Textual Analysis: Genre

An example of the Rimmel advertisement could be found in tabloid magazines such as "Heat" or "Look". I think this is because the target audience for this advertisement is very obviously young women between the ages of 15 and 35 that are fashionable and are likely to read this sort of publication in their free time, I also think these women are the sorts who will have very high aspirations of being beautiful all the time. Media synergy is also used to advertise this product on television on channels such as "Living TV" or "MTV" and also perhaps on radio with the star's voice. In comparison, the Lynx Bullet poster with be more likely to be shown near places such as sports stadiums or hardware stores as their target audience is the opposite sex to that of the Rimmel advert. Targeted advertising could also be used for both of these posters on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter. This is where the website can pinpoint people's ages, relationship statuses and information and then isolate just these people so that they can specifically see the posters on the sides of their screens.


One of the lines of appeal used in this advertisement is Self-importance and Pride as it is suggesting that with long, black eye lashes you will definitely stand out from the crowd. This links to another line of appeal used which is Beautiful Women as the celebrity figure used is Kate Moss who is a international supermodel, meaning that the advertisement is suggesting that with this specific mascara all women can be as beautiful as Kate Moss. In the Lynx Bullet advert the line of appeal that is Self-importance and Pride has also been used to suggest that with using the product all men can smell great all the time. Although it is a different sense that the product is aiming to impress, the general idea is still the same.


In the Rimmel London advert there are several Factors of persuasion used; one of them is reward power because it is implying that with this mascara you too can have long, black, beautiful lashes. To this star power is also added by using Kate Moss as the face of this campaign as she is re-known for her beauty which helps to make her stand out from the dark black and red colour scheme because her skin is so pale and flawless. This obviously links back to the lashes seeming very obvious and impressive. A Factor of Persuasion that is definitely used in the Lynx advert, however not so much in the Rimmel advert, is referent power because it is implying the convenience of carrying round such a small aerosol. 


In this mascara advert a close-up shot has been used to emphasize the length of the model's eyelashes and to show the success of the product. A low-angle shot has also been used to make Kate Moss seem superior and powerful suggesting that this is most definitely the effect of the mascara. Similarly, the Lynx Bullet Advert also uses a close-up 
shot to emphasize size, particularly the size of the bottle against the big manly hand.




High-key lighting has definitely been used in this advertisement, especially on the celebrity figure. This connotes fun and the impression that the wearer would be going for good night out with their friends. I think that if low-key lighting was used the advertisement wouldn't be as successful as the product wouldn't look so exciting.


A tagline that has been used in this Rimmel London advertisement is, "Black on Black" The designer has used this to add some extra information to the advertisement but also to add some sophistication to the poster to show that there is knowledge behind the poster and thought has been put into it. The colour and capitalization of this tag-line stands out from the poster because it differs so much from the rest of the theme.


The typography used in the Rimmel advert is very interesting, I think this is because of the colour of different sections which are bright white and are also in block font. This writing particularly stands out because of the connotations of it against the colour scheme. Where black and red connote danger and a sense of mystery, white suggests innocence which makes me wonder if Rimmel is trying to imply the product creates a mix between the two. This appeals to the target audience because as everyone knows all women have their own style and the ad is suggesting that this mascara applies to them all. Likewise, the typography used in the Lynx Bullet advertisement is again a white font in block writing against a dark background. I think the effect that this is intended to make the writing stand out.  This appeals to the target audience because the catchy alliteration both suggest power and importance.


The mode-of-address used in this advertisement is direct and formal because I think that even though the celebrity figure seems to be looking at the reader, she doesn't appear to be focussing on the audience. This glare makes the reader feel intimated but also intensifies the product which is delivering on it's promise. In contrast, no face is used in the Lynx Bullet advert so it is difficult to find a mode-of-address, however the hole of the aerosol does appear to be facing you directly. This engages the audience because the blackness of the hall is easy for a person to feel like they're falling into. The advertisement is also definitely formal because of it's business-like manner.

There are some similarities between the Rimmel advert and all the other adverts but for different reasons. The mascara advert is like the Sky Sports poster because of the high-key lighting used. It has been used in both adverts to create a feeling of excitement, and to make the celebrities and sports players look superior and important. It is also similar to the Bernados' poster because of the close-up camera shot that has been used; this shot has been selected so to focus on the eyes of the subjects, where in the Rimmel advert it has been used to emphasize the size of the eyelashes. In contrast, in the charity poster  the shot has been used to emphasize the big, blue eyes of the baby that have such strong connotations of childhood and innocence meaning that the lines of appeal between the two advertisements are very different. The line of appeal of Self-importance and Pride is the main similarity between the Rimmel London advert and the Lynx Bullet poster, this is because the products are both used to improve things that have effect on other people's senses. They are both mainly just money-makers that are not needed, but are used for vanity.


One of the symbolic and cultural codes that has been used in this advert is the signifier of rebellion. This is because Kate Moss appears to be wearing a a leather jacket as part of the dress code which can connote danger and exhilaration as if she had been riding a motorcycle. This matches the colour scheme of this advert which is red and black in a swirl formation. This could also signify that she could be some sort of heroine in a James Bond or other type of spy film. The circles of the colour scheme could also look like a target so it could be suggesting that she is the bulls-eye and therefore must most definitely stand out from the crowd.


The Rimmel advertisement can be applied to the uses and gratification theory for several different aspects. It fits into the aspect of diversion because it is proving that it is possible to have long, beautiful lashes that all women dream of, the symbolic and cultural codes can also divert the audience away from their lives as it can make them think about an exciting nightlife which they are missing but with this mascara, they could be part of. Our need for surveillance can be satisfied because it is giving people the chance to look at another way that they can live their lives rather than completing their same boring routines. Personal identity can be applied because Kate Moss is the sort of person who all women would want to be like because she is beautiful, successful and famous.


The Rimmel advertisement uses intertextuality to apply to it's audiences by relating it to other media texts that are similar to it and will have the same lines of appeal. In the mascara advert, Kate Moss could be seem to look like a heroine from a spy movie perhaps because of the symbolic and cultural codes such as her dress code and the colour scheme displayed in the background. It could even be said that she could look like the main female role in a James Bond film. 

This is very similar to the Lynx Bullet advertisement because using intertextuality that poster could also be linked to a James Bond film. I think this because when you look down the hole of the small aerosol it could be considered like looking down the bullet of a gun, which would of course relate to James Bond. The dark colour scheme and low-key lighting used could also support this theory. 








To conclude, I think that the Rimmel Advert is a very complex yet interesting advert that attracts it's target audience well and I expect that it was very successful. The Lynx Bullet advertisement, though very different from the mascara advert I would expect was too very successful when shown to it's target audience. A technique that both advertisements have used that are common in print advertising is a low-angle shot. This is very common because for most companies the aim of the advert is to make the product look very impressive and appeal to the audience's aspirations and as both products are designed to increase a person's beauty and their attractiveness, this is something that is important. Another way they both reflect common codes and conventions is through their dark and dangerous colour scheme which implies a sense of mystery and danger to both posters. After analysing both advertisements personally i think that the Rimmel advert was slightly better because of the connotations that could come from the design.