Microsoft's Xbox One Advertising Campaign:
Microsoft's Xbox One "Invitation" Advert:
a.) Aims and Objectives
The purpose of the Xbox campaign is to promote their new console in order to make more people aware of their new product. They want to get as many people to buy their new console as possible, which they do by making the advert as entertaining as possible. They used lots of famous actors and popular characters from renowned game titles in order to catch the viewers attention and make them more likely to want to purchase the product by the end of the television advert.
b.) Target Audience
The target audience for the Xbox One campaign is mostly younger people, ages 20-40. They would be people who have an interest in games but can be casual gamers. As most younger gamers have got their consoles through their parents, the target audience is more specifically around parents around the average gamers age of 35. However, wide range of people play on Xbox which means that there will be both younger and older people of all genders also purchasing the product. The campaign has been designed for an ABC1 demographic as the viewer would need a fair amount of disposable income in order to be able to purchase the high end product, along with any accessory and games they want with the Xbox. The design is very simple as it tries to show off the consoles efficiency, which is suited well by the simplicity of the campaign.
c.) Representation
In terms of gender and ethnicity the advertisement targets white males of a younger age (20-40) which is what most of the actors in the advert are. This can be seen through the use of actors and the type of films and gameswhich appear in the advert, including zombie films and football games which attract mainly male audiences. However, the gaming industry is vast and there is the largest possible variety of people that play games. The denotation of Steven Gerrard waving to the audience at the start of the football match connotes that the Xbox One will be the best console and parallels the big build up to it's release. The demographic of the Xbox One advertising campaign would fit into the NRS classification ABC1 as the main demographic consists of affluent achievers and settled suburbans. The target market for Microsoft is parents and families who have disposable income and are looking to upgrade their entertainment system.
d.) Campaign Message
The campaign tries to show just how exciting the gaming world is and really show-off the Xbox One. Microsoft wants the viewers to see the fast-paced changing industry through the action-packed speed of the advertisement. They also use the famous actors and popular films/games to show the connections that the company has and show that the console is capable of playing blockbuster quality content. The message of the campaign is that their new console is the best option out there in the gaming community, which is presented through the use of famous actors, big scenes from blockbusters and games which are mostly Xbox exclusives.
e.) Print-based Advertisements Used In The Campaign
Microsoft have the ability to advertise their products in a range of different ways and platforms. Xbox have content which is on posters, billboards, website banners and in magazines. They have large connections and produce their own magazine called Xbox Magazine, which allows them to promote their products and even have full-page advertisements to show more of their content.
f.) Relevant Legal And Ethical Issues
The advertising campaign could break the law if it was to steal third party material such as copyrighted images or information. Microsoft would have avoided any issues by only using original content and content they have permission for. Also, the campaign must ensure that it doesn't fabricate information about the products it is advertising in order to over-sell it. The campaign must not publish any content which could "deprave or corrupt" the reader, as this breaks the Obscene Publications Act of 1959 and 1964. They have avoided breaking the Obscene Publications Act by not publishing violent, graphic or sexual content which could corrupt the minds of the viewer/reader, particularly younger people. Ethical issues are things which are not accepted by society as they are deemed offensive, however can not be used in court as it isn't backed by law. Microsoft would avoid any ethical issues by only publishing content about their products and not including violence, graphic or sexual content. They would have ensured that they didn't say anything considered socially unethical, by only including facts rather than opinions which may glorify violence, graphic or sexual content. Violence and breaking the law in games Microsoft is involved in can be entertaining, but they have made sure not to promote the violence by showing content which would be more suitable for younger audiences.
The purpose of the Xbox campaign is to promote their new console in order to make more people aware of their new product. They want to get as many people to buy their new console as possible, which they do by making the advert as entertaining as possible. They used lots of famous actors and popular characters from renowned game titles in order to catch the viewers attention and make them more likely to want to purchase the product by the end of the television advert.
b.) Target Audience
The target audience for the Xbox One campaign is mostly younger people, ages 20-40. They would be people who have an interest in games but can be casual gamers. As most younger gamers have got their consoles through their parents, the target audience is more specifically around parents around the average gamers age of 35. However, wide range of people play on Xbox which means that there will be both younger and older people of all genders also purchasing the product. The campaign has been designed for an ABC1 demographic as the viewer would need a fair amount of disposable income in order to be able to purchase the high end product, along with any accessory and games they want with the Xbox. The design is very simple as it tries to show off the consoles efficiency, which is suited well by the simplicity of the campaign.
c.) Representation
In terms of gender and ethnicity the advertisement targets white males of a younger age (20-40) which is what most of the actors in the advert are. This can be seen through the use of actors and the type of films and gameswhich appear in the advert, including zombie films and football games which attract mainly male audiences. However, the gaming industry is vast and there is the largest possible variety of people that play games. The denotation of Steven Gerrard waving to the audience at the start of the football match connotes that the Xbox One will be the best console and parallels the big build up to it's release. The demographic of the Xbox One advertising campaign would fit into the NRS classification ABC1 as the main demographic consists of affluent achievers and settled suburbans. The target market for Microsoft is parents and families who have disposable income and are looking to upgrade their entertainment system.
