Reception Theory

Reebok ad:

In the Reebok advert, the brand has used a black celebrity who has been shot 12 times and is now very well known through his rap career. The hegemonic reading for this advert is that you still have other chances in life and Reebok will be with you through these opportunities. Brands don't usually tend to use people with a bad past/criminal record to promote them but Reebok has beaten the stereotypes and done this which connotes that the brand is for everyone regardless of your background or your rough past. However, this could be seen as a bad thing to some audiences' which is known as counter hegemonic reading. This is when the audience don't get a different idea to what the producers trying to imply. For example, some people may take it as the product is only aimed at ex-criminals or think it is only for black people as they have used  a black person to promote the brand; this way it would seem like the brand is only selling to a specific niche market and they'd lose customers this way as this is not the message they're trying to get through. A negotiated reading could be that the product is aimed at a broad market and Reebok is opening arms even for those that are usually neglected by society; in this case - criminals or those with a criminal past. Some audiences' may not even know about 50 Cent's past and would just assume this is a brand trying to use a celebrity to promote their brand and would mainly get the message trying to be conveyed through the quote on the side.

Dulux ad:

In the Dulux advert, they have used bright red as the main colour and have painted the outline of a Christmas tree using the paint. The hegemonic reading for this advert would be that it is a perfect seasonal purchase so that you can paint your house in a Christmas colour and the product brings joy and festivity to the house. However, it could be conveyed to some as it is only for those who celebrate Christmas and it is suitable for anyone who wants to paint their house. This would be a counter hegemonic reading as this isn't the message the company wants to get through and they have only used Christmas as it is a seasonal advert and it came out around that time. The negotiated reading could be that this a seasonal advert and they are using a Christian tradition in the advert as this is a Christian Country. 

Audiences' are free to interpret whatever they want from adverts as companies can't change how people think, but it is all about how a brand promotes themselves in an ethical way without offending anyone. These two adverts are representations to show that a simple image, lighting, colour or choice of person used in an advert can go a long way and can connote a lot of things to the audience. Some audiences' are able to understand the message that the producers are trying to get through; hegemonic reading. Whereas others are more critical or just don't see the positive side of the advert or the message that the producer is trying to get through. Some audiences' may find minor things offensive that the producer didn't pay attention to before releasing the ad and this would create a bad image. This is known as counter hegemonic reading. Although you could see the positive messages being conveyed in these two adverts, you could also see why people may interpret it in a bad way as certain elements may not be clear to some audience.

Semiotics - index, icon, symbol

            Icon:                                                       Index:                                                   Symbol:
                        


          Icon:                                                  Index:                                                   Symbol:
                   



            Icon:                                                          Index:                                   Symbol:









Icon's and Index's help the audience identify what is being spoken about or represented. An icon shows literally what is; this is usually through a picture and an Index is something that relates to the topic or object; this could be done using a product or a picture of something.

Global adverts may avoid using symbols in their adverts as symbols aren't exact representations of what they're trying to show so people in other Countries may not understand what it is if it hasn't been culturally learned.


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This advert failed as they linked it to a social issue of suicide however the message didn't get through quite clearly as it would've been quite offensive to people that have lost a loved one due to suicide or someone that failed a suicide attempt. The message the conveyed was literally 'Our car's so safe that you can't even commit suicide in it'.

They have used Index in this advertisement to get through a strong message in a positive way. They have signified the message in a positive way that would grab audiences attention. They have portrayed an important message in a smart way in which it grabs audiences' attention and makes them realise the consequences just using a short slogan.

MIGRAIN: Reading an image

This print advert is featuring 50 cent who is known for being shot 12 times and surviving and also having a rap career. By using someone like this, it would be iconic for young people who the brand would be aiming their products at. 

This print advert has different conventions which foreshadow 50 cent's past. For example, the font changes for each different text which could connote how his life changed at different stages. In the first text he's trying to say tomorrow isn't promised and it's a big message being carried out by him as he has got shot 12 times. 

As well as the brand trying to promote themselves, they are also trying to get a message that society avoids paying attention to across which would make a bigger impact. The message would be more appealing to people when a well known celebrity is saying it whiles promoting a brand. 

In this print advert they have not used much colour which connotes that this brand is aiming their product at mature, serious audience and not kids or teens. The cool colours could represent the dark and dullness in 50 cent's past. And they have also used three different types of fonts which you don't usually tend to see on adverts; this could be a technique the company used to represent the different stages of 50 cent's life - started off as a criminal, began his rap career and now modelling for Reebok.

