Lecture 3 (This May Take Two Weeks to Get Through.)

ee2101AB.Sc Multimedia Technology & Design1

Lecture 3 (This may take two weeks to get through.)

Based on Blythe, J. Marketing Communications 2000 Harlow: Prentice Hall particularly pp 85-98 and pp 3-7

Outdoor advertising

Outdoor advertising covers a wide range of media types. These include billboards, posters, street advertising on e.g. street furniture and bus shelters, fly posting for gigs ('bill stickers') and on moving vehicles, inside-transport advertising in e.g. tube trains and buses through to the more bizarre stunts and events e.g. hot-air balloons.

Billboards are cheap but passive. They are particularly useful to support other more mainstream advertising and teaser campaigns. However the audience for outside advertising is difficult to measure. Also the word count must be low since people may be driving or walking by with no intention of stopping. To counter this inside transportation adverts are actually read. Without advertising a tube station may seem very boring (nothing but crowds) and then inside the train it is the same (indeed nothing but armpits in the rush hour).

Ambient advertising makes the 'medium become the message' (McLuhan).

1Billboards (i.e. posters on hoardings)

1.1From Toulouse-Lautrec to today

Posters have been with us for thousands of years. The boards for public houses have been part of our culture for hundreds of years. Pictorial images of the "Kings Head'' and the "Red Bull" have been with us for years. [Pub signs/posters for the recent rash of brash names (e.g. Rat & Parrot) are not included here!]

As the Industrial Revolution got going in Europe perhaps the most famous exponent of poster production was the graphic artist Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901). He was born in Provence into an aristocratic family dynastically 'devoted' to intermarriage. His grandmothers were sisters and his father's sister married his mother's brother. Through such inter-breeding Henri inherited a rare disease, pyknodysostosis, which leads to dwarfism. It occurs in twenty per cent of people whose parents come from the same family. So, despite his long limbs (i.e. arms and legs) not growing in adolescence, this four- feet-something 'adult' turned to art and the good life in the Parisian "Belle Epoch". A broken thigh in 1878 (aged 14) resulted in a break that did not heal properly because of pyknodysostosis and thereafter Henri had to walk with a stick.

But there is a sense in which Henri had a break of another kind - technology. The invention of colour lithography greatly increased the potential for reproducing complex four colour images on paper, the application of steam power to the printing press made production costs for prints cheaper and finally the better methods of transportation afforded by the railways meant printed images could be easily distributed around Paris and its environs. The picture image was essential to break the monotony of endless pages of tedious print.

In fin de siècle Paris many classes were pushed together in the new Hausmann-ised (?) Paris. For the first time for working people leisure emerged as an option. People wanted places to go to in the evenings and at weekend. So the new department stores catered for goods- and the music hall catered for their rather base entertainment needs.

Notable entertainment venues were the Moulin de la Galette, the Moulin Rouge and the Chat Noir. These music halls were all located in the Montmartre district at the back of the Sacre Coeur in north Paris.

Henri Toulouse-Lautrec publicised the performances at music halls like the Moulin Rouge by creating memorable colour posters which were put up around Paris. Below is an example.

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It publicises a star , known as La Gouloue (meaning glutton in English) at the Moulin Rouge. Henri's output turned Paris into 'the art gallery of the streets' (Denvir, 1991). In a real sense these lithographs were the new media of his age. They were truly the forerunner of the large billboard poster with which we are familiar today.

Current distribution companies like (a)Mills and Allen and (b)More O'Farral (spelling?) number 120, but just six of the 120 have 82% of the UK's billboard business {see Harrison, D. (1993), ADMAP, (April)}.

[SOL Qn. Track down this reference and identify the top six billboard companies. Ring them and get copies of their rates.]

Most vacant sites have billboards in front of them. Billboards are on the side of buildings and main roads. Research into the effectiveness of Billboards is carried out by a body called Outside Site Classification and Audience Research or OSCAR for short. Since there is an interest in the number of people passing a poster as well as the demographics of an area the geodemographic classification system ACORN (Aclassification of residential neighbourhoods) is used to assess and quantify the value of sites for advertisers.

Billboards have the following advantages:

Low cost / A billboard is cheap to rent and the posters are cheap to design and print. This compares well with TV advertisements and other media
Can be localised for geographical segmentation / Rather than broadcast to the nation, a group of sites can be used within a desired area to promote e.g. the opening of a new supermarket with crèche
Can be used seasonally for short periods / As seasons change [e.g. autumn sales, Christmas shopping and Summer breaks ] so may the uses of posters.
Can be easily changed to suit circumstances / Posters can be changed readily for short periods, to support an existing campaign on TV or in the Press. A good example of this is to respond to events almost daily during an election campaign.

