Deconstruction of the sequence of advertisements for the fiat punto

Advertising is a tool used to present goods or a service to the public to encourage sales or publicise products. Advertisements are made in such a way that they put information into our minds without us realising it. Advertisements play on people’s emotions, desires, needs and security. In advertisements there is the overt meaning that we see, but also there is a covert meaning, which unless looked into closely, we may not realise. Companies realise this and us it to their advantage, they know that costs spent on advertising can be returned through the interest shown in their product or service.

The better the advertisement the higher the interest. An advertisement will often appear before a product or service is launched. This creates a market for the product by peoples perception and anticipation. I watched a sequence of advertisements to publicise the Fiat Punto car that reflects a variety of advertising techniques. They are all set around an Italian theme, and play upon stereotypical ideas about Italy and gender differences when it comes to cars. First advertisement in the sequence. The first advertisement starts with a black screen and white font, this being the opposite of what our eyes are used to.

The writing is in a swirly font, like someone’s handwriting making the audience feel that it is a person saying it to us so we will be able to relate to the message. We hear ” Are you ready for a passionate encounter? Are you ready for a little spirito di Punto”. This is a very lyrically flowing phrase, implying that if you are driving in a Fiat Punto car you will have ‘a passionate encounter’ and most people would respond positively to this idea. Reading this is a sexy sounding Italian woman enhancing the desired effect of a sexy and romantic car.

Using the romantic theme it prompts the audience to think about the romance in their lives bringing happy thoughts into their heads and then relating these to the Fiat Punto. This is an effective start to the sequence. The music used is by ‘Andy Williams’ singing ‘Music to watch the girls go by’ the lyrics to this song fit the storyline. The song is a very happy song with a strong beat to it making us feel alive and good-humoured. The advertisement goes to an Italian street looking clean and the sun is in the sky, with a Fiat Punto driving down the road with a young couple inside.

This is an environment, which would be desirable for many people and it show that the people in the car have fulfilled our desire, as we would like to be in their position. The couple used are young, attractive and well dressed; therefore the audience feel we would look attractive and well dressed also if we were driving this car. We feel that we could have a share in this attractive lifestyle. We are being sold an image. As they are driving down the Italian street the woman is driving and the man is in the passenger seat. The woman in the driving seat suggests that the car’s target audience is women.

While they are driving down the road there are many young and attractive women strolling by. The man begins to watch them and the camera is placed at his eye level as he is focusing of the bottoms and the breasts of the women. This would appeal to the male audience because they like to ‘observe’ women, and they put themselves in place of the man seeing what he sees and share his interest and pleasure. The woman notices that the man is watching the other women and becomes jealous; the female audience will relate to this thinking that something like this has happened to them.

She becomes more and more frustrated with the man and as a result decides to take revenge on the man. She drives the car to the side of the road, beckons to an attractive man pulls him into the car and kisses him. This is her way of taking revenge on the man, which is shown in a BCU (big close up), which gives the image emphasis. Women will feel pleased that she has done this thinking that the man has been put into his place, and will now not dare to look at other women again. Women will think that it is a good idea by the woman and relate the feeling of pride to the car; another happy feeling towards the car is then created.

Women who take matters into their own hands drive this type of car; most women identify with this idea and admire the women in the advertisement. Then man in the car then becomes shocked, then realises why she has done it and they laugh about it. This shows that they have a stable relationship with which they are comfortable and, comfortable with their relationship with the car. A sports car then drives next to the couple’s car with another attractive woman in but the man doesn’t look this time.

Instead he looks into the car and covers any possible view of the woman with his hand, showing that he has learnt his lesson and is not going to risk doing anything that would result in her reacting like she did again. The female audience would like this even more now because he knows that he has learnt his lesson and will not try anything like he did before in a hurry. The couple then laugh again about the situation, another indication of their good relationship, they drive away down the road where a LS (long shot) is used and the camera is raised high o that we are looking down on the back of the car.

The street is suddenly empty so that we focus on thus car. The use of this shot makes the audience feel that they are on the street watching them drive away into a distance, giving a final feeling of a relationship with the characters and their car. This advert works well for audiences of males and females. This is because men will feel happy for the man in the car, and wont feel shocked or disapprove because they put themselves in the place of the male. Women will put themselves in the place of the woman and be happy for the taking revenge on the man.

