The following essay will closely look at two digital media advertisements, investigating the various techniques used and the role of its communication in influencing its audience and so human behavior. This essay will be a semiotic analysis on two Australian beer advertisements, exploring the different method used to persuade its viewers. The advertisements under analysis are Tooheys Extra Dry’s "Nocturnal Migration” and Carlton Draught’s “Slow mo”. The aim of this essay is to analyze the different methods used by these two companies and the signs and symbols that are used in these advertisement, in order to grasp a better understanding of how they draw their audiences in.
The first advertisement that will be analyzed is Beer Company Toohey Extra Dry’s ad “Nocturnal Migration”. The advertisement begins in an apartment, where a Doe (female deer) gazes outside of her window at dusk from the high-rise apartment. She appears to be in deep thought, as though contemplating her evening ahead thus personifying the deer as a human, as one of ‘us’ (the consumer).
The music begins as it cuts to an image of three Bucks (male deer) running onto a suburban street. Then a group of deer spilling out onto the street from all directions, running towards what seems to be one place, a possible meeting ground, creating excitement, and signifying to the idea of the beginning of something… The music drops to the familiar intro to the prodigy’s song ‘Breathe’. Three Does strut their way down a sidewalk as two Bucks stop and turn their heads to notice the three Does. This familiar image alludes to the confidence and excitement felt when ‘we’ (the consumer) prepare to go out in town; that feeling of freedom, the pleasure of meeting new people, ‘letting your hair down’ and enjoying a night out – something that both genders can relate to watching.
Images of celebration, love, communication and social interaction, such as the ‘couple’ of deer walking into a nightclub, Does looking at themselves in front of a bathroom mirror, deer at a house party, and a glance to the possibility of love through the first meeting of a Buck and a Doe as they make eye contact across the dance floor. These images are all familiar in some way or the other to us all, depicting the many stories born from a night spent out and the ultimate ‘nocturnal migration’ that we all make together, as social beings.
The second advertisement that will be analyzed is the beer company Carlton Draught’s ad “Slow Mo”. The advertisement begins with the harmonizing sound of classical, sophisticated instrumental melody, introducing the beer to the audience (the consumer) as it is slowly poured into a Carlton draught glass by tap. The bubbles fizz appetizingly as the melody ascends into a dramatic and somewhat magical moment. This moment is then heightened through the image of a man throwing a dart that appears to be heading directly for a ‘bulls eye’. The image and audio used, captures a moment of true perfection, symbolizing the beer Carlton as a bulls eye, true excellence.
These moments and sense of perfection are quickly interrupted, as reality unfolds with the dart completely missing the dartboard and hits the wall instead of instead of hitting the hoped-for bulls eye. As this drama begins to unfold, the lyrics to the melody begin, which to the inattentive ear would sound like sophisticated, classic opera music. However, reality is reinforced when the simple and humorous truth in the song is heard through playful lyrics. Various images are seen, such as a man pouring salt as the lid falls into his meal, people spilling beer, stereotypes in a pub, a man’s bottom crack, human interactions and the classic ‘water in sink splashing on your pants’ scenario. These comical moments are ones that we (the consumer) can all somewhat relate to. This also implies that Carlton knows its consumer and can relate, alongside the image of a lot of beer: that it is always plentiful. Images of beer being drunk, spilt, held and poured show us (the consumer) that there is an abundance of it, and these moments we share with Carlton can never be ruined by ‘reality’.
The shot of two Carlton glasses being filled by a Carlton draught tap together, compared to the entail image introducing the ad with just one Carlton being filled up, symbolizing to the audience that idea of sharing and human interaction. The idea of ‘sharing the moment ‘ is a strong symbol throughout the entire ad and when ‘failed’ moments such as these are shared with a Carlton Draught, the implications don’t matter so much. It sends a message that conveys, ‘we all have these moments, but with a Carlton in hand, it doesn’t matter so much’ because Carlton Draught represents the perfection within the imperfect moment (as discussed in first scene).
Both of these beer advertisements have used the technique of relating through a ‘shared moment’. The shared moments come from sharing beers, both Carlton Draught and Tooheys Extra Dry, and the inevitable message that whether it’s a night out with the opposite sex, or an unwanted accident in a pub, these moments are shared, and best shared with a beer.
The Carlton Draught ad is relatable in its humour, however it is also somewhat one-gender orientated. Although it is true that the idea and comical moments can be enjoyed by both genders, the images in this advertisement are rather male dominated. This is in comparison to the Toohey Extra Dry’s ad “nocturnal migration” which uses the deer as a representation for the consumer. The antlers are an obvious feature in order to distinguish which gender is which, the deer without antlers being Does and with, being Bucks. The images of both genders are equally displayed through their actions and interactions, a clever way to relate the consumer using branding.
However, with that being said, the symbol of the Bucks stands as the logo of the Tooheys brand, and the clip also ends with the male deer standing at the top of the hill morphing into the beer bottle. Marketing statistics may perhaps show that the market of beer is more male-dominated and perhaps this is why the Carlton Draught ad is more male orientated, as is the end of the Tooheys advertisement.
But in retrospect, both genders can relate whether it be through its humorous nature or through gender specific moments of both advertisements. Evidentially, the strongest symbolism that is evident in both advertisements is that beer represents a shared moment in time. By the end of both clips, both beers have become the representation of these shared moments that we can relate to directly or indirectly. Thus, it creates a sense of understanding and trust within the consumer to buy the beer because the beer symbolizes a trustworthy, ‘shared moment’.