A good example of the use of billboards is the teasercampaign. In this an obscure level of awareness is raised but a punchline is not given until later. Example: Elf Aquitaine, the French petroleum company, ran a series of billboard adverts which said 'Now for Britain itself ...'. This raised a certain level of intrigue due to its meaning being obscure. Much later the explanation or denouement came with 'Now, for Britain it's Elf'. The initial interest is satisfied by this pun on itself and it's Elf. The feeling is that this causes the message to stick in the customer's mind.

Often billboard campaigns can be news in themselves. The speed with which they may change coupled with the light regulatory framework in which they operate means they may have a tremendous shock impact. This is often exploited in PR campaigns. An example is the Europe wide billboard campaign run by the "United colours of Benetton" campaign.

Since two thirds of decisions are made just prior to purchase, billboards serve as a useful last reminder just before purchase.

1.2Disadvantages

Whilst they have a strong role in supporting a campaign a key drawback is that billboard advertising can be rarely used in its own right.

Limited capacity / The copy must be very brief and the message conveyed in just a few words. This places a premium on good imagery.
Difficult to evaluate / Audience figures are hard to measure because the audience may be walking, driving or riding by. Traffic counts may give a clue as to the maximum level of interest.
Vulnerability / Billboards are easily defaced and damaged.
Noise / A noisy location may destroy the desired mood for the communication of a message. A poster which suggests sweetmurmuring on a mobile may be lost in the generalised workaday attitude people create as they go about their business.
Environmental restrictions / In some areas there is strong objection to the proliferation of posters on the grounds that they spoil the countryside and ruin views of interest [e.g. no billboards outside the Houses of Parliament]. In many countries there is often strict legislation controlling the design, location and number of billboards

Poster size is measured in sheets which themselves are equal to a double crown bill (30 inches by 20 inches). Thus a 48-sheet billboard may measure ten feet by twenty feet in size.

1.3Ultravision

In the past twenty years ultravision systems have become popular. These introduce a sense of movement into a billboard and enable three different posters to be displayed in a minute. Rotating slats mean a poster A may be displayed for the first twenty seconds, then poster B to be displayed for the middle twenty seconds and, finally, poster C is displayed for the final twenty seconds. In this way motorists weighting for lights to change may see three posters in one minute at a sight where billboards are strictly controlled in number. Furthermore these sites use light to make the poster more effective. A billboard visible for 24 hours a day is more effective than one visible during the hours of good daylight.

Ultravision systems are used in peripheral advertising at televised events e.g. at football matches just beyond the touchline. This is widely used in Italy and Spain rather than England.

2Transport advertising

2.1Outside transport

Outside transport advertising is essentially posters on the sides of buses and taxis. Advertising is not usually shown on trains since they tend to move too fast for posters on their side to be read.

The idea of livery is an interesting one here. Sometimes a whole taxi is painted in the colours of the desired marketing message. There are taxis in the livery of the Financial Times and Aer Lingus. The same applies to the backs of buses. [Most lorries and vans simply advertise their owners (e.g. Harrods, Bishops Move) and are not contenders for livery advertising.] These are extremely eyecatching ways of communicating a marketing message.

Adverts low on the back of buses are particularly useful for targeting car drivers

2.2Inside transport

Posters inside buses and trains have marketing rules of their own .They can have substantial amounts of copy, since travellers often have nothing to do except read the copy. It also gives travellers something to look at rather than each other. On crowded trains the same advert may be read many times over.

Advertising within stations - particularly tube stations - gives commuters, a target group, good opportunities to read its posters. They are large and stuck directly opposite the platform. In the two minutes between trains commuters, facing the posters, may read many hundreds of words of copy.

2.3 The design of outdoor advertising

The rule here is the minimum of copy and the maximum of imagery. There are only a few seconds to get the message from billboards, rather more time to get the message from bus shelters of the Adshel type.

Icons, symbols and indices play a strong part in establishing the advert in the viewers perception. An icon is a sign that looks like the object, or represents it visually, in a way that most people would relate to (e.g. a picture of Princess Diana would represent a beautiful caring person rejected by her husband yet loved by her people. Many strong but unhappy women might relate to this image of an icon. ). An index is a sign that relates to the object by a casual connection (e.g. a tanned woman in a swimming costume on a sunny golden beach would suggest naturally the idea of holidays abroad). A symbol is an artificial sign which has been created for the purpose of providing meaning (e.g. intertwined arrows to denote recyclable products).

[Sol qn: Collect together instances of (a) icons, (b) indices and (c) symbols - six of each. Accompany each with reasons why you selected these eighteen examples.]

In association with this are studies in semiotics, syntactics and semantics. (From Human Communication module.)

Many billboards use the full range of signs to get attention. A celebrity look-a-like can add an iconic presence to a poster or an event. Getting a Marilyn Monroe look-a-like to appear on a poster creates interest through recognition. Once attention has been raised the message is conveyed: e.g. 'Breezy Brighton for the long weekend'.

An index of children holding hands with an adult figure nearby is an index for family advertising. A message might be themed around breakfast e.g. "All Bran keeps them fit healthy and regular!"

