Tide

Question 1

Product context of Tide

Answer 1

heavy duty machine
1946 P&G
DMB&B advertised for them in 1950s
they used print and radio adverts
showing the housewife charecter

Question 2

Historical context of tide

Answer 2

post ww2 in 1950s included rapid development of new tech
which were all desirable for the customers

Question 3

Cultural context of tide

Answer 3

print adverts from 1950s used more copy
consumer culture was in its early stages
lots of info on adverts

Question 4

What are the codes and conventions of adverts?

Answer 4

Z line
Bright colours
sans serif font
comic strip style image
technical details
rule of thirds

Question 5

What is a Z line

Answer 5

How audiences would look at a advert.

Question 6

What are the theoretical perspectives for tide

Answer 6

suspense is created through the enigma of ‘what women want’
gesture codes of love and relationship
hyperbole - ‘Worlds whitest wash’

Question 8

What year was Tide launched?

Answer 8

Tide was launched in 1946.

Question 9

Which advertising agency handled Tide’s accounts in the 1950s?

Answer 9

The D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B) advertising agency handled Tide’s accounts.

Question 10

What was a unique strategy used by DMB&B for Tide’s advertising?

Answer 10

DMB&B used print and radio advertising campaigns concurrently.

Question 11

What character was commonly used in Tide’s advertising?

Answer 11

The ‘housewife’ character was commonly used.

Question 12

What historical context influenced the 1950s consumer boom?

Answer 12

The post-WWII consumer boom included rapid development of new technologies for the home.

Question 13

What type of products became desirable in the 1950s?

Answer 13

Vacuum cleaners, fridge-freezers, microwave ovens, and washing machines became desirable.

Question 14

How did print adverts in the 1950s differ from today?

Answer 14

Print adverts from the 1950s used more copy than we see today.

Question 15

What are some conventions of print-based advertising from the 1950s?

Answer 15

Conventions include the use of bright primary colors and informal modes of address.

Question 16

What does the Z-line and rough rule of thirds refer to?

Answer 16

They refer to the composition techniques applied in the advert.

Question 17

What font style is used for headings and slogans in the Tide advert?

Answer 17

Headings, subheadings, and slogans are written in sans-serif font.

Question 18

What does the serif font in the Tide advert represent?

Answer 18

The serif font connotes more ‘serious’ or ‘factual’ information.

Question 19

What is Barthes’ Hermeneutic Code?

Answer 19

It refers to the suspense created through the enigma of ‘what women want’.

Question 20

What does Barthes’ Semantic Code relate to in the Tide advert?

Answer 20

It relates to the use of hearts and gesture codes that connote love and relationships.

Question 21

What rhetorical devices are used in the Tide advert?

Answer 21

Hyperbole, superlatives, and tripling are used to emphasize Tide’s superior cleaning power.

Question 22

What is the symbolic code according to Barthes?

Answer 22

The symbolic code refers to the way texts convey meaning through symbols and cultural references.

Question 23

What theory did Claude Lévi-Strauss contribute to structuralism?

Answer 23

Lévi-Strauss’ theory posits that texts are constructed through binary oppositions, and meaning is derived from audiences understanding these conflicts.

Question 24

How does Tide’s advertising reinforce binary opposition?

Answer 24

Tide’s advertising reinforces the binary opposition between Tide and its commercial rivals by stating it gets clothes cleaner than any other product.

Question 25

What social context do WWII adverts challenge?

Answer 25

WWII adverts challenge stereotypical views of women being confined to the domestic sphere.

Question 26

What was the primary market for technologies in the 1950s?

Answer 26

In the 1950s, women were the primary market for technologies and products being developed for the home.

Question 27

What representations were linked to the post-war era?

Answer 27

Representations of domestic perfection and servitude to the ‘man of the house’ became linked to modern needs for speed and convenience.

Question 28

What influenced the dress code of female characters in adverts?

Answer 28

The dress code was influenced by 1950s hairstyles made fashionable by film stars and the practical needs of women working during the war.

Question 29

What does the headband or scarf worn by women in adverts signify?

Answer 29

The headband or scarf signifies a focus on work, contrasting with the full make-up worn by the character.

Question 30

What does Stuart Hall’s theory of representation suggest about images of domesticity in adverts?

Answer 30

Images of domesticity form part of the ‘shared conceptual road map’ that gives meaning to the advert’s world. Despite its comic strip visual construction, the scenario is familiar to the audience as a representation of their own lives.

Question 31

How does David Gauntlett’s theory of identity relate to adverts?

Answer 31

Adverts represent role models of domestic perfection that the audience may want to construct their own sense of identity against.

Question 32

What does Liesbet Van Zoonen’s feminist theory state about women’s representation in media?

Answer 32

The advert may contradict Van Zoonen’s theory that the media contribute to social change by representing women in non-traditional roles and using non-sexist language.

Question 33

What is bell hooks’ argument regarding beauty standards in media?

Answer 33

Lighter skinned women are considered more desirable, and the advert reinforces this by only representing ‘modern’, white women.

Question 34

How does Gilroy’s theory relate to the representation of women in the advert?

Answer 34

The advert could be linked to Gilroy’s theories that media texts reinforce colonial power, which has been challenged in American history by events like WWII.

Question 35

What was the social context for women during the 1950s regarding domestic products?

Answer 35

Despite changes in women’s roles during the War, domestic products continued to be aimed at female audiences, particularly affluent lower-middle class women.

Question 36

How did the rise of supermarkets influence advertising in the 1950s?

Answer 36

The increasing popularity of supermarkets led to a focus on brands and their unique selling points.

Question 37

What demographic does the advert target according to Uses and Gratifications Theory?

Answer 37

The advert targets young women who are likely newly married and have young families, as indicated by the clothing on the washing line.

Question 38

What role does Good Housekeeping Magazine play in the advert?

Answer 38

Good Housekeeping Magazine acts as an Opinion Leader for the target audience, reinforcing that Tide is the market-leading product.

Question 39

What is the preferred reading of the advert according to Stuart Hall?

Answer 39

The preferred reading is that Tide provides solutions to the audience’s domestic chores needs, as indicated by reassuring lexical fields.

Question 40

What does Reception theory by Stuart Hall say about the advert’s mode of address?

Answer 40

The indirect mode of address connotes that the woman’s relationship with the product is of prime importance, indicating the dominant message that should be received by ‘you women.’

Question 41

How does Cultivation theory by George Gerbner relate to the Tide advert?

Answer 41

The Tide advert aims to cultivate ideas that it is the brand leader and a desirable product for its female audience, with ‘miracle suds’ as an innovation.

Question 42

What does Gerbner’s theory suggest about audience alignment with media messages?

Answer 42

Repetition of key messages causes audiences to increasingly align their ideologies with them, positively in this case for Tide.