Also in the advertisement the woman is driving, showing her being in control of her man and of the car, reaffirming her dominance and capabilities. Second advertisement in the sequence The second advertisement font starts similarly to the first with a black background and white. Again, we hear a woman with an Italian accent speaking to sustain the FIAT Punto’s Italian theme. The woman says, ” The Fiat Punto oozes originality and flair”. This emotive, sexy language makes us feel that she is talking about us when she is really talking about the car. It suggests that we would stand out when we are in this car.

The use of onomatopoeia, ” oozes”, is effective because we have an image of the continuous feeling of pride and individuality given to us by having this car. We then see the car being driven on long and winding roads. There is rough terrain and nighttime driving. We learn that the car can cope with many different road conditions so it can appeal to people who want to drive mainly in towns or those who like to go out into the country too. It seems a ‘sexy’ attractive car that ca take us wherever we want it to be. Third advertisement in the sequence

In this advertisement there is a couple driving around trying to find a restaurant. The woman is map reading; she is pretending that she cannot find the way to the small restaurant to which they appear to be going. In fact she is guiding them to a more exclusive restaurant. They are driving around and the man becomes frustrated but they are laughing together and as we watch we see the direction of the camera shots keep changing which also gives us a sense of being lost and confused with the pair. The camera shots can be seen from the perspective of both the man and woman in turn.

The humour of the couple, however gives the impression that being in this car is a good experience even when you are lost. As we near the end of the advertisement the woman says, ” Take a left here”, they drive slowly along a gravel road, the car stops outside an expensive restaurant. The scene changes to the small local cafi?? where a table is ” reserved” for the couple and a waiter is waiting leaning on a brush looking bored. Again the scene changes we see the man and woman getting out of the car and walking to the exclusive restaurant in a LS (long shot).

The woman then says, with a smirk on her face, ” Nine o’clock. Table for two”, the pair laughs advertisement finishes with a final close up of the silver car parked, for effect, against a white wall and a darker background of trees. This advertisement uses the perpetual stereotype that women can’t read maps and twists the notion near the end of the narrative. This appeals to women because the woman is not only proving the man wrong but showing that she can deceive her man by taking him to the other restaurant.

Their presence at a better restaurant than we first thought than the other it suggests that when they are in the Fiat Punto car they are too good for the small restaurant and that a better one is needed to live up to their status as Fiat Punto owners. When the man thinks that the couple are getting lost, despite the frustration it shows the harmony and a sense of fun the car can bring too us The audience like the man, has been tricked by a clever woman, who is really in control of the situation and the car. Fourth advertisement in the sequence This advertisement is different to the previous ones.

This is because in the other advertisements for the Fiat Punto that I have deconstructed they mainly focus on what you feel like when you are driving the car but this advertisement focuses on the car itself. I think this is to give the audiences different perspectives of the car, making us feel more comfortable towards the car. We are given this idea by being shown various shots of the car from different angles and a synchronised woman’s voice (used in other parts in the sequence) praises the car, therefore, presenting the audience with a complete image of the product.

Although there are some similarities as far as it uses the same music as in some of the other advertisements but without lyrics ” Andy Williams – Music to watch the girls go by” therefore giving a sense of continuity into these advertisements. This advertisement starts with a Fiat Punto driving around a picturesque mountainside. As the area is extremely scenic the car being there gives the impression that it is adding to the areas attraction of the area, as it is as picturesque as the mountainside.

The audience will realise this and desire the whole atmosphere and image created. Subconsciously we think that by having the Fiat Punto we would recreate this glorious drive in beautiful scenes into our lives. A familiar voice is then used, the sexy Italian woman’s voice, as in previous advertisements of the Fiat Punto. She is reinforces the sense of continuity in the adverts. Using this effect it builds a sociological relationship between the car and the viewer, a relationship, which would be strengthened by the car being owned by the viewer.

The voice describes the car as having ” sheer driving pleasure”. Saying this means that the car is not just a car for getting from one place to another but a car, which you want to drive because it is extremely enjoyable to drive. This makes us believe that it is more than a car, but will lead us to pleasurable experiences and we all want these. A variety of shot are then used to flaunt the cars ability, safety and, of course, its attractive appearance. By using a shots of the car from different angles we are given a complete perspective of the car.

We are shown its ability when it is driving around a rough and potentially dangerous terrain. This is shown by continually changing sequence of shots, which give an impression that the conditions that the car is driven in are harsh with many turns, putting the car through its paces. Even though the conditions are shown to be uneasy the car seems not to struggle in anyway. The car’s handling, agility and control is more than capable of giving an enjoyable ride, therefore, proving that the car can cope with another difficult condition without hesitation. The car takes everything in its stride.

