(Task 3 and Task 4) P4 (U20): Create production materials to be used in the original media product

 Poster Codes and Conventions: 

Social Media Post:

This is my social media post before entering the format the public will see it in. My social media  includes a retro style, through  the use of the vines I created on PixelArt which are meant to represent strawberry laces, which are further meant to represent the strawberry flavour of the drink. The three cans show what the drink looks like so the consumer can recognize it easier. The outer glow is not only to stand the can out from the also red background, but to show its significance, an almost holy symbol.

The Phizzwizzard logo is in the foreground in the upper left corner as this is where people start to read from, and so is easily accessible to the eye. The white outer line around the text is also similar to that of the cans glow, as well as the slogan at the bottom of the page, subtly overlapping the can. The slogan is slanted in a way that fits with the slogan writing itself. 'Get that Phizzy Pheeeelling' has a relaxed and calming tone, which is shown by the script slanting at the end, showing its relaxing and becoming loose. The Carter Drinks logo is a must for our social media post as it a way of representing the company and to allow it time in the spotlight.

This is my social media post applied in the format most commonly seen by the public.

This is the poster I have created which will then be applied to the public format.

This is the result of my poster applied to a public place

This is my video advert in its final form which will be accessible for the public. this is the link:

DSC_0665.mp4

https://monkswalkhertssch-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/r/personal/hclarjos_monkswalk_herts_sch_uk/Documents/Attachments/DSC_0665.mp4?csf=1&web=1&e=TI2cE4

Social Media Graphic - Codes and Conventions: Merit

Slogan:

Slogans are usually used in the majority of social media campaigns as they are catchy and allow promotion to the product, which is why I used one in mine. I also used one in my poster, so to be consistent throughout the campaign, I also use it in my social media advert. The slogan "Get that Phizzy Pheeelling" is part of the call to action of consuming the product as well as summarising the fizziness of the drink mixed with the natural taste of the strawberries. The slogan is underneath the can when in the post to connote the idea that the slogans meaning is a result of drinking the can.

Logo:

Logos allow aid to the identification of the brand/product so that audiences can quickly identify what it is, so if they see it in a shop, they are already familiar with it and who has made it. Because of this, I chose to use two logos, the first being the "PhizzWizzard" logo and the other being the "Carter Soft Drinks" logo. The PhizzWizzard logo is placed in the top left of the advert in order to be seen as one of the first things in the advert and show off what the advert is all about. The logo is also shown on the  can ensuring the audience is aware of what the logo looks like if they become interested in the product. However, the cans on the strawberry vine leaves did not use the Phizzwizzard logo.

The Carter Soft Drinks logo is found in the bottom left, keeping with the left to right theme, in order to inform the audience of who the company making the product is. The logo is in the corner as to not distract from the main images and their purpose, but also to allow it is looked at nonetheless. 

Imagery:

Social media graphics are meant to stand out due to the large amount of repetitive content that can be found online. They must catch the eye but also keep it long enough for all information to be witnessed by the audience. Because of this, I chose to include a pixel style of advert in order to appeal to a 30-something target audience as it would create nostalgia of video games from their childhood. However, I  also chose to include the vintage style from the use of the fonts and the Phizzwizzard logo. The vintage style gives off themes of 1950s America where logos like the Coca-Cola bottles were seen everywhere, similar to ours in style. The retro style of the advert resonates with an audience who would've grown up with games like this in their childhood, as well as those interested in retro as it is coming back into trend now, most likely those in their teenage years (meeting the secondary audience as a result too). However, the vintage fonts and style also appearing in the social media post, will sit with those interested in vintage culture as well as those who lived at that time, a tertiary audience perhaps. The background is also pixelated in order to reinforce these pixel game connotations which allows for an audience to feel more immersed in the retro style.

Choice of content:

I chose to make the social media advert a still image with a range of different eras of connotations (pixel art and vintage fonts) as a way of appealing to a mixed target audience and standing out more from other competition. In advertising they usually feature the product in some way as well as something that is quirky and different to appeal and attract audiences. The pixel art mimics retro video games, especially pixel video games which a section of the target audience feeling nostalgic about. Above the can it says PhizzWizzard as to ensure that audiences are fully aware of the product being advertised, and below the can is the slogan "Get that Phizzy Pheeelling" to give a direct link to the product. 

The pixel style appeals to the target audience (30-something) who would feel nostalgic of the idea of a pixel game, and appeals to those 13-18 as retro styles are currently seen as being trendy. The vintage aspect would resonate with those who are into the vintage culture with films such as American Graffiti springing to mind. Moreover, the video game idea is quite unique allowing it to stand out to other campaigns which have not done the same thing as us, especially main competitors like Pepsi.

