iPod Advertisement
http://www.apple.com/ipod/ads/poplock/480.html
Source: Channel Ten 2005
What: iPod advertisement featuring a song called ‘technologic’ by Daft Punk
Audience: Late teens to twenties or thirty year olds.
How is popular culture represented?
Popular culture is represented in this advertisement through the choice and use of music. The music is a key focus for this advertisement, and is teamed with bright colours and funky dancing silhouettes. This music is a popular pop or techno song, called ‘technologic’ by a band named ‘Daft Punk’. The song represents popular culture because it forms part of popular mainstream music that has become an important element of popular culture in Australia.
The dancers also represent popular culture, as their style of dancing (mostly funk or hip hop) forms part of dance culture, or popular dancing that can also be found in popular culture. Music and dancing are both parts of popular culture, and in this case are represented by the upbeat, modern popular music, and also the dancers whom are all featured in silhouette form.
The mainstream music scene is a very key element in popular culture, and there are many genres and types to choose from; from gospel, to hip-hop, rap, blues and many more.
Thus, popular culture is represented through the choice of music; a poppy, upbeat song from a well known band r group. This represents popular culture, as the song is part of the mainstream music industry.
Why is popular culture represented?
Popular culture is represented to directly appeal to the target audiences. Although this advertisement appeals to many audiences due to its format of bright colours and dancers to load music, it directly appeals to its target audience of late teens to early thirty year olds by featuring a part of popular culture. This audience, stereotypically, s most subject to be influenced by popular culture, it is represented to create interest, and as an influential tool towards the audience.
This is a catchy popular song, and was chosen not only because the lyrics of “now upgrade it” ‘technologic’ and ‘buy it’ fit in with the selling point of the product iPod, but also for another reason. This song also appeals to the audience, through their senses; in particular the eyes, and the ears.
By playing popular music, and showing people dancing in a sophisticated way to this particular music, the composers influence the audience that by buying this ‘technologic’ product, they can also listen to pop music and dance too. In doing so, the composers utilise popular music as a focus for their ad to sell a music player, which of course has the capacity to play similar music. In this particular advertisement, popular culture is represented by popular music, for the purpose to persuade, and is used as a powerful selling point.
Impacts on audience:
This ad emphasises the strong persuasive power and influence popular culture has on its audiences. Although this ad doesn’t encourage negative aspects of society, such as body image, t simply places popular culture as a focus, and emphasis on the importance of the music industry, and popular culture, in contemporary Australia. The powerful nature of popular culture as an advertisement tool is thereby emphasised by the representation of popular culture in this particular r advertisement.