Heat Electric called Creature Comforts Essays

Heat Electric called Creature Comforts Essays Heat Electric called Creature Comforts Essay Heat Electric called Creature Comforts Essay The boy doesnt actually speak, however there is a deep, male voiceover, which gives the idea that the advert is a memory from the good old days. The voiceover is a strong rural, possibly Yorkshire, accent. His dialect is emphasised by his use of ellipsis, which can be illustrated when he says, Bakers have kettle on in which he misses out words and shortens endings. This contrasts with the marked R.P., which was heard in the advert from the 1950s. Another aspect of the advert, which gives the product a sense of tradition, is the colour. The colour isnt vibrant or bright but ordinary colours, which are linked with the Victorian times or in old photographs. There arent a wide variety of colours, mainly just browns and dull colours. The texture is soft focused giving it a blurred effect, which associates the events in the advert with a memory, which links with the voiceover. Memories are often not clear which makes the advert seem like a moving painting. Also, the colours give the idea of either early morning or late evening as the blurred effect makes it seem misty and the light is at a low, oblique angle, which conveys this impression. The mood, although the music does not imply this seems quite positive, whenever the boy is on the screen he seems to be smiling. Also, innocence is emphasised because the boy is quite small however his bike and the basket is obviously too big for him. This stresses that viewers must buy bread for their children to help them grow and be strong. It gives the idea that even though bread is quite old fashioned it is still needed. The first scene is the boy, dressed in brown clothes made from traditional materials, trying hard to cycle up the hill. It is a long shot establishing the traditional cobbled street. The light is low so it illuminates the boy. This hints at his angelic purity. The bike shows the low-tech transport of the olden days, which emphasises simplicity and purity, as bikes dont pollute the atmosphere. It also builds up a picture of a healthy outdoor lifestyle, as you need energy to ride a bike. The boy delivers the bread and as he hands it over a ray of light shines on it showing the bread as some sort of holy substance. The advert then fades into the boys journey home.  After this, superimposed lettering reads As good for you today as its always been, which again shows the idea of healthiness and tradition.  The second of the adverts begins with a medium shot which cuts to a long shot of the boy rowing across a lake in a little boat. Again, the idea of simple transport is shown to emphasise the purity and tradition of the product. The low lighting is mellow and soothing. The row of whitewashed houses which are shown look old and seem like they would be found in a countryside. This gives the idea of a traditional and conventional village.  The voiceover this time is a Geordie accent. The different accents make the advert more personal and realistic as no one in general really speaks in R.P. It also gives links to real people rather than just characters.  Again, the light illuminates the loaf of Hovis and the advert ends with a close up of the boy smiling before the bold writing takes over the screen reading Hovis, as good for you today as its always been. The third of the adverts begins with a long shot and also a long take. The little boy in the distance is getting closer. His littleness is emphasised by the large bench and milk churns in the foreground. This time the boy is a lot younger and more cute than the in the other two Hovis adverts. He also needs two attempts to jump up to sit on the bench, which makes him seem really sweet and innocent. His clothes are baggy and the hat he is wearing is obviously far too big. He would evoke feelings of tenderness in the target audience. In all three of the Hovis adverts the main characters are male. This is because in the days in which the adverts are set only the men worked as women were expected to stay at home and look after the children. The advert is saying to the women buy this for your boys so they will grow strong. Also, the adverts would not have the same effect if the main character was a girl. This is because traditionally girls are supposed to be petite and ladylike rather than growing strong, because they eat bread, to do hard work and earn money. The camera then cuts to a close-up of the lunch box. It is slightly mis-representative as the product shown looks homemade and the slices are thick and rough, whereas the loaf actually comes pre-sliced. The idea of a homemade loaf makes the audience thing of the smell and taste of fresh, warm bread.  There is then a close-up of the boy, which fills the screen. He is smiling and there is a light in his eyes. The boy is freckled, which shows an outdoor lifestyle, and hes happy.  Again, the narration is done by voiceover, again Yorkshire. None of the characters in the Hovis adverts speak directly, which creates a sense of a memory of the idyllic past. The camera cuts to a postman who asks the boy not to run away. Then the boy jumps down and walks home with the postman. Walking is another simple form of transport linking to tradition.  Then, once again the product identification comes on the screen in writing As good for you today as its always been.  As time went on, advertising companies became more and more high-tech in their commercials. In the 1990s, an example of an advert would be the series of commercials by Heat Electric called Creature Comforts. They are animation adverts in which cartoon animals speak about their lives.  The adverts are in the style of Talking Heads, a documentary series, where the subjects talk about themselves. Also, they often tend to reveal more than they intend.