Super Human advert 2020 Flashcards
What is the title of the audio-visual advert created for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games?
Super. Human.
Which agency produced the media for the Super. Human. advert?
4Creative
What type of media product is Super. Human.?
Audio-visual advert
What was the purpose of the Super. Human. advertisement?
To promote the 2020 Paralympic Games
Who directed the Super. Human. advertisement?
Bradford Young
What notable achievement does Bradford Young hold?
First African American cinematographer nominated for an Oscar in 2017
Which company was responsible for broadcasting the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games?
Channel 4
What was significant about the campaign that included Super. Human.?
It was part of a bigger campaign including posters and social media
What themes does the Super. Human. advertisement explore?
Sacrifices made and trials endured by Paralympic athletes
What are the focus areas of the A level Media Studies component related to this advert?
Media language, Representation, Audiences, Media contexts
True or False: The Super. Human. advert is the first campaign for the Paralympics by Channel 4.
False
In terms of media language, what do all advertisements employ?
A recognisable repertoire of elements of the advertising form
Fill in the blank: The Super. Human. advertisement was part of a bigger campaign that included _______.
posters and social media
What is the significance of the year 2017 for Bradford Young?
He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on the film Arrival
What is the main focus of the advertisement in relation to Paralympic athletes?
Their preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games
What does the advertisement Super. Human. aim to highlight?
The trials endured by Paralympic athletes
What is the aim of charity advertisements?
The aim is to have an immediate impact upon the audience to make them take notice, requiring them to be memorable and hard-hitting.
How do producers address compassion fatigue in advertisements?
Producers aim to create advertisements that offer a different, often more positive perspective on the issue or event.
What audio codes are used in the advertisement ‘Super. Human.’?
The soundtrack ‘So You Want to be a Boxer’ from Bugsy Malone communicates the struggles of disabled athletes while giving a positive feel.
What technical techniques do advertisements use to convey their message quickly?
Advertisements rely on technical codes and editing, such as close-up shots of expressions, to engage the audience.
How does the advertisement portray disability?
It portrays aspects of disability in a non-victim way, emphasizing that it is part of the athletes’ lives.
What visual codes are used in the advertisement?
Iconography and settings related to the athlete and sport are juxtaposed with domestic scenes of everyday life.
What narrative elements are present in the advertisement?
The narrative follows the lives of Paralympians and their training battles, highlighting their personal lives.
What is the significance of the dream sequence in the advertisement?
The dream sequence is edited with a news clip about the postponement of the Games, showing the athletes falling ‘over the edge’.
How does the advertisement use humor?
Humor is conveyed through recognizable visual signifiers of struggle, such as the hamster on the wheel and the ‘puke bucket’.
What theoretical perspective is applied to the advertisement’s use of signs?
Semiotics, as advertisements communicate meaning rapidly using recognizable codes and conventions.
How does clothing signify messages in the advertisement?
Clothing rapidly places athletes within their sport, contrasting with their everyday life attire.
What structuralist concept is relevant to the advertisement?
The concept of binary oppositions, contrasting images of training with celebratory images of success.
What is the main focus of the narratives in Super. Human.?
The narratives are centred around real people, specifically focusing on the challenges that athletes face.
How does Super. Human. aim to represent disabled athletes?
It aims to celebrate them as high-performance athletes rather than portraying them as merely ‘overcoming’ their disabilities.
What media techniques are used to construct representations in Super. Human.?
Close-up shots, fast-paced editing, and audio codes are used to create positive representations of athletes.
Who is the target audience for the Super. Human. advertisement?
The target audience includes Channel 4 viewers aged 16-34, sports fans, and those seeking inclusive representations.
What does Stuart Hall’s theory of representation suggest about advertising?
Meanings are communicated through easily recognisable signs that convey messages quickly to the audience.
What technical codes are present in the advertisement?
The advertisement includes close-up shots, some of which depict uncomfortable moments like the popping of a blister.
How does the advertisement address stereotypes according to Hall?
It highlights the athletes’ ordinary lives and achievements, countering the notion that they are fundamentally different.
What audio codes are used in Super. Human.?
The soundtrack features a recognizable song from Bugsy Malone, alongside sounds that suggest struggle and effort.
What is the significance of the song choice in the advertisement?
The upbeat song connotes struggle and hard work, engaging the audience and providing familiar context.
How does the advertisement provide visibility to disabled individuals?
It gives positive representation to disabled people, allowing them to see themselves in a more empowering light.
What is the unique selling point of the advertisement?
The unique selling point is the ‘showing’ of the athletes’ stories without voice-over or graphics moralising on the plight of the disabled.
What message does the advertisement leave the audience with?
The advertisement encourages the audience to examine their own misconceptions of disability with the words ‘To be a Paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you’.
How successful was Channel 4’s Paralympic coverage?
The coverage was viewed by 20 million people, which is a third of the UK population, with 22% aged 16-34.
What percentage of the UK population did the marketing campaign reach?
The marketing campaign reached 81% of the UK population.
What was significant about the viewership of the Paralympic Games?
The Paralympic Games attracted 2.6 million viewers, accounting for the biggest Channel 4 weekly share of TV viewing since 2016.
What does the Super: Human advertisement aim to challenge?
It aims to challenge audiences’ perceptions of disability.
How might regular audiences of Channel 4 react to the advertisement?
They may be familiar with the broadcaster’s approach to promoting the Paralympics, as previous campaigns were successful.
What did Alex Brooker compare the anticipation for the Paralympics advert to?
He compared it to waiting for the John Lewis Christmas advert.
What was the intention behind Channel 4’s marketing campaign according to Zaid Al-Qassab?
The intention was to elevate the Paralympics on an equal footing with the Olympics and make it a significant part of public consciousness.
What shock tactics does the advertisement use?
It uses time lapse photography to show a bruise developing and close-up shots of a blister being popped.
What outdated language does the advertisement challenge?
It challenges the categorization of disabled people with the slogan ‘To be a Paralympian there’s got to be something wrong with you’.
What social and cultural issues does the advertisement reflect?
It reflects the concerns of under-representation or misrepresentation of disabled individuals in society.
How does the advertisement portray the athletes?
It presents the athletes as ‘Human’ rather than ‘Super’, making them more accessible to the audience.
What decision did Channel 4 make regarding the representation of athletes?
They decided to present the athletes neither as victims nor as heroes, but as ordinary sportsmen and women.
What is the main theme of the Channel 4 advertisement?
The advertisement constructs a compelling social narrative reflecting the appetite for success stories that are accessible.
What theoretical perspective is associated with Stuart Hall?
Reception theory, which suggests that the upbeat soundtrack and positive representations encourage audiences to accept the ideologies of Channel 4.
How does the use of real people in the advertisement affect audience perception?
It creates a preferred reading that encourages the audience to invest in the narratives and watch the Paralympic Games.
What is a negotiated position in audience reception?
Some audiences may acknowledge the encoder’s position but feel distanced from the sporting theme, while being open to the advertisement’s positive approach.
Who might have oppositional responses to the advertisement?
Those who are not supporters of Channel 4’s ethos, possibly older individuals or those not interested in sports.
What does cultivation theory, as proposed by George Gerbner, suggest?
It suggests that repeated exposure to certain codes and conventions in advertising can shape audience perceptions of social groups.
What effect does the advertisement ‘Super: Human’ aim to achieve?
It challenges common preconceptions and mainstream values about disability, offering a more realistic perception.
