This essay will endeavour to evaluate the main aims and purposes of infamous, controversial advertisements whilst also paying attention to issues of audience reception. Whilst examining why controversial content is used in adverts, the essay will also consider how audience reception can affect adverts and deem them controversial even when the intention of their creators may not have been to cause offence or controversy but merely the promotion of the product. The advertisements, selected for discussion in this essay, were chosen for particular reasons. This essay will demonstrate, through the analysis of the selected advertisements and drawing upon relevant reading, that controversial image, text or the combination of both are employed not only to promote a product on a superficial level, but have purposes beyond the advertisement’s audiences initial response, and are often strategic in gaining advantages such as product and brand awareness in competitive consumer markets.

The advertisements examined in this essay, that caused controversy, are as follows:

1)      French Connection “FCUK Advertising”. Agency – BDDP. GGT.

 Fig 1.0

2)      Club 18-30 “Package Holiday”. Agency – Saatchi and Saatchi.

 Fig 1.1

3)      Audi UK “Audi TDI Keeps Going”. Agency – Bartle Bogle and Hegarty.

      Fig 1.2

The Advertising Standards Agency received complaints about each of the selected advertising campaigns. The ASA’s adjudications panel upheld the complaints and all campaigns were subsequently banned or withdrawn.

The French Connection and Club 18-30 advertisement campaigns will allow analysis of image and text, working together to create meaning in an advertising campaign. Although the image within the French Connection advertisement is of importance to the meaning constructed, the advert caused offence to potential consumers, primarily through its use of text. The Club 18-30 advertisement caused offence through the meaning constructed by combining an image and text relevantly inoffensive if situated by themselves. This will allow a contrast to be made between the two campaigns and demonstrate how individual images or texts or a combination of both can cause offence and controversy.

The Audi UK advertisement campaign, will allow analysis of an advert that wasn’t designed to be received as controversial, but through its image and text resulted in its audience’s reception being miscalculated by its creators and deemed offensive by some. Through its use of parody, the miscalculation of how the humour within that parody would be received, and an image that was more difficult to deconstruct than its creators originally thought, Audi were left with a campaign that received complaints and was subsequently banned by the ASA. This advert will allow issues of audience reception to be analysed as well as demonstrating the risks of using humour within advertisements.

Traditional views of advertising were that it was used to introduce a wide range of consumer goods to the public and therefore supporting the free market economy by stimulating demand, resulting in sales of a product and ultimately profits for the businesses that offer the product. Although these reasons are still relevant in today’s society, advertising has grown to achieve wider functions. Some advertising now concerns itself with the suggestion or manipulation of social values and attitudes, for example using a product as a symbol of buying into a certain lifestyle or belief point or suggesting aspects for a way of living for consumers, and is sometimes not primarily concerned with fore fronting the product within the advert, in order to demonstrate its benefits and attract sales, but aiming in other ways to convince the consumer to purchase the product. Methods and strategies of advertising have emerged not only to directly attract sales. Alternative reasons to advertise do exist, such as creating brand image and awareness, positioning a product at a certain target group, etc. However, the reason for advertising, in the main, still lies in the ultimate aim for profit.

Although many businesses still use product focused advertisements to stimulate demand, other advertising strategies are relevantly implemented depending on the specific aims of the company. Strategies are often employed to maximise the level of awareness that the advert itself receives, with the intention of creating subsequent awareness of the product, service or business it is promoting. It is within this type of strategy that the basic reasons for creating controversial adverts lie; to attract the maximum level of attention or awareness.

Creating / Grabbing Attention

Competition for product sales in today’s market place is high due to the large number of businesses competing in each market as well as issues such as the similarity of products offered by various companies. For example, there are numerous businesses competing within the fashion clothing market selling products that are similar. Henrik Dahl (1993), brings to attention the point that persuasive communication is “typically unwanted communication” (1) and most people do not “actively seek out exposure to advertising” (2). It is therefore important, and often difficult, for a business to create awareness of its product, and brand, to potential customers in order for sales to be achieved. For a business to stand out from other competitors within the same market, branding can be influential to a consumers final purchase choice.  