This advert seems quite plain when you first look at it but it contains key conventions that gives it meaning when you start analysing it.

The main colour used in this advert is red which is scientifically proven to be the most eye-catching colour; therefore the company is trying to use bright colours to catch audiences attention. Not only is it the most eye-catching colour but it also represents a few things and one of them is Christmas. This poster has clearly been made to advertise during Christmas as the painting in the wall is in the shape of a Christmas tree and they have also added a tag-line at the bottom saying ''Season's Greetings''.

They have not put a lot of things on the poster and kept it short and sweet as the message would still get through to the audience. This company would have a broad target market as they aren't doing anything specific to aim their advert at one specific group, instead they are just making their poster bright and stand out so it can get everyone's attention and anyone can purchase their product. By doing this they would have more customers as all types of people use paint and there's no point in aiming their advert at just one certain type, this could also be the reason why they have not included any people in the advert so that they are not discriminating anyone.

My Media consumption

Newspapers:

1. The Metro or The Sun sometimes.

2. I turn to the front few pages first as they usually have the most recent and trending news. 

3. I don't tend to read the last few pages of the newspaper as it doesn't contain much relevant news. 

4. I don't read much things specifically but I am into celebrity gossip and whatever that's trending the most.

5. If I'm reading The Sun then I purchase it myself but not often.

6. I read the News on snapchat the most and it is usually The Sun, The Daily Mail, Sky News etc.

Magazines:

1. I don't read any specific magazines. 

Television: 

1. I spend around 4hrs maximum watching TV.
2. I watch TV from 6 onwards usually.
3. I mainly enjoy watching shows on food network and Love Island.
4. I watch TV by myself or with my sister and my dad; if so my sister mostly chooses what to watch.
5. I watch Love Island on demand most of the time using my laptop.

Radio:
1. I listen to the Radio on my way to school if I come by car.
2. I mostly listen to BBC radio.
3. I maybe spend around 3/4 hours maximum listening to the radio.
4. Mostly listen to it in the mornings but sometimes during the evening too.
5. I listen to the radio in the car.
6. I don't really do anything else whiles listening to the radio.
7. Yes, me and my dad listen to it together during our car journeys.

Cinema:
1. Incredibles and Searching.
2. I don't remember specifically.
3. My friends or family watched the movies with me.
4. It would usually be a mutual choice; we mostly want to watch the same movies.
5. I mostly use my laptop, the TV or connect my phone to the projector.

Online:
1. I'm on the internet most the time, whether it's to text friends or check the news.
2. I access the internet at home.
3. I mainly use Snapchat, Instagram or Whatsapp.
4. I access them to communicate with friends, find out latest news, discover new things...
5. I like to read the news and keep up to date with what's happening.
6. I use my phone and my laptop.
7. Instagram and Snapchat because nearly all my friends are on these so it'll be easier for us to communicate and keep up to date with each others lives.

Reflection:
1. I could start using other social media platforms that would help improve my knowledge and reduce spending so much time on Instagram and Snapchat.
2. I will spend more time on educational websites rather than my usual social media websites and mainly only use social media if it's going to help improve my knowledge. If I think it's a distraction, stay away from it.
3. More news websites, Youtube videos based on Media Studies, start reading magazines and also maybe more TV programmes and movies.

First blog task

1. I chose A-level Media Studies as things such as social media play a big part in most peoples lives these days and by studying it and gaining more knowledge and understanding about it would be helpful especially in the future. I also think it is quite interesting to learn about all the media insights. 

2. I did take media GCSE's at the Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls. 

3. I got a grade B in GCSE media and for coursework (as much as I remember) we done analysing magazine covers and making our own, designing our own poster, creating a video game.In GCSE media I really enjoyed the coursework tasks and achieved an A* overall for my coursework. My weakness would be the exam as we didn't do much exam preparation as we mainly focused on the coursework.

4. I hope to achieve an A or a minimum of grade B. 

5. Once I finish A-levels, I am hoping to go into university and either do Law or something business related.

6. Apple slowing down their older models of iPhone's as ageing battery could make the phone completely shut down if not. This was a big topic in the media as Apple are very well known brand that a large amount of people use including celebrities. The News spreading everywhere made Apple change one of the main issues with their phones; sudden shutdowns.

7. I mainly use snapchat news stories and instagram as those are my most used social media platforms. I also sometimes read the news on the msn news website. 

8. The last film I watched was Searching.

9. I don't have one.

10. An estimate of around 9 hours. I think this is a bit too much as I spend a lot of my day on social media that I don't pay attention to the wider world and don't socialise with much people in real life.