Thorpe Park Radio Advert

I still think that I have quite a bit to learn about radio adverts. Therefore, I have decided to look into more so that I know exactly what the codes and conventions are. I purposely picked a Thorpe Park advert as I knew it would be very different from the other radio adverts that I have seen. Even though I have not thought about creating an advert that would be loud and scary, it is still helpful to see how the sound creates a type of atmosphere as that is what I want to achieve. 

The Thorpe Park advert is advertising a new ride called 'The Swarm'. 

The non diagetic sound immediately cuts in of sharp noises, sounding like a walkie talkie. The diagetic sound of a male voice comes in, the tone sounds petrified. The dialogue "Hello, it's Adam, is anyone there?" combined with the sound effects, consequently creates a dramatic atmosphere, luring the audience into the advert, wondering what is happening. The on going list of 'The Swarm' - "It's mutated, it's preparing to attack again, it's got a sting in it's tail, it was dragged backwards on a 1270 drop" followed along by "it's here" - the language used is significant as it is very dramatic, which makes the new ride sound exciting. The voice of the male speaker plays an important role as the tone sounds nervous to even talk, reinforcing the idea of the new ride being scary, however, Thorpe Park fans would find this exciting and would therefore be engaged into the radio advert. The non diahetic sound of the 'phone line' being cut off, leading onto an actual speaker who speaks of the ride, providing the audience with more information about The Swarm. - "The UK's first winged roller coaster  The Swarm, at Thorpe Park, now brave it backwards, book at least 7 days in advanced for big savings" - stating how this is the first UK roller coaster which is of a different shape will draw the audience in as the ride is a one off, making Thorpe Park fans want to visit Thorpe Park just to go on this ride. The repetition of the rides name "The Swarm" and "Thorpe Park" makes it more memorable for the audience. The mention of discount if booking in advance would also seem appealing for the audience and therefore despite being attracted to the advert because of the ride, audiences would now be even more engaged. 

Therefore, I think the Thorpe Park advert was successful in engaging their target audience. The language that is used was appealing to the audience, ensuring the audience will be lured into wanting to attend Thorpe Park. Additionally, the sound effects were also engaging as they sound realistic which make the audience genuinely want to find out what the ride is like.

Tesco Radio Advert

The second radio advert I am looking at is of Tesco. I have decided to look at this because Tesco is more of a service, which sells thousands of products. Tesco adverts are deemed as reasonably successful and I want to find out how and why the company achieve this.

The diagetic sound of a male talking cuts straight in at 0.1 seconds. The sound of the male's voice is friendly which is significant because the target audience will feel invited into the advert. In the first sentence the words "price drop" is used, already inferring to the audience that Tesco has a sale, inviting the customers' in. The on going list, spoken very fast, creates humor in the advert, likely to make the target audience remember the advertisement as data has stated that humorous adverts are the most memorable. Moreover, diagetic sound of a woman is cut in half way through the on going long list of products. The female speaker then explains the price drop and says Tesco's motto: "every little helps" which again, reinforces the brand name and slogan, making it easier for the audience to remember the advert.

I think this 30 second advert has been successful. This is because the two speakers seem very inviting and the humor in the advert sub consciously makes the audience listen and take in more of the information. This advert has influenced me as the advert was very persuasive and inviting and I think it would be a good idea if I looked at more Tesco radio adverts to see if I can use or even challenge some of the conventions. 

 

Analysis of radio advertisements

Due to me choosing the idea of advertising events, or an events planner, I have found no radio advertisements in that kind of area. This does not mean I still cannot find out the conventions of radio advertisements and how to create a successful radio advert. I am going to analyse various radio adverts so that I can see how radio adverts work and how the advert target their viewers. I am going to try and be critical to ensure I am only influenced by the successful parts of the adverts.

The first advert I am looking at is Dogs Trust -

I am not focusing on the video, just the sound throughout the advert. Initially, the advert begins with diagetic sound of people talking, calling different dogs names. Additionally, non diagetic sound begins at the same time which is upbeat and joyful. This already sets a up lifting tone in the advert, the audience will immediatly be engaged into the advert, sub conciously wanting to hear more. The man's voice in the advert is very friendly, which makes the advert seem welcoming. The man uses emotive language such as: "find your best friend here", infering to the audience that the audience will find a perfect dog for them. Additionally, "from young breeds.. to young puppies" illustartes the variety of selection the organisation has to offer and therefore will be appealing to the audience. I think this advert is engaging and will attract it's target audience. The friendliness in the tone of the woman and man speaking lurs in the auidience.

Where I am at..

Currently, I have completed some parts of my research. To recap, I am researching into event planning companies, analysing their adverts as I am very interested in making an advert based on event organisations. However, due to there being so many type of events e.g. sporting events, weddings, christenings etc I need to decide on what type of events I will hold. Before deciding I feel that it is important that I carry on my research into looking at diverse types of events so that I can see which one(s) I would like to advertise for. 

I think it is important I set a deadline for myself so that my research can be completed on time. I would like to start planning, and visualizing what my advert may (or may not) look like in 2-3 weeks. Therefore, this gives me enough time to carry on my research but also provides me with enough time to plan efficiently. 

To ensure I have a wide understanding on how event planning works as well as the advertising presenting the company I have decided I am going thoroughly research into two major event companies to find out exactly what they do and to view how they represent themselves. Even though they may not have an advert, it will be interesting to find out the choices of images, text, and colors which will be on their website.