Controversy within an advert is used to generate awareness and interest in the advertising campaign and therefore bringing attention to the product it promotes or more often to the brand it represents. By creating an image that is seen as controversial, businesses may appeal to a certain target audience that are prepared to buy into that brand to be part of, or be seen to be part of, the set of values associated with the promoted product. These are two important factors recognised by businesses and advertisers and are implemented in their marketing and advertising strategies.

Images or texts can be deemed offensive or controversial individually. For example, in one of their campaigns Barnardos used the image alone of a young baby injecting itself with a hypodermic needle whilst biting on belt used to enlarge a blood artery was viewed as controversial in itself.

 Fig 1.3

Analysis of the French Connection and Club 18-30 adverts allows the significance of image and text to be exemplified both individually and as a combined communication. It is the combination of text and image that serve to construct a meaning that is considered to be offensive within the French Connection and Club 18-30 adverts. If the images from these adverts were accompanied by a different text, would they be deemed offensive? For example:

 Maybeline Mascara.                    Calvin Klein Underwear.

Fig 1.4                                                                                                              Fig 1.5

The text used in the French Connection advert, “FCUK”, is significant in its controversy. No matter what image is used to accompany the text it is probable that the advert would still cause offence due to its similarity to the offensive expletive. French Connection were advised by a copy advice team to place dots in between the text FCUK and to place an image in between the FCUK and the text Advertising to limit the offence caused, but decided to advance with the original advert despite the consequences.

The text within the Club 18-30 advert, “Girls. Can we interest you in a package holiday” would usually be viewed as harmless if accompanied by an image which signified interpretation was not related to encouraging sexual intercourse amongst young holiday makers.

Roland Barthes analyses of advertisements outlines two functions of the linguistic message or text. Relaying and Anchoring. The anchor steers the reading and interpretation of the image. “The text directs the reader among various signifieds of the image…. It teleguides him toward a meaning selected in advance.”(3). The anchoring function can be found within the two aforementioned adverts, as without the text the controversial meaning may not be deconstructed and the two images might have been deconstructed to present other meanings.

This anchoring, however, could also be true of the image. The image also works in some way to anchor the text. For example, the image of the male in the underwear in the Club 18-30 advert also serves to strengthen the text “package” as the modern day slang word for a males genitalia is known as a package. Further analysis of the French Connection advert, although subjective, could prove to be a comment on the constraints or conventions of modern advertising through its use of an unconventional advertising image of half a woman’s face accompanied by the text “FCUK advertising”. This advert may well have been directed not only towards the consumer but towards the advertising industry as well in a bid to create an image for the adverts creative agency.

As with the majority of advertisements, both the French Connection and Club 18-30 adverts have pre-selected meanings that are intended to be deconstructed or received by their audiences to hopefully convey a certain message. Both companies were aware that their adverts, after deconstruction, would be considered offensive to some people outside of their target audience but the expected benefits of running such controversial adverts were of high importance to the companies. The immediate benefit of creating awareness by using controversial adverts were realised and acted upon.

Secondary Circulation

Using controversial images, text or combining the two within adverts may attract the initial awareness of a reader but also have wider functions beyond attracting the targeted reader’s initial response. Press interest, and the reporting on controversial adverts, can significantly boost the coverage that an advert would normally receive through its selected communication channels well beyond what could be purchased from the campaign budget. This leads to an increase in the number of recipients of the advert or to the number of people hearing about the brand. For example, if a controversial advert is created and its selected communication channel is billboard advertising, with a limited number of viewers, appearing in the printed press will increase the audience of people that receive or hear about the advert and consequently the product. This could attract more sales as well as strengthening the company’s intentions of establishing a reputation as a controversial brand. The French Connection advert was originally designed as a poster campaign but was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) following complaints from the public. French Connection then continued to run the campaign publishing it in Marie Claire magazine, again resulting in a ban from the ASA. An article written by Claire Cozens (April 2001) in the Guardian newspaper explains the reality of having an advert banned and commented about the French Connection adverts creator “ Mr. Beattie's shock tactics mean the brand gets acres of media coverage every time the advertising regulator gives French Connection a ticking off.” (4).