Typography:

Usually the typography of social media adverts stand out and catch the eye of the audience. As a result, I used colours that stood out such as shades of red from the PhizzWizzard logo as well as the background of the social media post. The red allows the connotations f the strawberry flavor to pass through every corner of the advert. It also allows for better and closer association of each element of the advert with what it advertises. The graceful style of the font links to the style of the advert, allowing for a contrast between the hard brutality of the pixelated background, with the majestic and smooth feel which the font brings.

Layout:

Social media adverts often tend to have a diverse layout. There is no real convention for social media, for the most part, other than a small amount of text and allowing the images to mostly sell the product . I have done this by including very little text all together, and instead promoting the images to the forefront with plenty of them to emphasis the cans importance. The name of the product is placed in the top left however does stretch across most of the top section of the post to  inform what the logo looks like and what the product is called.  The Carter Soft Drinks logo is in the bottom right of the gif as to not distract from the advert, but to ensure the audience of the advert can be aware of who made the product itself and the company itself. 

How it Meets the Client Brief: Distinction

My social media ad meets the client brief via the uses of the hashtag at the bottom encouraging users and teens (largest portion of users on social media platforms) to share the ad on social media platforms which is commonly done by 13-18 year old's and is an aim of the brief. Furthermore,  I have not only target the teen demographic but targeted the parents also, through the use including the product information and USPs such as no sugar. This consequently also appeals to healthy people. I have kept consistent with the colour scheme and theme of  pink/red and green representing the strawberry flavour of the drink. The large title at the top also allows the target demographic to remember the brand name easily so that the can spread awareness of the product easily and has been assured by the integration of the logo into the social media post.

The name of the product can be seen to appear above the drink. This is the main handle for the product and the slogan at the bottom is consistent throughout the campaign. It is catchy and memorable, being a call to action that envisions the overall product and its value of being strawberry flavoured while encountering the feeling received when drinking a fizzy drink. The use of bold colours helps the advert stand out and also assures that the audience's eye is either kept on it or distracted by the advert, consequently having more eyes on the advert and the product. The advert only shows the drink in cans, as the brief states that it will only be sold in cans. Furthermore, the can is shown in its brand colours, and although is not shown in lots of detail, it means the rest of the advert creates an idea for what the drink actually looks like and who the company is, ensuring the audience actively seek out an answer either by looking the drink up online, or by looking on their social media page where they will find more information. The advert is clearly a social media advert, so as previously mentioned, would benefit being placed in locations where the target audience is more likely to visit online such as Instagram and other social media sites, as well as a post on the PhizzWizzard social media profile.

Poster - Codes and Conventions: Merit

Slogan/hashtag

Most slogans are used to give an audience a quick overview of a product, its purpose and the feel you get with the product and the company. Our Call to actions can be used to tell the audience what to do with the product, similar to that of the "share a Coke" campaign. They make sure as much information as possible is summarised in few words. My slogan/hashtag isn't a direct call to action but does summarise the drink and allows for easy sharing online as well. "Get that Phizzy Pheeelling" is part of the call to action of consuming the product as well as summarising the fizziness of the drink mixed with the natural taste of the strawberries. The slogan is placed underneath the main image of the can so that it does not take too much attention away from it. 

Logo

Logos are used to help identify a brand or product and tend to be memorable so that product can be purchased over and over by consumers. For example, the phizzwizzard drink logo in the top left but stretches most of the top of the poster, and the carter soft drinks logo is in the bottom left. It isn't so small that its not noticed but not too big to take away focus from the product. The reason for the phizzwizard logo being placed  at the top of poster is because more attention will be drawn to it due to us reading it from left to right. Once the logo have been noticed by the customer they will eventually look down to the important info underneath about the USPs of the drink allowing them to link the brand to the USPs such as 100% natural.

Imagery

Posters imagery is used to catch the consumers attention quickly while informing them briefly about what the product being promoted actually is in simple terms. They allow consumers to become familiar with the product especially if they are using places like bus stops on a daily commute where they will see the poster repetitively. The can of phizzwizzard is central and large to ensure that it catches the consumer eye for a long enough time to then want to read the other information on the poster. For example, the USPs and the logo.

