AS2: Task 3: Requirements for a production

Before the advertisement can even begin the process of physical creation, I must consider all of the elements needed to make it successful. We decided as a group to choose advert idea number one, which was the HowToBasic style advertisement. This means I will now need to decide on the following:

• Technical Equipment
•  Potential Filming Locations
• Actors 
• Costumes and Props

Technical Equipment

Due to the simplicity of the advertisements concept, the only technical equipment that will be needed is:

• A digital camera
• A tripod
• A blender

Getting hold of the camera and the tripod shouldn't be difficult, as the media department hire them out to students for free specifically for projects which will be presented in class. The blender itself is an average household item, which an individual from the production team can produce on the day. This means that none of the technical equipment will cost anything at all, as nothing else is needed. Also, the media department hire them out for as long as the group needs them, as long as they are returned safely and within a fair amount of time, so rushing isn't necessary. However, if for some reason we couldn't gain access to equipment for free we would have to hire it from a company. 
To hire a similar camera to those in the media department would cost £49 per day: 

To hire a similar tripod would cost £8 per day: 

Both from HireACamera.com

Potential Filming Locations

As the advertisements concept is incredibly simplistic, I feel as though we will need to film in different locations with multiple people doing the same thing. So as the milkshake is being made, different work surfaces could be used to show different locations, even if it's just in one persons house. However, as the projects aim is to get messy, it's probably a good idea to film somewhere that's easy to clean and can get covered in milk and ice cream without being potentially ruined. Locations could include:

• A kitchen worktop
• A kitchen table
• A table in the garden
• A garage that is empty and easy to clean

Although locations are limited due to the nature of this advertisement, I feel as though if we film in at least three different locations, it will bring more variety to the ad.

Actors

No specific actors are needed for this advertisement, as all that will be on camera is the persons arms and hands. This means that the entire group can be included by making their milkshake in various locations and no one needs to brush up on their acting skills like in past projects such as the pencil advertisement and the montage in which almost the entire group, except myself, are included in. This sounds too simple, however it will still be effective as for once we all get to be on camera, even if just our hands.

Costumes and props

There is limited props needed for this advertisement, including:

• A tea spoon
• A table spoon
• A bowl
• A plastic cup
• An empty milkshake bottle with no label

I realise that the list above is explained like the equipment used in cooking or baking, which essentially, it is! The only other props needed will be the actual ingredients themselves, including:

• Golden or maple syrup- confirmed as of April 2016: Maple.
• Vanilla ice cream
• Milk
• Sweet Waffles

No costumes will be needed, however participants in the advertisement should wear clothes they don't mind getting wrecked, as the process will be messy. This may also mean the camera may need to be in some kind of protective casing that is transparent so it does not get broken. 

AS2: Task 2: Ideas Generation

The Verdict

After watching a variety of different milkshake advertisements, as well as the ones in the previous post, I have finally decided a rough idea of what i want out advertisement to look like. Of course, our ideas at this point may be different, so after stating my idea, I will post our final idea complete with storyboard and unique selling point.

First Idea

Both of the advertisements i analysed in my previous post used humour, parody or some form of animation to create something both visually exciting, and selling. My first idea formulates from this, and I am hoping to create something similar, but without the animation as I unfortunately don't possess equipment advanced enough to create, record and edit this.

The first idea I have is to create a parody of  famous youtube personality known as 'HowToBasic'. This video blogger is unique to others, as no one online knows of his true identity, and his videos are a parody in themselves of DIY videos. His videos have been frequently posted since early 2012 and the popularity they've gained due to their overall weird content is outstanding, with over 6795449 followers as of 2016.  WARNING: The video below is a little strange. Viewer discretion is advised.

Although it seems a bit crazy, I do know where i'm going with this. The video above is indeed strange, however the method in this madness is to create something so mad that it goes 'viral'. A video goes 'viral' once it has been spread around the internet and gained so many views that it becomes known to everyone who frequently uses social media or watches television. For example, Madonna falling over at the Brits went 'viral' because a lot of people saw it and found entertainment in it.