Create Brand Values

In their advert, Club 18-30 target their appeal to a certain audience. The company offers package holidays targeted at a certain age group, which appears in the brand name 18-30. The name of the company is significant as a brand name often acts as a signifier of the values attributed or associated with the product or service it offers or with the brand as a whole.

“A signification system for a product is sometimes generated by building into it the physical structure of the brand name itself” (5).

This is true of Club 18-30 but an expansion on just the age group it serves was needed. The values attributed to the company and the service it provides is enforced through their controversial advertising. The company promotes itself as a youthful, carefree holiday provider where alcohol and sex have been fore fronted as the main activities available to the holiday maker. Seven advertisements were created for the Club 18-30 campaign which appeared on bill boards and in trade press. They featured slogans such as “Beaver Espania”, “ The summer of 69”, “Discover your erogenous zone”, “You get two weeks for drunk and disorderly”,  “It’s not all sex, sex, sex. There’s a bit of sun and sea as well”. The sexual innuendo contained within the text and the images used to signify sex, such as the image of the male in his boxer shorts, were used to appeal to a certain target audience, create awareness

All of the advertisements were banned although the advertisers argued that “the advertisements reflected the essence of the holidays through a type of humour and colloquialism that only their broad minded target market would understand” (6).

One of the functions of using controversial advert is to enforce the brand and its service’s or product’s values or image. The Club 18-30 adverts served to establish or reinforce the brand’s and service’s values or image of holidays centred on drinking and sex.

Extending Attention

It is evident from the analysis of the French Connection and Club 18-30 adverts that the controversy or offence is caused through the image and text or the combination of the two. As discussed, creating awareness of the advert is central to advertising strategy but these adverts also combine other methods in order to gain and sustain interest. By creating an anagram out of the expletive in the French Connection advert and by using a pun within the Club 18-30 advert, both companies’ advertisements are creating extra mental processing activities for the reader to engage in. Puns help to attract attention and the use of a pun that has sexual connotations can only help to strengthen the appeal of the advert.

“Puns attract attention because they frustrate initial expectations of relevance and create a sense of surprise” (7).

The initial awareness of the controversial advert is created through its text and image but the extended attention is created through the combination of the controversial subject matter and the mental practise of making meaning out of the advert.

“Distraction is also used to break down the resistance of the consumer. This is often done through the use of graphics and photographs in print ads. Sex can also be used in this way, especially erotic images, which can distract the target audience.” (8).

By deciphering or solving these mental processes the reader is believed to retain attention in the advert and possibly return a trail of thought to it at a later time.

It could also be said that the social conversation surrounding the secondary circulation could also help to extend attention.

AUDI UK.

 Fig 1.6

This advert demonstrates the problems that the ambiguity of adverts, and in turn their audience’s reception, can create for advertisers and how this may render them controversial. The ASA received complaints about the Audi UK advert due to the meanings that were constructed from the advert by its audience. In the main, complaints centred around the image, that depicted an open road and what seemed to be a child’s squashed toy rabbit on one side of the road and a small drum kit on the other, and the accompanying text. Complainants believed that the advert implied that a child had been run over and that the accompanying text, “Audi TDI. Keeps on going. No other diesel looks like it or lasts like it.”, condoned irresponsible behaviour as a driver.

The original intention of the adverts creators was to display that the long running and popular “Duracell Pink Drumming Bunny”, used in the Duracell battery company’s advertising campaign to demonstrate the superior quality of their product, had been out performed by the Audi TDI. By parodying a famous advertising campaign the creators had hoped to bring an element of humour to their advert. Parody is also used in advertising as it can help engage the reader within the advert through familiar images, texts or concepts.

“Consumers are involved through the recognition of elements of the commercial; cross-references and intertextual references are meant to involve consumers in the advertising more. It is a game of; spot the reference” (9).

The result of missing the “spotting of the reference”, by audiences, in this case may have adverse effects to the company that is advertising. Taking into consideration the findings already mentioned within this essay, of how brand and product values can be attributed or even defined through adverts, the campaign may have caused problems for Audi UK who’s interests as a car manufacturer must remain to be recognised as a responsible company due to the significance that car buyers place on purchasing products that could ultimately affect their well being or even life.