d.) Campaign Message
The campaign tries to show just how exciting the gaming world is and really show-off the Xbox One. Microsoft wants the viewers to see the fast-paced changing industry through the action-packed speed of the advertisement. They also use the famous actors and popular films/games to show the connections that the company has and show that the console is capable of playing blockbuster quality content. The message of the campaign is that their new console is the best option out there in the gaming community, which is presented through the use of famous actors, big scenes from blockbusters and games which are mostly Xbox exclusives.
e.) Print-based Advertisements Used In The Campaign
Microsoft have the ability to advertise their products in a range of different ways and platforms. Xbox have content which is on posters, billboards, website banners and in magazines. They have large connections and produce their own magazine called Xbox Magazine, which allows them to promote their products and even have full-page advertisements to show more of their content.
f.) Relevant Legal And Ethical Issues
The advertising campaign could break the law if it was to steal third party material such as copyrighted images or information. Microsoft would have avoided any issues by only using original content and content they have permission for. Also, the campaign must ensure that it doesn't fabricate information about the products it is advertising in order to over-sell it. The campaign must not publish any content which could "deprave or corrupt" the reader, as this breaks the Obscene Publications Act of 1959 and 1964. They have avoided breaking the Obscene Publications Act by not publishing violent, graphic or sexual content which could corrupt the minds of the viewer/reader, particularly younger people. Ethical issues are things which are not accepted by society as they are deemed offensive, however can not be used in court as it isn't backed by law. Microsoft would avoid any ethical issues by only publishing content about their products and not including violence, graphic or sexual content. They would have ensured that they didn't say anything considered socially unethical, by only including facts rather than opinions which may glorify violence, graphic or sexual content. Violence and breaking the law in games Microsoft is involved in can be entertaining, but they have made sure not to promote the violence by showing content which would be more suitable for younger audiences.
g.) Regulatory Bodies
The Xbox One's "Invitation" advertisement is appropriate to be displayed on television because it doesn't have any misleading or offensive material. The advertisement completely stays to the rules and regulations set by the ASA, as the campaign doesn't glorify crime, drinking alcohol, participating in sexual activities or taking drugs. Microsoft has made sure not to use any misleading information for their campaign by only providing the viewers and readers with true information about their new console. Microsoft have ensured that they don't include any offensive material in order to stick to the regulations set by the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority.) All of the material that Microsoft have used for their campaign would have been copyrighted, including any logo's they have used such as the Xbox logo and the Microsoft logo, to make sure that only they have permission to use it. In order for anyone other than Microsoft to use the logo's and images which have been copyrighted, they must gain permission from Microsoft. The copyright symbol on their work looks professional and proves that the content they are using for their campaign is completely original. Due to the regulations of Ofcom, if the advertisement would have had any "adult" content then it would have needed to be shown after watershed. However, the advertisement for the Xbox One avoids showing any shocking scenes such as death, which means that it would allow Microsoft to show the advert at any time of the day.
h.) Method
The Xbox advertisement is played on TV throughout the day before 9pm. As the advert doesn't contain any graphic or adult content it doesn't have the need to be on before the watershed. The advert is broadcast between programmes such as The Simpsons on Sky 1, as it is considered a family channel which fulfills a large section of the demographic. The Xbox One is advertised on print publications such as billboards and magazines as Microsoft are a large company looking to promote their new console to a mass audience. The adverts for the Xbox One would have been shown less than a month before it's release as Microsoft want there to be a build up to the products release in order to maximise their sales. They would have needed enough time for people to see the advert and save up to purchase the console which is why they would have given the audiences a month notice about the products release. There is also promotional Xbox content on websites such as http://game.co.uk and http://amazon.co.uk which has been used to reach a larger audience. These banners and other online advertising material would have been created to reach digital native audiences, as typically the main people who are interested in games are those who have grown up around technology.
P1 - you need to look at an existing campaign that has both print and TV ads in it.
a) aims and objectives (what’s the purpose? Promote, inform, educate and entertain)
b) target audience (demographics – age/gender )
c) representation (gender, ethnicity, location, class, sexuality)
d) campaign message (what is the main ethos / ideology behind the brand)
e) print-based advertisements used in the campaign (which print formats)
f ) relevant legal and ethical issues (moral, copyright)
g) regulatory bodies (ASA, Ofcom)
h) method (placement, method of distribution, scheduling of TV ads)
M1
Learners evaluate audio-visual and/or audio advertisements that are used as part of the chosen advertising campaign. They explain how advertisements produced in different media can be linked and used together to convey the campaign message.
You should do this my textual analysis of specific examples.
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