So my idea is to use this childish humour and idea of parody for my advertisement. I will cut out the inappropriate sound effects and occasional feet shots, as i want this to be aired without censorship.

To begin the video, i want to show someone preparing the 'fresh' ingredients for the milkshake, so breaking up the waffles into small pieces, scooping ice cream, pouring milk and syrup. However, as they're doing this i want it to be messy as possible and look like it's difficult, exactly like HowToBasic does in his videos. From here, i want it to get more and more ridiculous, and use a variety of camera angles and cross cuts to create a confused and jolty scene. To end the advertisement i want the person to clear the mess and simply place down a bottle of our product with the name 'SmashShake' and slogan 'The easy way to Gourmet'.

My second idea is aimed more at a more mature audience. Also, for this advertisement, the entire group will be seen on camera rather than just the hands of one person. The form of this advertisement will be realist narrative rather than surrealism, and the style of repetition to promote the product more persuasively.

However, the advertisement will still contain some humour, as without it i feel an advertisement for positive products is a little bland. So to begin the advertisement, i will show a group of teenagers outside of a shop after buying drinks for a 'party', and then arriving at the 'party' and showing each other what they've bought. As the camera swoops over a line of alcohol being pulled out of bags, one of the teenagers will pull out our milkshake. The others will act confused after a zoom in on the product, and ask why the person has bought it to a party, to which they will reply by handing it over to them, with a dramatic pause on them holding it out. After they have all tasted it, and agreed that it's great, i will then show them all leaving the party except the one person who hasn't tried it and all going to que outside of the shop. I will then finally show the product left on a table at the part next to the lonely party, zoom in with the logo 'SmashShake, crashing the party since 2016'. 

AS2: Task 1: Market and Target Audience Research

What is the scenario? 

We were asked by a metaphorical company to produce a 30 second long television advertisement for an existing or new product. This means responsibility of pre and post production work, including planning, pitching and creating the product and its ad. 

First we have to plan an idea to pitch to the client involving what our product is and how the advertisement created will be effective in presenting and selling it.With their approval, we must come together as a crew to produce a high quality product to present, recording this process in the form of an online production blog.

Our blogs must be designed to demonstrate the process young film makers go through in order to be successful in the advertisement industry. 

However, initially we will have to figure out who our target audience are, and how our product would benefit them. We will do this using a range of methods, including quantitative and qualitative research and focus groups. From the information we receive here, we will be able to formulate what our key buyers like, dislike and when our product would be of use. Without this information, the advertisement and product itself may not appeal to them, thus resulting in less sells. 

The Product

As a group, we decided to focus on the beverage industry as our main aim. We then discussed which section of this industry we wanted to expand on, whether it be soft drinks, juices, milkshake, hot drinks and smoothies. We avoided alcohol as it wouldn't be suitable for our age group. After considering the quantity of each category, we decided that there is room in milkshake to create a new and unique product:

• Soft Drinks: 
• All Coca Cola products e.g: Cherry coke/Appletiser/Fanta
  All Pepsi products e.g: Mountain Dew/Diet Pepsi/Mug Root Beer
  All citrus sodas e.g: Tango/Cariba/Squirt
  All waters e.g: Volvic/Evian/Fiji
  Others: Monster/Lucozade/Irn Bru
• Hot Drinks: 
   All tea brands e.g: Tetley/PG Tips/Yorkshire Tea
  All coffee brands e.g: Nescafe/Alcafe
  Others: Ovaltine/Horlicks/Galaxy

• Milk/Milkshakes: 
  Milk: Cravendale/Alpro Soya/Country Fresh
  Milkshake: Yazoo/Frijj/Crusha
• Smoothies/Juices:Smoothies: Innocent/Naked/Zero Belly
  Juices: Robinsons/J2O/Minute Maid/Ribena
  
  So, our final product is... The Syrup Waffle Milkshake. Our aim is to create the delicious taste of waffles and syrup without the mess and cutlery!