A symbol is used by companies for instant recognition. An example is the Nike swoosh. This has migrated to sport and leisure clothing. It is often sufficient in its own right since recognition has been learned: it is similar to a tick but different. The dissonance sets up a need for clarification. The customer learns this difference: a tick means right, a swoosh means Nike. (If you are not careful you will find yourself thinking 'It is right to wear Nike and Nike is right!). Nike ran a poster campaign in the early nineties in which icons and symbols were linked. This was potentially powerful.

But only potentially! for things can go wrong. Eric Cantona was a male icon of individuality and success. Posters showed our Eric in a Manchester United shirt and the swoosh to the side with a few words (What were the words?). So far so good. But in a football match at Selhurst Park, Eric Cantona went over the top by kicking a spectator in spectacular fashion on live television. The association between male icon and swoosh became flawed overnight.

Billboards are often used for teaser campaigns. The launch of Orange, the mobile telephone company, in the early 1990s was a classic. First there were large hoardings in black with an orange square towards the bottom left. Then in phase two there were added the words "The future is bright". Then in phase three this was completed "The future is bright, the future is Orange." Once the awareness had been established - and only then - was the product identified. (Technically this is called the denouement.) The growth of Orange has been exceptional gaining 20-25% of market share from a standing start in the UK in less than seven years. The use of simple intriguing images that slowly unfold both teases the imagination and establishes recognition. Hence the name 'teaser campaign'.

3Airships, skywriting, banner-towing and balloons.

An airship attracts attention because it can be easily seen and is large enough to carry copy (an airship is much larger than an aircraft). Its relatively stately speed means its message can be read reasonably easily. A brand name advertised here would be seen by most people it passes over in reasonably fine weather.

Hot air balloons are a variation to the airship. (Think air balloon, think Richard Branson, think Virgin.). Their use is extremely affected by the weather. If there is too little wind or too much wind they cannot fly. This means they are extremely seasonal. Consequently they easily cross the boundary from Advertising to News Event.

Because the hot air balloon is considered rare (planes are commonplace), likely to get into trouble (inexperienced crew, bad weather, political problems) it is considered newsworthy. The headline 'Richard Branson might die' is newsworthy. The resulting reportage of a Branson balloon attept is worth more than an advertising account can buy. Airships also benefit through having no industry guidelines (unlike billboards). Hence the 'any thing goes' character of many of Richard Branson's air balloon adventures as he pushes forward into virgin territory (that brand name again!).

Banner towing and sky-writing are two further examples of airborne advertising. These are used mainly at sea sides or large events where crowds gather. They are a variation on airship advertising.

4Ambient advertising

4.1 Exemplars

Ambient advertising works best when it is close to the point of sale or close to the location of the problem. The most obvious example is the Department Store sale. An environment of near price collapse is created and this attracts customers. They mill around looking for bargains. A certain edge is given to the experience by reducing prices in sudden stages. (The Bentall’s Blue Cross sale comes to mind.) This auction-like atmosphere transforms a sedate Department store into something akin to a market or ill-disciplined auction house.

However, there is a possible confusion here. A department store sale could be called a ‘promotional event’. We need to refocus. Imagine you have bought a cup of tea at an in-store restuarant. You are feeling peckish but do not want to buy a sandwich for £2.00 extra. At the till you see a prominently displayed notice. It says “Feeling peckish? Don’t have just a drink - have our Tea Time Special of pot of tea, slice of toast and Danish pastry - only £1.99 [subject to availability]”. Clearly a pot of tea, a slice of toast and a Danish pastry seems at the point of purchase to be more attractive than a cup of tea on its own and is better value than one cup of tea and one sandwich. This increases the chances that a customer will switch the purchase from the single cup of tea, increase revenue and get rid of the Danish Pastries not sold in the morning.

Examples of ambient advertising are as follows:

Environ-
ment / Location / Ambient media vehicles / Est’ 1998 value -£m
Retail / Shopping centres, car parks, petrol stations, supermarkets, post offices, fast-food outlets / Trolleys, tickets, takeaway lids, postacrd racks, floor advertising, eggs, carrier bags. / 24.4
Leisure / Cinemas, sports stadia, pubs, music venues. / Postcard racks, toilet walls, beer mats. / 14.6
Travel / The Underground, trains and buses(with vehicles stations and shelters, bus stops, petrol and service stations, airports. / Liveried trains buses and taxis, petrol pump nozzles, stair riser adverts, car park barriers, car par display & travel tickets / 9.0
Other / Aerial and mobile media / Balloons & skywriting. / 6.7
Academic / Schools, colleges, universities & libraries / Posters, video screens, bookmarks, payroll, bins. / 2.8
Community / Playgrounds, nurseries, emergency services, group GP practices / Sponsorship opportunities / 0.3
Corporate / Company & council offices. / Payroll advertising / 0.2

4.2 Advantages of ambient advertising.