Tide Flashcards
Product context of Tide
heavy duty machine
1946 P&G
DMB&B advertised for them in 1950s
they used print and radio adverts
showing the housewife charecter
Historical context of tide
post ww2 in 1950s included rapid development of new tech
which were all desirable for the customers
Cultural context of tide
print adverts from 1950s used more copy
consumer culture was in its early stages
lots of info on adverts
What are the codes and conventions of adverts?
Z line
Bright colours
sans serif font
comic strip style image
technical details
rule of thirds
What is a Z line
How audiences would look at a advert.
What are the theoretical perspectives for tide
suspense is created through the enigma of ‘what women want’
gesture codes of love and relationship
hyperbole - ‘Worlds whitest wash’
What year was Tide launched?
Tide was launched in 1946.
Which advertising agency handled Tide’s accounts in the 1950s?
The D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B) advertising agency handled Tide’s accounts.
What was a unique strategy used by DMB&B for Tide’s advertising?
DMB&B used print and radio advertising campaigns concurrently.
What character was commonly used in Tide’s advertising?
The ‘housewife’ character was commonly used.
What historical context influenced the 1950s consumer boom?
The post-WWII consumer boom included rapid development of new technologies for the home.
What type of products became desirable in the 1950s?
Vacuum cleaners, fridge-freezers, microwave ovens, and washing machines became desirable.
How did print adverts in the 1950s differ from today?
Print adverts from the 1950s used more copy than we see today.
What are some conventions of print-based advertising from the 1950s?
Conventions include the use of bright primary colors and informal modes of address.
What does the Z-line and rough rule of thirds refer to?
They refer to the composition techniques applied in the advert.
What font style is used for headings and slogans in the Tide advert?
Headings, subheadings, and slogans are written in sans-serif font.
What does the serif font in the Tide advert represent?
The serif font connotes more ‘serious’ or ‘factual’ information.
What is Barthes’ Hermeneutic Code?
It refers to the suspense created through the enigma of ‘what women want’.
What does Barthes’ Semantic Code relate to in the Tide advert?
It relates to the use of hearts and gesture codes that connote love and relationships.
What rhetorical devices are used in the Tide advert?
Hyperbole, superlatives, and tripling are used to emphasize Tide’s superior cleaning power.
What is the symbolic code according to Barthes?
The symbolic code refers to the way texts convey meaning through symbols and cultural references.
What theory did Claude Lévi-Strauss contribute to structuralism?
Lévi-Strauss’ theory posits that texts are constructed through binary oppositions, and meaning is derived from audiences understanding these conflicts.
How does Tide’s advertising reinforce binary opposition?
Tide’s advertising reinforces the binary opposition between Tide and its commercial rivals by stating it gets clothes cleaner than any other product.
What social context do WWII adverts challenge?
WWII adverts challenge stereotypical views of women being confined to the domestic sphere.
What was the primary market for technologies in the 1950s?
In the 1950s, women were the primary market for technologies and products being developed for the home.
What representations were linked to the post-war era?
Representations of domestic perfection and servitude to the ‘man of the house’ became linked to modern needs for speed and convenience.
What influenced the dress code of female characters in adverts?
The dress code was influenced by 1950s hairstyles made fashionable by film stars and the practical needs of women working during the war.
What does the headband or scarf worn by women in adverts signify?
The headband or scarf signifies a focus on work, contrasting with the full make-up worn by the character.
What does Stuart Hall’s theory of representation suggest about images of domesticity in adverts?
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.
How does David Gauntlett’s theory of identity relate to adverts?
Adverts represent role models of domestic perfection that the audience may want to construct their own sense of identity against.
What does Liesbet Van Zoonen’s feminist theory state about women’s representation in media?
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.
What is bell hooks’ argument regarding beauty standards in media?
Lighter skinned women are considered more desirable, and the advert reinforces this by only representing ‘modern’, white women.
How does Gilroy’s theory relate to the representation of women in the advert?
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.
What was the social context for women during the 1950s regarding domestic products?
Despite changes in women’s roles during the War, domestic products continued to be aimed at female audiences, particularly affluent lower-middle class women.
How did the rise of supermarkets influence advertising in the 1950s?
The increasing popularity of supermarkets led to a focus on brands and their unique selling points.
What demographic does the advert target according to Uses and Gratifications Theory?
The advert targets young women who are likely newly married and have young families, as indicated by the clothing on the washing line.
What role does Good Housekeeping Magazine play in the advert?
Good Housekeeping Magazine acts as an Opinion Leader for the target audience, reinforcing that Tide is the market-leading product.
What is the preferred reading of the advert according to Stuart Hall?
The preferred reading is that Tide provides solutions to the audience’s domestic chores needs, as indicated by reassuring lexical fields.
What does Reception theory by Stuart Hall say about the advert’s mode of address?
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.’
How does Cultivation theory by George Gerbner relate to the Tide advert?
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.
What does Gerbner’s theory suggest about audience alignment with media messages?
Repetition of key messages causes audiences to increasingly align their ideologies with them, positively in this case for Tide.