The Survey

We will then have to carry out market research in order to ensure that we stand out from potential competitors. This will involve looking at a range of existing advertisements, analysing the pros and cons of products, exploring which forms and styles are most effective and what products the audience already like. 

This is the survey powered by Survey Monkey which is part of our market research: 
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NZXGW28 

The survey i have created is a qualitative survey, as it takes into consideration overall factors like money, preferences and general buying views. Each option that is selected for each question will then result in a quantitate estimate of who our target is based on how many times each option is chosen. 
The results so far:

Competition

In order for our product to stand out from others, our advertisement must also stand out. This means that i must now watch advertisements for existing and similar products and see how each is similar and different. From here, our competition will be evident, and we can devise as a group what to do similarly or different to create a good quality advertisement. 

First, i looked at advertisements from leading milkshake brand Yazoo. This brand has been around for over 30 years, with over 80 million bottles sold in the UK every year, meaning it is a huge competitor in the industry. They have 4 flavours, including chocolate, strawberry, vanilla and banana and a small range of smoothie drinks which were a more recent addition. Although these flavours are very basic, they are clearly successful in sells. 

This particular Yazoo advertisement was released in 2009 and finishes with their popular slogan of 'Milk Shaken Up'. Here, the company have used a mixture of surrealism and humour, as well as well edited animation to create a unique stand alone advertisement. By showing a cow in the advertisement, it also makes the product appear more fresh and appealing to parents who try to avoid giving their children artificial food and drink. However, i feel as though this advertisement would only appeal to a young child, or an adult with a very strange sense of humour. It isn't necessarily memorable, but i do feel as though something so ridiculous may circulate a few times before being lost under thousands of new and more catchy advertisements. Overall, the concept is unique, and makes the product appear fun and natural, which is a good mixture for both young and old.

After Yazoo, i looked at a more recent milkshake brand launched in 1993, Frijj. Although younger, Frijj offer a more unique and gourmet milkshake. As well as the 4 flavours sold by Yazoo, Frijj also offer flavours such as Cookies and Cream, Honeycomb, Raspberry and Chocolate brownie, for a more indulgent experience. 

In this short advertisement, the use of repetition and animation is used to promote the product by offering some kind of prize through the purchase. This is effective as it will increase sales, however it gives very little insight to the uniqueness of the product. The animation is funny however, and would appeal to small children with wide imaginations and the parents saving money. It is short and simple. 

This longer advertisement focuses more on the product itself by showing the strawberry flavour and introducing the products slogan of 'The Thicker, Slower, Better'. By using surrealism and a parody of what appears to be of the horror film 'The Stuff', Frijj have created a unique and entertaining advertisement that would appeal to all due to it's overall weirdness. It also encourages people to buy it by claiming it's 'better', which is a creative way of overthrowing the competition. Repetition is also shown here, with a variety of people being chased by the milkshake.The only complaint i have about this advertisement is it is too long, and after about 30 seconds the ludicrous screams tend to get irritating. 

After watching these advertisements, our group will take in the pros and cons of each to create our own for the Waffles and Syrup Milkshake.

AS1: Task 8: Referencing

References
AS Media Studies: The Essential Introduction Second Edfition. Philip Rayner, Peter wall and Stephen Kruger.” “Part 4: Three Case Studies. Case Study 2: advertising and marketing.” Routledge 2005.  ISBN 0-415-32966-3

The Media: An Introduction Edited by Adam Briggs and Paul Cobley. “Chapter 17 Audience research by Ray Kent”. Longman 2002. ISBN 0-582-42346-5    

      

      The Media Magazine. The English and Media Centre.“Adjudicating ads. Claire Forbes”.  Issue 23 / February 2008. ISSN 1478-8616

Top 30 Programmes :  Broadcasters Audience Research Board http://www.barb.co.uk/www.barb.co.uk/viewing

Specs & Delivery | How to Deliver Commercials to Channel 4. Channel 4: 2001.
<http://www.channel4sales.com/planning_and_buying/ad_specs_and_delivery>

How we do what we do:  Broadcasters Audience Research Board  http://www.barb.co.uk/www.barb.co.uk/viewing

“ Advertising | How to Advertise  on Channel 4 and its platforms”:http://www.channel4sales.com/advertising.

