IB English - Textual Analysis - Advertisements - Academic Writing

Summary

In this educational video, Dave and Andrew, the IB English guys, dissect an ice cream advertisement for Hogendos using the acronym 'Pleace Call Aunt Vera to Eat Vietnamese Spring Rolls' to analyze its components. They discuss the ad's visuals, language, and subtext, highlighting the craftsmanship and exclusivity portrayed. A student's analysis is reviewed, examining how the ad's precision and excellence are communicated through its imagery and text, ultimately justifying the product's high cost.

Takeaways

• 🍦 The video discusses an advertisement for Hogendos ice cream, focusing on its academic analysis.
• 📚 The acronym 'PCATVETS' is introduced to deconstruct advertisements: Product, Culture, Audience, Values, Text, Emotions, Visuals, Subtext.
• 🎻 The ice cream ad uses the metaphor of a violin to convey precision and craftsmanship in its product.
• 📈 The ad's detailed chart and analysis show how elements like negative space and symmetry are used to focus on the product's details.
• 🔍 The discussion highlights the use of language in the ad, such as 'precisely crafted' and 'strike the perfect note', to evoke feelings of quality and exclusivity.
• 📝 The student's analysis of the ad breaks down the visual composition into thirds, symbolizing different stages of production and ingredients' quality.
• 💡 The use of the superlative 'finest' in the ad is noted to emphasize the product's superiority and lack of competition.
• 📊 The student's writing piece connects the ad's visual elements and language choices to the values of precision and excellence.
• 💰 The video emphasizes the commercial implications of the ad, with the company justifying the high cost of the ice cream through its quality and craftsmanship.
• 📚 The video aims to help viewers develop confidence in academic writing by analyzing real-world advertisements.

Q & A

What is the acronym 'PCATVES' and how does it help in deconstructing advertisements?

The acronym 'PCATVES' stands for Producer/ Product, Culture/ Context, Audience, Values, Text/ Language/ Copy, Emotions/ Mood, Visuals/ Layout, and Subtext. It serves as a framework to analyze different qualities of advertisements by breaking down their components and considering the underlying messages and implications.

What does the 'P' in PCATVES represent?

The 'P' in PCATVES stands for the Producer or the Product being sold in the advertisement.

How does the advertisement use the concept of 'craftsmanship' to sell ice cream?

The advertisement uses the concept of 'craftsmanship' by comparing the creation of ice cream to the meticulous crafting of a violin. It emphasizes precision, intentionality, and the use of the finest ingredients to create a high-quality product, suggesting that the ice cream is worth its cost due to the care and skill put into its making.

What is the significance of the negative space in the advertisement?

The negative space, or white space, in the advertisement allows viewers to focus on each individual ingredient of the ice cream, highlighting the detail and precision needed to craft it. This clean composition mirrors the precision of both the ice cream and the violin, emphasizing the quality of the product.

How does the use of the word 'finest' in the advertisement impact the perception of the product?

The use of the word 'finest' as a superlative in the advertisement implies that the ice cream is of the highest quality, with no better alternative available. This helps to differentiate the product from competitors and positions it as a premium, exclusive item.

What is the subtext of the advertisement according to the script?

The subtext of the advertisement is the underlying message or implication that the ice cream is an exclusive and high-quality product, similar to a fine violin, and is worth the premium price due to the craftsmanship and quality of ingredients involved in its creation.

What role does the symmetry in the advertisement's layout play in conveying the message?

The symmetry in the advertisement's layout, with two columns side by side, draws attention to the comparison between the violin and the ice cream bar. This visual balance reinforces the message of the advertisement by showing that both items require similar levels of precision and craftsmanship.

How does the student's analysis of the advertisement connect the visual elements to the product's values?

The student's analysis connects the visual elements, such as the use of negative space and symmetry, to the product's values by showing how these elements emphasize the precision, intentionality, and craftsmanship that go into making the ice cream. This connection helps to establish the product as exclusive and of high value.

What is the purpose of the phrase 'strike the perfect note' in the advertisement?

The phrase 'strike the perfect note' serves a dual purpose in the advertisement. It uses a double meaning by referring to both musical notes and the flavors of the ice cream. This clever pun adds humor and helps to associate the ice cream with a product of higher value, reinforcing the brand's claim of excellence.

