SUPERHUMANS - audience

Question 1

Describe the target audience.

Answer 1

• 16,34
• fans of sport
• support channel 4s remit; “appeal to the tastes of a culturally diverse society”

Question 2

How does the advert appeal to its target audience using visual codes?

Answer 2

• CU shots of injuries, show real struggles of paralympians, audience that may be unfamiliar is kept engaged through use of humour.
• diverse range of narratives and identities (remit)

Question 3

How does the advert appeal to its audience using audio codes?

Answer 3

• upbeat song choice grabs attention, older audience recognise from bugsy malone musical.
• grunts, screams and celebratory cheering creates positive but realistic representation of minority group (remit)

Question 4

Has superhumans been successful in reaching its target audience? - give stats

Answer 4

• 20 million views, 20% being 16-34
• 2020 paralympic games coverage reached 2.6 million people.

Question 5

How might a regular channel 4 viewer respond differently to someone who isn’t a regular viewer?

Answer 5

more likely to accept ethos of channel 4 and therefore preferred meaning of advert.

Question 6

Describe a negotiated reading of the advert.

Answer 6

• distanced from sports,
• still able to accept encoder ideology and ethos
• vise versa, link to age and oppositional reading

Question 7

Describe a preferred reading of the advert.

Answer 7

• appreciate that paralympics usually treated as an after thought, social narrative is refreshing…
• compelled to watch and show support in paralympics

Question 8

Apply Gerbner’s cultivation theory to superhumans.

support with stats

Answer 8

• audiences become ‘immune’ to codes and conventions of charity adverts ; slow music and direct address from voiceover.
• superhumans avoids compassion fatigue and creates realistic but positive representation,
• audiences are more likely to accept ideology
• idea that audiences views and attitudes are shaped by what is frequently represented in the media.
• 65% of people who viewed the advert said that it had an impact on perception of disabled people.
• 95% of these people agreed that they were as talented as abled-bodied athletes.