1980's Oxo Commercial

1.      What is the ad for? The oxo advert was made to ultimately sell their product, which is a stock cube to make their food taste better, we clearly see the product being used and after the family, which is of course a nuclear family in the ad reacting in a way where we clearly see they’re enjoying the product, so people watching the ad think the same. Which is suggestive thinking. The message Is if you want you and your family to eat a tasty meal then buy our product.

       Who is the target audience?

Demographics

-Primary The primary target audience, in terms of demographics are working to middle class, the ad shows a nuclear family eating dinner around a table and appear to be in a middle-class setting. The parents in the are around 30-40, giving the impression that the product is for middle aged women/mothers.

-Secondary The secondary target audience for the product will be working class people, people who can still buy the product, but are not necessarily the primary audience, but are still interested in the product. another example is young adults. men and women may want to use the product for cooking. the ad is quite stereotypical because it shows the woman cooking, which isn't accurate in most family's.

Psycho-graphics

-Primary The primary target audience for oxo stock cubes are typical parents who maybe watch the t.v, have children, take care of them and regularly cook, the psycho-graphics include responsible adults who also enjoy cooking but may be criticized by family about it.

-Secondary The secondary psycho-graphics for the oxo advert may include people who really don't enjoy cooking and perhaps aren't very good at it and are looking to add something different to make their cooking taste better, may include students, and retired people.

When was the advert aired / when would you expect it to be aired? This oxo advert was first aired in the 1980s from the afternoon to the evening, around the time when people get home from work, so they see the ad and buy the product.
This is the time i would expect the ad to be aired, because it's prime time t.v and not only targets the primary audience but also the secondary audience.



What form does the ad take? The oxo ad is almost a mini series/ documentary. it was aired from 1983 to 2011, and the viewer is taken on a trip with the family throughout the years as we watch the family grow up and use the oxo products, we are able to become emotionally attached to the ad as we see new events in their life take place, which is very good in terms of advertising because it means that we are more likely to notice and buy the product.

What style is the ad/ persuasive techniques? The oxo ad uses persuasive techniques which make the audience emotionally attached, because we watch the family grow and go through events the target audience can relate to they are more likely to pay attention to it, which links to kat'z gratification theory to relate to events and characters. The ad could also be viewed as nostalgic because the ads came out over the span of over 20 years, and there's situations the viewer can relate to like having a new child and their son going to university. At the end the ad is being humorous ad relatable with the sexual innuendo at the end, once again reinforcing the fact that this product is aimed at adults..

Does the ad follow AIDA? 

A- The ad attracts their audience through their techniques and marketing, by broadcasting at certain times when they know that their target audience will be viewing the ad. the ad also attracts its customers through their imagery they use in their ad, as well as the relatable story they portray through the characters they show throughout the series of oxo stock adverts


I-  although the oxo stock ad shows a middle class family using the product, the product isn't very expensive it shows the family, almost as a model family the audience should aspire to be. the setting is just in a regular middle class household it let the audience relate with characters and think 'if it's good enough for them it's good enough for me'

D- The ad gives the illusion of need because of the imagery that is shown in the ad when the mother uses a stock cube in her dinner, her it's clearly shown that the two kids taste her food at the start and are visibly not impressed, however enjoy the meal after the product is added, which creates desire, if you want your family to complement your cooking and enjoy dinner then use our product.

A- in terms of action and actin quick, there isn't really any of that in the ad, primarily because its a stock cube used for cooking and the hurry now doesn't work on the intended audience who are adults and that type of technique only really works on kids because they're impulsive. this ad uses more of a suggestive thinking and relatable approach, after the mothers dinner she prepares isn't very good, she automatically uses a stock cube to make it better. and by using the oxo family as a model family, then being a middle class nuclear family it once again reinforces that this product is for the audience watching

Characteristics of products

The characteristics of products, for example the Oxo ad uses lots of different techniques and reason why you should buy their product over anyone elses, they show benefits in their advertising. Its clearly visible in the ad that at first the children don't like their mothers cooking, which links to Katz uses and gratification as it will be relatable for a good chunk of the target audience. in the ad after the mother ads the product and her children like the dinner she's prepared. Its ironic because they don't know she's added the product and now the children love their dinner.

The product has advantages because it takes advantage of Katz uses and gratification theory, one of which is self actualization and relatabilty, people want to feel like their doing good and want to be told their doing good because they crave approval by everything they do, and by use of the subtle suggestive thinking in ad when her husband and children act surprised they enjoy their dinner, this is a nod to self fulfillment and approval by people around you, which transfers straight over to the audience when their watching the advertisement, whether consciously or subconsciously they notice the message. everything put in advertising is done on purpose.

USP (unique selling point) is important because an audience are going to be attracted by something original and unique than something they've seen before.

Lifestyle and appeal. The ad targets middle class middle age men and women, whoever does the cooking essentially, this is the primary target audience because it features a middle aged mother in the ad who uses the product, the lifestyle shown in the ad is a nuclear family of the farther, mother and two children it shows them in a middle class house preparing for dinner in the afternoon.

Brand identity/ product placement is clearly visible when the mother takes out the oxo product after her children look in disgust and what shes making, once the product is added everyone enjoys it.

The ASA (Advertising standards authority) regulate advertising in the UK they try to make every ad in the UK 'responsible' and will take down ads which oppose the rules. CAP write the rules for the ASA to enforce.