How does the student's written piece reflect an understanding of the advertisement's strategy?

The student's written piece reflects an understanding of the advertisement's strategy by analyzing how the visual elements and language choices work together to convey the values of precision and excellence. The student discusses the use of superlatives, the juxtaposition of images, and the overall composition to show how the advertisement persuades the viewer of the product's high quality and worth.

What is the significance of the word 'Hefty' in the context of the advertisement's message?

The word 'Hefty' is used to describe the price of the ice cream, emphasizing that it is expensive. This choice of word, along with 'exorbitant cost' used earlier, highlights the commercial aspect of the advertisement and the need for the brand to justify the high price by associating the product with values of precision, excellence, and high quality.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Analyzing Advertisements

Dave and Andrew, the IB English guys, begin by revisiting their previous examination of a Hogendos ice cream advertisement that left them hungry. They transition into discussing an academic piece about the ad, emphasizing the goal to dissect and understand advertising concepts for strong writing. They introduce the acronym 'PLEASE CALL AN VERA TO EAT VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS' to deconstruct ads, where P stands for the product, C for culture and context, A for audience, V for values, T for text, E for emotions, V for visuals, and S for subtext. They then analyze a detailed chart made by a student, focusing on the ad's language and visuals, such as the use of 'precisely crafted' and 'strike the perfect note', which conveys a sense of meticulousness and a double meaning related to music and taste. They also discuss the use of superlatives like 'finest ingredients' and the strategic use of negative space in the ad's layout.

05:02

🎻 Analyzing the Ice Cream and Violin Ad

The hosts delve into the student's analysis of the Hogendos ad, which compares the crafting of a violin to that of an ice cream bar. They discuss how the ad's visual aspect, with its negative space and juxtaposition of a violin and ice cream, reflects the precision and intentionality of both products. The student's writing breaks down the ad into three sections: the top symbolizing simplicity and elegance, the middle illustrating the purity and sophistication of ingredients, and the bottom showcasing the final product. The paragraph concludes by establishing the ad's intent to convey the exclusivity and high cost of the ice cream as justified by its craftsmanship.

10:03

📝 Discussing the Ad's Copy and Values

In this section, the discussion shifts to the ad's copy, which reinforces the values of precision and excellence. The phrase 'precisely crafted' is analyzed for its use of strong language to emphasize the skill required in creating both the violin and the ice cream. The double meaning of 'strike the perfect note' adds humor and associates the ice cream with a higher-value product. The use of the superlative 'finest' is highlighted to distinguish the products as unparalleled. The paragraph concludes by persuading the viewer of the superior quality and best ingredients used, justifying the high price through intentional visual elements and precise language choices.

👋 Conclusion and Encouragement for Academic Writing

The video concludes with Dave and Andrew hoping that the content provided value and helped viewers develop confidence in academic writing. They encourage viewers to stay with the channel for future explorations of different text types and writing pieces. The hosts reflect on the importance of understanding commercial implications in advertising and the lengths companies like Hogendos go to justify their product's price.

Keywords

💡Academic Writing

Academic writing refers to the style of expression used in scholarly work, characterized by precision, objectivity, and a formal tone. In the video, the hosts aim to dissect an advertisement using academic writing techniques, demonstrating how to critically analyze the advertisement's components and articulate findings in a structured manner.

💡Advertisement

An advertisement is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience to take some action, typically to purchase a product or service. The video script discusses an ice cream advertisement, using it as a case study to explore how academic writing can be applied to analyze and critique advertising techniques.

💡Acronym

An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, used as a convenient label. In the script, the acronym 'PCATVES' is introduced as a tool to deconstruct advertisements. Each letter stands for an element of an advertisement: Product, Culture/Context, Audience, Values, Text, Emotions, Visuals, and Subtext.

💡Product

In the context of the video, 'Product' refers to the item being sold, which is ice cream in the advertisement. The hosts discuss how the advertisement positions the product as exclusive and high-quality, using various persuasive techniques to appeal to potential consumers.

💡Visuals

Visuals in an advertisement refer to the images, layout, and design elements used to convey a message. The script mentions the use of negative space and symmetry in the ice cream ad's visuals, which are analyzed to understand how they contribute to the advertisement's overall impact.

