Indian headdress is a signifier of culture and foreignness, and when presented with the familiar deer it signifies that something close to home can still be new and unexplored.
The
television advert uses bears to represent the working class. This can be seen
by the job of the mother which is portrayed as the stereotypical office job,
and her situation can be related to by a lot of people, and when she has to
work overtime and ignore the call from her family it makes a lot of people feel
sympathy for her as they’ve been in that situation as well. This means that
they can relate to the bears, and see how happy they are when they’re at Center
Parcs, and be able to picture themselves in the situation of the bears.
1253 words
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