Adbusters Flashcards
Where is Adbusters from?
Canada
When was it founded?
1989
Who is it made by?
Lasn and Schmalz (film makers)
How many publications are there per month and where are they?
2 in the US, Canada, Australia and the U.K.
What are the key values that the magazine communicates?
Pro-environment
Opposes capitalism and consumerism
Is the magazine made for profit?
No, it is a non- profit magazine made for creating awareness
What is a subvertisement?
A spoof of parody of advertisements
What is Adbusters trying to criticise by having the Osasco article next to the Zuchetti advert in the set magazine?
Divide between poor and rich
Consumerism in capitalist counties - do we really need expensive taps when some people don’t have water at all?
The ignorance do wealthy counties - they are unaware of other people’s situations
What is the Osasco article about?
The lack of water in Brazil
What is the Zuchetti advert promoting?
A bathroom tap
= luxury
What is the significance of the personification of the tap in the Zuchetti advert?
‘HIM’ = makes tap seem important in your life
Doesn’t actually/ physically do anything so has to be advertised in a way that engages your emotions
Who said this?
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
Blaise Pascal
A 16th Century French Philosopher
What does Pascal’s quote suggest about the targeted audience?
They are educated and would understand that the quote is dated yet still relevant to humanity
What does Pascal’s quote mean?
People can’t just sit and reflect, we have to be doing something
Whatever we have, we are never happy with it and want more
What is significant about Pascal’s quote being on a plain white page in the magazine?
It stands out because it is blank and boring
Signifies how empty spaces make people uncomfortable like being alone does
How does the magazine suggest that technology is taking over our lives?
Drawn image of a person in bed and people at train station being sucked into their phones
The idea that people isolate themselves with technology, implying that the online world is better
No face = identity is online
How do the drawn images in the magazine communicate values?
Basic sketch of people = people have no identity, humanity has been erased by technology
How does the drawing of the people being sucked into their phones on a train platform convey the magazines opinion towards technology?
Everyone is on their phones even though they are surrounded by people - technology has actually made people less in contact with others
The empty platform symbolises how mankind is always waiting for something
How does Adbusters attempt to prompt our consciousness of issues with our modern lifestyle?
Makes us question ourselves and our behaviour
What mode of address does the magazine typically use?
‘You’
Addressing society as a whole
How does addressing the consumers directly reflect the magazines ideologies?
Activism - raising awareness by directly addressing consumers as the magazine is made to raise awareness not profit
Who publishes Adbusters?
Adbusters Media Foundation
When was the set edition of Adbusters published?
May/June 2016
How much does the magazine cost?
£10.99
In April 2017, how many readers did the magazine have on its website?
120,000
What genre is the magazine?
Independent/Campaigning/ Culture Jamming
What is the ideology/ ethos of Adbusters? 3 things
Being grateful for the world around you rather than what’s on the internet
Giving readers useful information not useless ads
Producing less toxic media
The magazine advertises a pair of trainers called ‘Blackspot’, what are the values commnicated by this advert?
Blackspot linked to death, suggesting that the death of our world is near if we don’t become more sustainable
Magazine is about ethics more than profit
The importance of fair trade as the trainers are organic etc
What is an example of the magazine subverting consumer culture?
The Blackspot trainers
The magazine has a letter page, what is significant about where the letters are coming from?
All the letters are from western societies which is significant because the purpose of the magazine is to bring awareness to the western countries
Name three aspects of media language in the feature:
‘The Joy Of Being Advertised Nothing’
Blank space draws attention
Graffiti at the bottom of the billboard is in keeping with the area (Bristol)
Not put together like a conventional advert, it is messy and unprofessional = reinforces the purpose of the advert which is to make people stop focusing on consumerism
Which social groups are being represented through the choice of letters included?
Middle class bc of the disposable income needed for the blackspot trainers Fear about food poisoning rather than gun violence as Gun violence usually effects lower class minorities
What psychographics do the target audience have?
Politically aware, political activists, environmentally friendly lifestyle
What demographics would the target audience have?
25 to 35
English speaking
