Radio Advert Examples

Alton Towers - 2007

This advert contains a lot of sound effects that relate to the Alton Towers Theme Park. The voice over is of a very popular actor and acts as though he is on the ride and is unable to keep talking due to the ride he is on. During the advert, he keeps talking about the theme park's statistics. However, at the end he finally says what the advert is about and makes people think, "Actually, I could do that!". The radio advert does not use a jolly northern accent like most other radio adverts. This advert uses a London accent to help people in other countries identify that it is a British theme park and that this is not the vacancy for the faint hearted. At the end of the advert, it gives people information of where to apply for the job(s) such as a website and/or a phone number and what they can do when they get the job. The company needed to carry out primary and secondary research to complete this advert. This is because in order to gain the correct Pathos (emotional response) the company needed to search for a good memory recall that their target audience will associate with fear and Halloween.
The codes and Conventions used are:

• Slogan
• Familiar Noises
• Pathos
• Ethos
• Logos
• Contact details
• 15-60 seconds long
• Voice over

I like this advert because it takes a voice that we all know too well and recognise and make him say something in a tone of voice that nobody has heard before. This makes the target audience curious and makes them listen in to what the advert is about. I like this advert so much that I would not change anything about it.

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Tesco Advert - 2012

In this advert, there are no music or sound effects. This is because the only sounds are voices. This is used like this because the voice over is someone listing all the items that are reduced within the store. He reads the items so fast, it seems like he will go on forever. This gives the impression towards to audience that there are loads of items being reduced in store. This means that there is no need for statistics to be said. They also give a small persuasive description at the end like, "so come on down to one of our stores today to check out what's on offer". This not only uses persuasive language but tells the audience where to get these deals. The last bit of the advert uses their slogan, "Every little helps". This 'brand recognition' reminds the target audience know that it's by Tesco as they have used this slogan for many years and is very well known. This company will also have to use research into their advert as they needed to find out what's on offer and not just say things that aren't reduced as this is false advertisement. They will have to use Primary research to find this information out. Primary research is where you gather the information your self (either in a survey or face to face interview). This is better than searching it on the internet because it is more reliable and is specific to their needs.
The Codes and Conventions they have used are:

• Northern accent
• Logos
• Contact details
• Voiceover
• 15-60 seconds long
• Slogan

I like this advert because it gives the audience an idea on the amount of items that are reduced without saying a figure. The only thing I don't like about the advert is that at the end of the advert, the Terms and Conditions are also read out very quickly so listeners will get annoyed at the advert and just switch off. To improve, I would just say "Terms and Conditions apply. See Tesco.com for details". This would annoy the listeners less.

 

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Safety Advert - 2007

This advert also uses no music. This is because it wants to show the seriousness about the advert's message. The narrator puts the person(s) listening in a second person narrative. The person is told that they jump the lights at a train crossing. The person is also told they are told they are trapped on the lines. The narrator then gives the person 3 options. By the time he gets to the last option, there is a massive crash sound effect. This means that you are most likely going to die if you jump the lights. The radio advert is very cleaver because people most commonly listen to the radio when they are driving. This means that the driver (target audience) is reminded of the consequences of jumping the lights at a railroad crossing.
The Codes and Conventions they have used are:

• Pathos
• Strapline
• Memory recall - Familiar sounds

I like this advert because it relates to the target audience (people that are currently driving) and makes them aware of the risks of jumping the lights at a railway crossing. The advert also puts you (the listener) in the position of the person in the story. In the end, you are killed along with your family. The only downside to this advert is that it is a little graphic for a family audience. However, the message needs to be clear in order to provoke a response and make a difference. They have also used Pathos (emotions) as a persuasive technique. They have done this by making the listener feel sorry and shocked. This is used as a message that they use to show them what happens if you jump the lights at a rail crossing.

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