Following the complaints to the ASA, Audi recognised the problems associated with the ambiguity of their advert and took it upon themselves to withdraw it without it being banned by the ASA.

In conclusion, it is evident that controversial adverts are used to serve several aims and purposes. The impact of controversial images, texts or their combination is paramount in creating audience awareness in competitive advertising environments and product markets. The secondary circulation received by controversial campaigns can be of advantage to a company, as it reaches wider audiences than intended and may also become a topic of social discussion. The opposite could also be said and this type of advertising may be a disadvantage if a company inadvertently promotes a product with an advert that might harm or have negative consequences on the company’s image.

Controversial advertising can be used to strengthen or promote a certain brand and/or product image that may appeal to pre-determined target audiences. If an advertising campaign is successful it can result in large profits for a company. This was demonstrated by French Connection whose profits rose from £6.4m to £19m and was attributed, by Chief Executive Stephen Marks, to their use of controversial advertising. It is, however, important to remember the reversal of this situation and the possibility of using controversial advertising that could result in a negative impact on a company and the possibility of making loses as a consequence.

REFERENCES

1) Messaris, Paul. Visual Persuasion, The role of images in advertising. Sage Publications (1997). p.p. 5

2) Messaris, Paul. Visual Persuasion, The role of images in advertising. Sage Publications (1997). p.p. 5

3) Forceville, Charles. Pictorial Metaphor In Advertising. Routledge London and New York (1998). p.p. 71

4) Guardian Online. Accessed 6^th of January 2004. http://media.guardian.co.uk/advertising/comment/0,7492,468441,00.html

5) Beasley, Ron. Danesi, Marcel. Persuasive Signs, The semiotics of advertising. Mouton de Gruyter Berlin – New York (2002). p.p. 53

6) Advertising Standards Authority online. Accessed 20^th of December 2003.

http://www.asa.org.co.uk/statistics/1995/top10/advertisers95/club_95asp.

7) Tanaka, Keiko. Advertising Language, A pragmatic approach to advertisements in Britain and Japan. Routledge London and New York (2001). p.p.68

8) Brierley, Sean. The Advertising Handbook, 2^nd edition. Routledge London and New York (2003). p.p. 160

9) Brierley, Sean. The Advertising Handbook, 2^nd edition. Routledge London and New York (2003). p.p. 202

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Beasley, Ron. Danesi, Marcel. Persuasive Signs, The semiotics of advertising. Mouton de Gruyter Berlin – New York (2002).

Brierley, Sean. The Advertising Handbook, 2^nd edition. Routledge London and New York (2003).

Dyer, Gillian. Advertising as Communication. Routledge London and New York (1995).

Forceville, Charles. Pictorial Metaphor In Advertising. Routledge London and New York (1998).

Manca, Luigi. Manca, Alessandra. Gender & Utopia in Advertising, A critical reader. Procopian Press (1994).

Messaris, Paul. Visual Persuasion, The role of images in advertising. Sage Publications (1997).

Myers, Greg. Ad Worlds, Brands, media, audiences. Arnold Press (1999).

Tanaka, Keiko. Advertising Language, A pragmatic approach to advertisements in Britain and Japan. Routledge London and New York (2001).

Williamson, Judith. Decoding advertisements, Ideology and meaning in advertising. Marion Boyars London & New York (1991).
 

APPENDIX

Fig 1.0) French Connection “FCUK Advertising” campaign.  Agency: BDDP.GGT. (1997).

Fig 1.1) Club 18-30 “Package Holiday” campaign. Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi. (1995)

Fig 1.2) Audi UK “Audi TDI” campaign. Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty. (1998)

Fig 1.3) Barnardos “Heroin Baby” campaign. Agency BBH. (1999)

Fig 1.4) Image from French Connection “FCUK Advertising” campaign.  Agency: BDDP.GGT. (1997)

Fig 1.5) Image from Club 18-30 “Package Holiday” campaign. Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi. (1995)

Fig 1.6) Audi UK “Audi TDI” campaign. Agency: Bartle Bogle Hegarty. (1998)