Choice of content

I chose to use the slogan which has a cool, soothing and catchy sound to it when spoken and therefore holds a large portion on the poster as it allows strong interaction with the campaign and product. It is large but placed at the bottom to ensure not too much attention is taken away from the product. This also increases the chance of the product going viral as many will catch on to it. I used a strawberry red background to fit in nicely with the logo and the links theme of the strawberry flavoured drink. Colours used were different shades of red, as well as the green and the yellow offered by the Carter Soft Drinks log, which compliments the theme of strawberries coincidently. Even if someone glances at the poster for a split second and see the drink can and the strawberry background they are likely to add two and two to work out that the drink is strawberry flavoured. The poster is simple and modern so that customers are not overloaded with information and so that it appeals to younger people to "can't be bothered" to read too much.

Typography

I used a red (similar to that of the Phizzwizzard logo) font to catch the eye of my audience to associate the product to its purpose and flavor of drink. I used one singular font to create a house style and theme which were bold  so that information wasn't missed and kept to the style of the overall ad. I also had to include a white circle, area, in order for one of the bits of information to stand out. The fonts used also helped contribute to the brand identity and link to the target audience. 

Layout

The layout chosen fits the conventional manner of a poster, as usual format consists of a small amount of text (large in size) across the advert, and most regularly a single, central image. White space is not much used in my poster however the pixelated vines act as leading lines, and as a result, appealing to the audience. My social media advert also manages to do this, allowing room for text to be evenly distributed and for images to have room to be placed. The slogan is centre-left and underneath the can so it's of the first things seen due to the structure we view the poster at. Images of the product are exactly central to the poster, making sure it is absolutely the first thing seen with strawberry laces all over the background to keep focus (leading lines) on the middle of the advert for some time. The Carter Soft Drinks logo is positioned in the bottom left to prevent distracting from the rest of the poster and information surrounding the unique selling point of the product is on the left to be seen clearly and encourage sales however, allowing the main image to sell the product by itself.

How it Meets the Client Brief: Distinction

My poster has met the client brief because the brief mentions that the product we must advertise for, is natural and sugar free, things that I have made clear in the poster through text. The client brief also mentioned that the drink would be sold in cans only, which is why the only image of the product is in can format. The image of the can help the audience get more familiar with the look of the product, so they will notice the can when seen in person. The client brief also says that the flavour is strawberry laces which I have shown through the red background, the strawberry laces/vine pixel art, and consistent colour scheme. I have also included a slogan at the bottom of the poster to inspire people to use it on social media, which is one of the aims in the client brief.

The target audience of 13-18 year old's is targeted through the creation of my poster. The design and mention of the healthy USPs such as sugar free allowing for a drink appeal to the target audience and it would make sure an interest in an even wider audience to those who may be concerned with their health. The "Sugar Free" is a simple way of getting the message across while also reassuring them that the drink is healthy and sugar free. This helps break the bad connotations surrounding soft drink adverts, especially fizzy drink, who are not always clear with what they say in adverts, with some saying they are sugar free, but have sweeteners as a replacement.

The advert is a poster, so will be placed in popular areas such as bust stops, train stations, and other areas where lots of people may be travelling to and from would be the some of the most beneficial areas as it would ensure large viewing. As a result of the placement, a greater amount of the target audience is likely to see the poster, allowing the eye-catching colours used will help it stand out. As well as this the red font stands out from the pink background.

Video ad - Codes and Conventions: Merit

Slogan and Logos:

These are usually used in video ads to promote a message, what the product is, the feeling with the product. We chose to use the slogan at the end over the top of a live shot of the football pitch which, acting as a background aiding audience focus on the text on screen. The last clip is also overlayed with details such as no sugar and 100% natural which may incentivize the audience to "get that phizzy pheeeling" which is a call to action as well because of the healthy nature of the drink. This links nicely to the other forms of media produced by us, and reassured a consistent theme throughout the campaign. We included the logo which is a very common convention of video adverts. The reason for putting all the main details in at the end is so that it is remembered by the audience watching as they tend to remember the last thing viewed and the most iconic adverts.

Cast:

Most commonly a video ad uses a cast that is representative of  their target audience so that it is more relatable to watch for the target demographic. In our ad the cast was younger, within the target audience's demographic. This allowed clips in our ad, such as playing football with friends, appeal more to the 13-18 year old viewers as they can often to relate to the situation. Another convention is to not exclude genders in the ad as the product is meant for all genders which we intend ours to be. It is common to use both genders in the ad to suggest that the drink is inclusive for both genders (within the age range and older) and not not exclude anyone. Unfortunately we were unable to do this due to a lack of casting options despite us wanting to. Therefore, we made up for it by appealing to the whole target demographic through the setting of playing sports with friends. Our cast consisted of 4 people which is a fairly small cast relative to our competitors. 

