12C Cover Work/Homework: Wed. 17/9/14, p3/4

Analysis - Nike print advert on slide 28 of the Key Concepts - MIGRAIN PowerPoint

Colour is manipulated to create a 'gritty', urban atmosphere, the connotation is of dedication and determination by young people who enjoy playing football for recreational purposes. The grayscale background establishes distinctness between the model from his environment as he is up-scaled colours. Black and red are the primary colours used for additional text copy as well to maintain the urban feel. 

Framing is used to grant the majority of the focus to the central image of the young footballer. Text is positioned on the lowest quarter of the full frame to further emphasise significance of the model's exhibited action.

Answer all the questions (on paper) from slide 29 until 37, including at least TWO sentences on each of the following: denotation, connotation, colour, pose, framing, composition, size, type of shot, subject matter, setting, lighting. After describing each technique/feature, make sure you try to explain why it has been used. 

 - COMPLETED ON PAPER - Available upon demand -

Analyse the Rbk print advert on slide 39

"Look at the following advert and analyse it using the key terms we have learned today: denotation, connotation, colour, pose, framing, composition, size, type of shot, subject matter, setting, lighting."

The instantaneous visual impact of this poster is exerted by the fact that it is entirely in grayscale/B&W. The urban connotation of this manipulation of colour, as well as the under-lighting and dark setting, supports rapper 50 cent's gangster-like image and it is noteworthy that the use of vibrant colours would seem unsuitable to represent his character. The composition of the poster ad is impressive as the framing of the head-shot of the rapper is equivalent to the image of the fingerprint sheet framed right next to it horizontally. There is a fifty-fity split in the ad as the copy 'I am what I am' is distributed as following: 'I am' associated to the rapper's image and the remainder 'what I am' framed slightly below a quoted statement by the model of the advertisement. This is an effective use of text because it associates the background images with the copy, it is also noteworthy that the font is a gothic-type serif font which is commonly affiliated with gangs in the USA. The use of a quote and a head-shot type of shot of 50-cent predominates the subject matter being focussed on him as a brand affiliate of Reebok ('Rbk'). The denotation of the pose exhibited by the rapper is simply direct eye-contact with the camera lens. This provokes connotation of confidence which can also link to the largely sized copy 'I am what I am', evoking emotions of self-certainty.  

Who do you think is the target audience? How does it address its audience?

The target audience of this poster advert primarily consists of males in the age range of 14-30, in a lower-class demographic. This is interpreted firstly due to the context of the quote, which consists of the phrase 'Where I am from', which instantly generates association with the stereotype of American rappers' origination from a 'hood' lower-class environment. Such a connotation would appeal to the target audience due to a development of personal relationship with the audience as some may empathise. The subject matter of the poster is rapper 50 cent who is commonly idolised by the specified target audience of 14-30 year old males. The text has a generally inspiring connotation as well as struggle and hard-work, which serves a reason for the idolisation of 50 cent. The gangster style is trendy to most teenagers and even accommodated by some as it is perceived to be 'cool'. This relates to crime and is made relevant with the connotation of fingerprints which are taken in the procedure of arrest by federal police departments across the world, not just the USA. A visual reference as such would present the brand of Reebok as 'cool' and increase appeal to the audience.