Classwork Catch Up

Classwork notes:
Narrative is a hugely important element in advertising and marketing.

• Todorov – Equilibrium
• Propp – Familiar character types
• Barthes – Enigma and action codes
• Levi-Strauss – Binary opposition

Narrative in advertising: Jonah Sachs

American writer Jonah Sachs has highlighted the importance of storytelling in advertising and marketing:

“The story wars are all around us. They are the struggle to be heard in a world of media noise and clamour. Today, most brand messages and mass appeals for causes are drowned out before they even reach us. But a few consistently break through the din, using the only tool that has ever moved minds and changed behaviour – great stories.”

Narrative patterns

Linear Pattern: progresses forward towards a resolution - Beginning, Middle and End.

Multi-strand Narrative: popular in broadcast TV (e.g. soaps) and film. Involves more than one narrative running parallel involving different characters and locations.

Documentary narrative: this may revolve round a central theme (e.g. troublesome neighbours) or group of people.

Long-running TV series such as Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad have one major overarching narrative and lots of mini-narratives. The overarching narrative runs over the series, the mini narrative may be resolved within an episode.

When studying narrative in Media, we need to be able to identify what the story is and how it is being told. There are three key theories we need to learn and apply:

Enigma and Action Codes - Roland Barthes

Barthes suggested that stories have certain codes that audiences understand and respond to.

ENIGMA codes: control how much we know and help hold our interest. It creates mystery during the narrative.

ACTION codes: events or actions in the story that are important in developing the narrative, e.g. a gun being cocked signifies that a violent scene will follow.

Todorov: equilibrium

Tzvetan Todorov proposed a theory of equilibrium:

Equilibrium: An existing state of harmony

Disequilibrium: Equilibrium is disrupted by an unfortunate event or evil character which leads to a chain of events involving conflict

New Equilibrium: The evil forces are defeated, the conflict is resolved and harmony exists once more

Character theory: Propp

Vladimir Propp came up with a list of stock characters in narratives by examining Russian fairy tales. He called them the seven spheres of action:

The Villain: Creates a complication in the narrative

The Donor: Gives the hero something that will help in the resolution

The Helper: Helps the hero in restoring the resolution

The Princess: Has to be saved by the hero

The Dispatcher: Sends the hero on a task

The Hero: Central protagonist, saves the day and restores equilibrium

The False Hero: Rare character that appears to be good but is revealed to have been bad all along. 

Example Question 1:

How do the representations in Figure 1 position the audience to desire the Patek Phillip watch? (8 marks)

--> It positions the audience to desire Patek Phillip watch because the design is something that will match everything you wear. 
Furthermore, because it will be in generations for years shows that it will last a long time and is worth the money spent on it. 
Another reason, is that its something for families to remember each other with. The fact that he is showing his son means that he wants his son to remember him and that his son is important to him.
this represents the man as a family man someone who cares about his family and wants to be remembered in his family.


Example Question 2:
How are representations of masculinity shaped by cultural and historical contexts?

--> The representation of men in these adverts are a basic stereotype of them. Men are meant to be seen as a good looking, attractive and strong. In Patek Philips watch advert it shows how a man is meant to look after the son and make him look like he is the dominant want.
It shows a man providing the family with something while the women isn't not even represented in the advert. It could mean that she is useless and not needed.
Also, in the Score hair cream advert it shows that the man is over looking the women showing his dominance. The low angle shot shows that the women are below that men. 
The advert is not realistic it say that unless you have this type of style you won't get women. Women are being sexualised in a way that is wrong. This advert is there to attract men into buy something that degrades women.
Furthermore, Both these adverts show that women are just there for men to get some sort of pleasure from.

Your answers should refer to the Patek Phillipe advert (Figure 1 – published 2014) and your Close Study Product, the Score hair cream advert (Figure 2 – published 1967).


[12 marks]