The appearance of the Fiat Punto is accentuated the same way as its ability by using the camera. It is made to look attractive in different colours and seen from different angles. There are ELS (extremely long shots) used taken so the mountain and the car are in view showing the stunning area. This is gives a perception that the area would not be as beautiful without the car implying that the car is even more beautiful than the scenery. There are also CU (Close Ups) used with conjunction with bright lights to make the car seem gleaming and bright like the sun itself.

Fifth advertisement in the sequence This advertisement like the previous one in the way that it is different to the other ones but some of its qualities are the same. It is different because it does not have the same actors as previously used; instead we see Neil Stuke a well-known television actor. Using an actor that is already known creates a relationship between actor and audience. By changing the actors it makes the advert seem apart from the other Fiat Punto adverts where as the others seemed as if they were telling stories from the couple’s lives.

The quality that keeps the advertisement the same is the Italian theme, which is important, as the manufacturer Fiat, is an Italian Company. The advert starts with a man and a woman asleep in a dark room, but the audience realise it is morning as there are gaps in the shutters where strong beams of sunlight are bursting into the room. The woman then wakes up and begins to take things outside and placing them onto the ground, while this is happening the man is still asleep in bed. We then see more things moved outside and again the man unaware of what is happening.

Also the audience is unaware of the reasons for the belongings to be taken outside. This builds up suspense, which is a powerful device for engaging our attention. We see a short flashback to her behind the wheel receiving criticism of her driving by him. Now we begin to appreciate that she is taking her revenge. The woman is then seen entering a Fiat Punto. This builds up the suspense even more as the audience at this point do not realise what is happening. The car is then started. At this point we are shown the man again. This time he is not asleep though. We see him run towards the shutters at the sound of the engine.

The way he reacts builds the suspense up even more, as soon as he sees her he grabs the nearest item of clothing, which is a pink shirt, and he begins to flee outside. The woman is driving the car around all of his prized possessions using them as traffic cones or markers. The man chases her and calls for her to stop. She stops the car and he appears relieved thinking everything is safe. He sees his guitar and other prized possessions in front of the car, she looks and smiles, places her foot on the accelerator and speeds off towards them, braking just before she hits his precious belongings.

This advertisement works well to advertise the Fiat Punto’s ability including handling and brakes. The woman feels so confident in the cars’ handling ability that she is happy to risk damage to her partner’s prized possessions in order to prove the ability of the Fiat Punto and her ability to drive it. This makes the audience feel that if she is willing to risk it then she must be confident with its handling. The brakes are shown off when the woman drives straight forward towards the mans most prized possessions and the car is stopped without any trouble within centimetre of the items she is a capable driver in a very responsive car.

This advertisement like many of the previous ones will appeal to women for who the car seems to be mainly focused. In the advertisement the woman is proving that unlike the myth, women can drive very well. It shows that women’s driving ability is good and possibly better than men expect. This will encourage women to go out to purchase this model of car. The advertisement shows that this is a woman’s car and can prove men wrong like the other two narrative commercials the woman is in control. Sixth advertisement in the sequence This is like a finale to the sequences of adverts where all the information we need to buy a Fiat Punto is given.

We have been built up for this information all through the adverts, only being told about the car and not how to purchase one. By doing this we are built up over time to think that the car is great and we learn about how good it is without the upset of finding out the price until the very end when they have been drawn towards wanting the car. We are ‘sold’ the image of the car. The advert starts with the car alone on its side next to a wall giving us a final picture for our minds. The slogan we have been taught to connect with the Fiat Punto, which also represents its Italian theme is said one last time.

It shows ” Show a little Spirito di Punto”. This reminds the audience of the adverts that we have seen showing off the Fiat Punto. We are told the price the offers and the phone number and encouraged, to test-drive a car, today or really instructed by a series of imperatives. The Fiat Punto is directed towards women in these advertisements they use this idea throughout the adverts in the sequence. The advertisements always make the women look dominant to the men seeming more powerful, which would make women want to buy the car to be in that position.

They do this by putting the women driving and making them take revenge or trick the man. I think this method is extremely effective, as it will appeal to most of its desired audience. We are also shown the cars ability numerous times in the sequence. Showing that the car has more to offer than just a feeling of power it is also able. We are shown this in the fifth advert where the woman drives around the mans prized possessions. We are shown that the car has style also like where the car is driven around the Italian streets with the music it gives a feeling of joyfulness showing the car to be fun as well.