Introduction

Advertising is all around us and is integral to everyday life. It is one of the largest sectors of the media industry, adverts being presented in a wide range of media such as television, film, radio, magazines, posters, billboards, the press, and the internet. Of all of these, television advertising probably has the highest profile, some television advertisements being so effective and memorable that they become classics and part of the cultural background for a whole generation of viewers. Television is used to market almost every product one can imagine from everyday consumables, like washing powder, to extravagant sports cars, whilst some advertisements promote a service such as insurance, banking or vehicle breakdown cover.

Television advertising has become more and more sophisticated, utilising the very latest digital production techniques. Content and style can be simple or complex, using traditional narrative structures or less obvious surrealist imagery, and messages can be overt or understated.

In this blog I will show my understanding of the structures and techniques used in television advertisements.

I will cover the following structures relating to form, style and the codes and conventions used in adverts.

I will also discuss with examples the different techniques that advertisers use to promote a product.

Structures of advertisements

The structures of television advertisements relate to its form, style and the codes and conventions used by media producers. Over the next series of blog posts I will discuss each of these in detail with examples.

Form - Documentary

A documentary style advert is used to convince people that whatever claims they make are true, usually through an ''expert'' in the field of product theyre using. there is usually a lot of overcomplicated words and Scientific Claim to make you think that what they say is true. there often may be images and videos to support the claims they make to pull you in further.

This sensodyne advert uses the premise of a ''dentist'' Telling you his opinion on this ''revolutionary new step'' in toothpaste sat in a dentists office. Now for all you know he could be an actor just reapeating lines from a script but because of the Setting and the way he is dressed you instantly believe that he is a dentist and what he says is true, you have  no reason to disbeleive, the use of the demonstration showing the toothpaste fix the sensitive tooth makes you believe that is as revolutionary as they say but in actual fact there is no real proof that any of this is true. the Statement of the end 9/10 dentists reccomend sensodyne has no actual proof but you again have no reason to disbelieve and you just think that this tooth paste must be amazing to have so much reccomendation

Form - Animation

Animation in advertising has become more popular and is used in a variety of different ways. it can often be easier and less expensive to do a fully animated advert but it must be used in a correct and tasteful way so as not to seem too childish, there are 2 main types of animation, hand drawn or computer generated. Both can be used effectively to improve adverts and to give them a certain charm that may not be attainable with regular actors/actresses.

This go compare advert uses a real actor over animation to sell insurance, i think the way that they use the story of the 3 pigs and the wolf is clever and the way that the actor interacts with the animated characters is cool and looks effective. The hand drawn animation style works extremely well and it wouldnt have the same charm if it was computer generated. its bright colourful and attractive, even if the guy singing is annoying and loathed by many

Form - Narrative Structures

Every advert has a narrative structure, without one it would not make much sense at all. There 4 main types of narrative structure: linear, non-linear, open ended, closed. Linear means that it goes from start middle to end where as non linear could start towards the end and go back and forth between events. Open ended means that the story has ended but has left off where it can continue next time and closed means that it has ended completely. some styles can be used together e.g a non linear story with an open ended finish.



This advert has a Non-linear Narrative structure as the majority of his story is a flashback and in no particular order of events. it is set out as a school boy is giving a report on what he did on his summer holiday. There is a closed ending becuase he finishes his report and there is no way to continue on from it.

Form - Stand alone/ Series

a Stand alone advert is an advertising technique where a company will produce a one off advert but it will most likely be shown for longer than a series episode advert. they can vary in size and expenditure depending on the company that creates them. Cadburys glass and a half full productions adverts are usually large costly adverts but Cadburys have carved out a niche for doing these big adverts.  The latest advert for their new chocolate Bar Dairy milk bubbly continues with the theme of humour which is usually consistent through their adverts. the use of humour and Surrealism help to make this advert unique but easily recognizeable as a cadburys advert through the excessive use of purple, the main colour of the company.


a Series of adverts has many adverts usually following a story line from one to the other, each ''episode'' advert is usually shown for less time than a stand alone advert to help continue on the story with the next advert in the series. This technique of advertising is effective in the way that it keeps people interested in them such as they would be in a soap opera.  The BT Adverts are a prime example of this following the story of a family but always focusing on the Bt products. in the latest ''epsiodes'' of the series the son has moved out of home for university and moved in with a girl and a boy in a flat together, obviously BT products such as the internet router or phone are still heavily advertised. Recently they have focused more on humour instead of real drama. this episode rather cleverly uses an offer that they have on for 12 months free calls by having one of the flatmates mothers constantly ringing asking for help with things regarding the internet, i think that the way the storys intertwine with offers and deals going on in BT are Very cleverly done and can be sometimes quite funny.