Fifth Lesson of Media Studies - Car & Airline Adverts

Car & Airline Advert Analysing

Airline Advert – British Airways 2012 Olympic Advert (London Calling) -

The advert begins with a British Airways pilot pressing button connected to the plane in the ‘cockpit’. As people begin to put their bags away in the ‘over the head’ roof racks, cabin crew on the aeroplane start to help those in need. For example a little boy needs to have his seat belt done up/checked or a lady need to have help putting her bag away as it is too heavy for her to lift.

Instead of the plane taking off into the air, it starts travelling around the streets of London. The plane passes a man sweeping the pavement, a woman having breakfast on her roof terrace, a milkman delivering his load, a cyclist and goes around the roundabout in Trafalgar Square.

The song that begins is called “London Calling” by The Clash. The plane passes all of the famous land marks in London including Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, London Bridge, the Thames River and the London Eye. The plane also travels past Camden Market and flats with young teenagers in to older women. The advert had humour in it as well. For example the aeroplane goes over a speed bump and they show the ‘do up seat belt’ sign on board plus they travel past a woman who has just gotten out of the shower and drops her towel in front of the window. A little boy sees this who is sitting in a seat next to the window, the mother realises and shit the window in haste!

Even though it is not apparent at the begging of the advert, the plane is actually making its way to the Olympic stadium in Stratford, near the docks. The cabin crew members begin to paint Union Jacks on children’s faces as well as give out flags. When they arrive at the stadium, the planes jetty comes out to collect them as if they were at an airport. The passengers rush out of the plane excited and a little overwhelmed! The fact that they had gone together collectively made it even more special travelling to the Olympic stadium. They were all coming to support their team (in this case, Team GB). At the end of the advert it says “Don’t fly. Support Team GB” and finishes with a bird’s eye view of the Olympic stadium.

Car Advert – Skoda Fabia 2007 ‘Cake’ Advert -

The advert begins with a baker cracking eggs into a bowl. The song being played is "My Favorite Things", performed by Julie Andrews from ‘The Sound of Music’ musical.

The advert starts becoming a collection of shots of cooks baking and preparing ingredients to make a cake. The ingredients that were used in this clip include eggs, orange zest and cake batter. Many large tins of Madeira cake are taken out of the oven and placed in a white ‘canvas’ room. This then begins a series with a series large cakes being orderly placed on top of each other with Butter cream being spread on top of them. Then the camera focuses on a person kneading orange icing and a woman pours melted chocolate into a pot full of Rice Krispies. The orange icing is then squeezed between a roller that is then going to press on the icing and squeeze it out the other side of the machine. Then the pot of Rice Krispies is emptied into a mould that is then going to act as the frame of the car possibly. Then many layers of Battenberg cake are squished together with raspberry jam inside joining the components together. The Rice Krispies are then arranged like walls around the Madeira structure acting as a barrier, this then creates a sketch out of a car.

Jelly mixture (before it sets) is poured into a mould while cooks attach sweets to a smooth surface to create a headlamp light. Then strings of liquorice are winded together acting like belts around the edges of an engine made out of Madeira cake. The engine is lowered into the bonnet of the car while chairs made out of pastry are lowered into the middle of the interior of the car. The jelly is then taken out of its moulds and transformed into a brake light at the front of the car. A tyre is made out of chocolate and is wheeled around to the bonnet of the car. Final details are added to the windscreen wipers and the front of the car. The bonnet made out of Madeira cake is lowered and icing sugar is dusted onto the roof of the car. Lastly the Škoda logo made out of icing and sweets is attached to the front of the car, taking up the final ‘left over’ place.

The final shot of the advert is of the collection of people around the car that made the vehicle out of cake, chocolate, sweets and icing. The team of people look proud of their creation as it took them a long time to make as well as a lot of energy. The cooks worked as a team and completed their work to its full potential. Then at the bottom of the screen reads the phrase “The new Fabia. Full of lovely stuff”.