💡Subtext

Subtext refers to the underlying or implicit meaning in a communication, which may not be explicitly stated. The hosts discuss the subtext of the advertisement, which suggests that the ice cream is a luxury item due to its association with the craftsmanship of a violin.

💡Precision

Precision in the context of the video refers to the careful and exact execution of a task, which is used to describe both the making of the ice cream and the crafting of the violin. The hosts analyze how the advertisement uses the concept of precision to associate the ice cream with high quality and craftsmanship.

💡Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship implies a high level of skill and artistry in creating a product. The video discusses how the advertisement uses the idea of craftsmanship to elevate the perceived value of the ice cream, drawing parallels between the creation of a violin and the production of ice cream.

💡Double Meaning

Double meaning refers to a phrase or expression that can be interpreted in two different ways. The hosts point out the use of 'strike the perfect note' in the advertisement, which has a double meaning relating to both music and the taste of the ice cream, adding depth to the advertisement's message.

💡Superlative

A superlative is the highest degree of a word in its class, often used for emphasis. The script mentions the use of 'finest' in the advertisement, which serves to emphasize the exceptional quality of the ice cream's ingredients, differentiating the product from competitors.

💡Negative Space

Negative space in design refers to the unused areas around and between the subjects of an image. The hosts discuss how the advertisement uses negative space to focus the viewer's attention on the individual ingredients of the ice cream, highlighting the precision and care taken in its creation.

Highlights

Introduction to the concept of deconstructing advertisements using an acronym: P-C-A-V-T-E-S.

Explanation of the acronym P-C-A-V-T-E-S: P for Product, C for Culture and Context, A for Audience, V for Values, T for Text, E for Emotions, V for Visuals, S for Subtext.

Discussion on the advertisement's use of the word 'precisely' and the concept of craftsmanship.

Analysis of the double meaning in the phrase 'strike the perfect note'.

Use of superlative 'finest' to emphasize the quality of ingredients.

Importance of negative space in focusing on individual ingredients.

Symmetry in the ad's composition and its impact on the viewer.

Comparison of the ice cream bar to a violin, highlighting the precision and simplicity.

Discussion on the use of middle ingredients to show exclusivity and natural state.

Observation of the similarity in shape between the violin and the ice cream bar.

The role of the ice cream box in the lower right corner as a conclusion to the ad campaign.

Transition to academic writing about the advertisement and its elements.

Description of the student's detailed chart and analysis of the ad's features.

First paragraph analysis focusing on the visual aspect of the ad and its precision.

Second paragraph analysis focusing on the ad's copy and its reinforcement of precision and excellence.

Discussion on the use of the phrase 'precisely crafted' and its implications for the ad's message.

Explanation of the double meaning of 'strike the perfect note' and its humor.

Use of the superlative 'finest' to distinguish the product as unparalleled.

Conclusion on how the ad convinces the reader of the ice cream's worth through visual elements and language choices.

Final thoughts on the video's value for academic writing development.