Camera techniques

Wide ranges of camera techniques are a common convention of video ads to keep the audience engaged. Close up shots of the product, wide shots of conversations and playing sports, tracking shots following the football player and panning shots. A convention of fast paced ads is lots of camera techniques that are fast, snappy and a range of them. Therefore, we included the fast paced tracking shot of the football players feet and them scoring a goal to create a bit of excitement and adrenalin. We also included panning shots to give the audience an idea of the setting and to set the theme/feeling of who the product is for. e.g. young active people. The use of zooming also made the the ad feel more modern and fun.

Sound:

The sound used is most commonly used in parallel to what is shown on screen, or overlayed in the background of the video advert. A commonly used convention is a music overlay, to make the products seem more exciting, whilst adding an additional theme to relate the product, e.g. Reggae or Opera. We used exciting music, but one of relative modesty to reassure that the music did not take attention away from the on screen action and also making sure the advert was realistic and not over-hyped. However, another frequently used convention is an overlay of sound saying the product's name right at the end of the advert, usually a male voice in a deeper tone to help the audience remember the name of the drink, which is something that we used. We have done this also with the inclusion of an overlap in the middle of the advert, as well as the end.

Editing:

Methods like voiceovers, cuts, jump cuts, fading and transitions are commonly used in video adverts. CGI is also a commonly used effect in video ads and is expensive preventing it from fitting in small budget ads like ours. The use of quick cuts cuts allows the audience to stay focused on the ad while making it seem more fun and exciting. The short fade effect between cuts allows the video to flow smoothly. At the end, bright text has been overlayed over the live shot of the background of the football pitch and the platers to help the audience remember the product and its USPs. Filters are another convention that is commonly used to make scenes/clips vibrant or miserable depending on the theme wanted. In the case of our video, we wanted the ad to be vibrant.

Setting:

Settings of videos usually relates to the theme of the video ad. For example, if a fruity cocktail was being promoted or something related to summer, the setting may be somewhere sunny like a beach or a lively nightclub. As our ad wanted to be vibrant and fast paced we used the setting of a football pitch to link the drink video ad to activeness and fitness, as well as fun and friendship. It was also shot on a bright day which prevents the ad looking dull, and instead allowing it a more vibrant look. This is another well used convention in video ads when filming outside, deciding when to film depending on weather and what message is trying to get put across to the audience.

How it Meets the Client Brief: Distinction

The video meets the client brief in multiple ways as it links to the target audience being 13-18-year-olds through the sporty theme and the cast. The young cast of our advert focuses on the 13-18-year-olds, but the topics spoken about and the use of the football pitch setting is something that is more considered for the older ages in the target audience. Although, it may have been a good idea to include an older group of actors in the video, as they may have felt left out as a result. The narrative also helps appeal to the mixed audience as the football pitch is fun, upbeat, and friendly and inclusive to all.

The use of the slogan/hashtag "Get that phizzyy pheeellingg", over the football pitch background in the final shot helps connote the idea that people should share the advert, drink together and use the hashtag to share, which links to the brief's desire for the advert to go viral too. This final scene also includes the "no Sugar, 100% Natural" line that has been shown in other parts of the campaign, a feature that the brief mentioned and which I felt would be beneficial to the campaigns success. The choice of using it helped appeal to the target audience, as some of these 13-18-year-olds would be looking for a drink that is more healthy as they care more about their health and what they consume. In this final scene, the PhizzWizzard Logo is included to show the audience who the company behind the drink is and to build brand awareness as well. This was somewhat shown in the brief which seemed to want an inclusion of the logos too. As a result, the use of it at the end made sure not to distract from the close up of the actual product or to distract from the rest of the information provided that was beside it, but was still very noticeable.

How my campaign overall meets the brief (D2):

My campaign meets the brief overall as it features lots of elements that Carter Soft Drinks client brief requested. The client asked me to create 3 different types of media adverts, which I have completed by creating a poster, social media ad and video ad, to launch the campaign to the desired target audience of 13-18 year old's, which I have also completed. The adverts remain consistent throughout allowing a common house style and allowing it to nicely work together to appeal to the target demographic overall. As the campaign requests, the drinks advert meets the objectives of coming across as healthy, sugar free and 100% natural, which appears in the video advert. The campaign allows the drink potential of going viral through the consistent use of the slogan/hashtag that can easily be used, especially on social media.