“ Five controversial TV and internet ads – video” - The Guardian www.theguardian.com › News › Media› Ad break‎ :

·      http://www.theguardian.com/media/video/2013/jun/20/five-controversial-tv-internet-ads-video

“  Advertising Standards Authority”: http://www.asa.org.uk/

AS1: Task 7: Sources of Information in Advertising

Agencies in the advertising industry gather information on how to make their adverts in many ways, one way is to see what is popular in mainstream media at that time, and cash in, so to speak, to attract the attention of the audience. Another way would be to put out a survey, asking numerous questions about what the target audience enjoys, and then making the advert based around whatever gets the most answers on a question, is clearly what the people like the most, and therefore, would make the most effective advert. For example, if the advert is meant to appeal mainly to people of the younger generation, it may include a popular mainstream song, or some sort of celebrity, and if it is aimed at people of the older generation, it may feature a piece of aged music, or an older celebrity, for example, the Wiltshire Farm foods adverts are aimed at older people who don't have time to cook for themselves, one of the adverts featured late comedian Ronnie Corbett, this may appeal to people of the older generation, as they might have grown up watching him on TV, which may encourage them to buy it.

Information on television programme ratings can be found on the internet, on websites such as www.digitalspy.com, where you can view which TV programmes got the highest ratings, and the most views. This can be useful for advertisers, as it means they can see what programmes are most popular during the time they want their advert to be shown, to ensure the maximum amount of people see their advert, this is good, as it means the company are more likely to sell more products. 

AS1: Task 6: Methods Of Research

Task 6: Methods Of Research
It is very important to conduct your research before you start to plan a new advertising campaign, this is so that once you actually start to run your campaign, you know who exactly to aim your advertisement at, as it is very important to know who your audience is going to be, so you can make your advertisement as appealing to that specific group as possible. 
There are four main types of research: primary (new research that the company has carried out itself, used to ask and answer specific questions), secondary (involves the summary of existing research), qualitative (research that can be considered primarily exploratory, and can be used to gain a better understanding) and quantitative (research used to quantify the problem by generation of numerical data which can be turned into usable statistics).
There are three main different types of research: audience research (defined as any sort of communication research conducted on any specific group of people), market research (research conducted as a way of gathering information about consumer preferences) and finally, production research (vital research that allows the company know if there are any sorts of faults with their product).
Overall however, it is greatly important for companies to conduct extensive amounts of research, as so they are as greatly prepared as possible when it comes to making their advert, so it will appeal to as much as their target audience as possible.

AS1: Task 5: Audience Information

Task 5: Audience Information
When a company is going to distribute an advert, it is beneficial for them to do some research into their audience, this is a good idea, as the company then know how to make the advert as to appeal the most they can to their viewers, and sell as much of their product as possible. The factors they may want to take into consideration are:


Standard Occupational Classification: this is sometimes referred to as Social Grade by advertising companies, it is the social category that the person may fit into, e.g. middle class, working class.


Psychographics: this is categorising people based on their attitudes, aspirations and other psychological criteria.

Geodemographics: where does the target audience live?

Age: what age group is the product supposed to appeal to the most?

Gender: will it appeal to males, or females?

It is important to take these factors into consideration when creating and selling a product, it is imperative that the company does this, as it could mean them selling much more of the product, as it appeals more to a specific group, who are then more likely to buy said product.

Audience information can be gathered by a company via surveys, and seeing what adverts are popular amongst certain age groups etc.