Transcripts

hi I'm Dave and I'm Andrew and we are

the IB English guys folks in our last

video we looked at an advertisement

specifically an ice cream ad for

hogendos uh that made us pretty hungry I

hope it made you hungry as well uh today

we're going to look at a piece of

academic writing about that ad uh we

really want to think about how we can

take those Concepts and produce a good

strong piece of writing uh Mr Giles

before we do that what do you say we

look at the ad and talk about an

important acronym we went over last

class yeah we like an acronym to help us

deconstruct to advertisements it's a

good entry point for us to look at some

of the different qualities of

advertisements so here is our acronym

and we'll talk about what each one of

these letters stand for briefly please

call Aunt Vera to eat Vietnamese spring

rolls that's our acronym all right

please call an Vera to eat Vietnamese

spring rolles his an Vera Mr Jaws what's

the p stand for quickly the P stands for

the producer or the product being sold

yeah the C stands for the culture and

the context in which the ad was produced

the a is the audience who are they

selling the product for the V is the

values which values are being associated

with that product the text is the the T

is for text or language or copy of the

text the E are your emotions or mood the

the emotions that are evoked from the ad

itself v stands for visuals or layout

thinking about it as a multimodal text

and the S stands for the subtext what's

the subtext Mr Giles subtext is the

underlying message or underlying

implication of the advertis I like that

Mr Jaws okay uh what do you say uh we go

ahead and take a close look at this this

is a detailed chart that our student

made let's look at the reference let's

look at the features they're looking at

but more importantly let's look at that

analysis and what they might be getting

at yeah this is a way for us to really

look at visuals and language in in much

more detail so the first reference is

precisely crafted this is in the copy of

the text in the bottom leftand corner I

noticed that we have this adverb of

precisely and also that whole the idea

of something being crafted

this is very uh the connotations of both

of those words is really that they're

very careful and meticulous with their

work I like that I also like the phrase

strike the perfect note for me I think

there's a bit of a double meaning here

you know we have the notes that are

associated with music but when we're

when we're tasting something you may say

oh you know there's a a slight note of a

a Nutty flavor there you know whatever

some pretentious ice cream taster might

say but that there is a a connection

between the notes of taste and the notes

of musicality yeah that's right and

they're helping to expand that whole

visual metaphor that was a part of the

ad in the in the visuals and that's the

double meaning finest ingredients is a

is an often used expression in

advertisements of food finest is that

superlative and that use of superlative

helps to kind of emphasize that they're

really careful with every little

ingredient in their ice cream finest

implies that's the end of the road

there's no most finest or most finest a

lot of ice creams have a lot of

additives and chemicals and so they're

trying to really differentiate

themselves yeah I think the main image

is really interesting to talk about Mr

Giles uh one of the things I really

notice is the use of negative space and

by using that negative space which of

course is that white space in the

background between the images it allows

you to really focus on each individual

ingredient and see the detail and see

the Precision that's needed to craft

this ice createe yeah that's right and

it's so clean I think it's such a clean

composition it's very light and I think

it also the when I'm looking at the

composition or the entire image I'm

thinking about the Symmetry the symmetry

of those two columns side by side with

each other that really stands out yeah

of course we see the extended metaphor

comparing the ice cream to the violin

and I think about that top part of the

ad and I think about the violin's body

right and it's just the actual core is

really simple it's just that wood with

that wood frame just like the core of

the ice cream is that rich chocolate and

that really creamy milk that they using

good point it's like the foundation the

fundamental base of this is rooted in

precision and simplicity but Elegance at

the same time oo that's good that you're

right the the violin is very simple when

you break it down it's only got a few

different materials they quality

materials right that's great we also

know this idea of like the middle

ingredients those middle ingredients

help to kind of show the exclusiveness

of of the different components

especially like the vanilla bean the

peanut butter these things are very like

they're essential and they're pure and

they're natural in their natural state I

think that's important well talking

about their natural state in the end I I

can't help but notice I mean the final

product itself I mean we have to say the

the violin and the ice cream bar they're

actually pretty similar in shape at the

end Mr Giles right the way they're laid

side by side so they're kind of just

finishing off that close connection and

that's supported by the actual box of

ice cream in the lower right corner and

I think that really does a nice job of

kind of concluding it's sort of like

their conclusion to their ad campaign

there yeah let's now move to the piece

of writing that um was was that a

student put together for this particular

um for this particular um advertisement

we see two paragraphs here we're just

going to very briefly talk about some of

the different elements what they that

they talked about yeah what you say we

go ahead and read the first paragraph Al

loud Mr JS I got it through this print

ad haand suggests that like a fine

violin their ice cream is an exclusive

product crafted with intentionality and

the finest ingredients thus resulting in

excellence the visual aspect of the ad

depicts the main image of a carefully

crafted violin juxtaposed with a

carefully crafted ice cream bar the

extensive negative space allows each

element of both the violin and the ice

cream to be viewed cleanly and easily

and this mirrors the Precision that both

hogendas and the violin Craftsmen put

into their work the reader can infer

that both Endeavors require care

precision and intense Focus to create an

exclusive and expensive product

furthermore by splitting the main image

into three smaller sections the viewers

can infer that each production stage

demands Excellence while the top third

of the image symbolizes the simple yet

elegant design the middle third clearly

illustrates the Purity and

sophistication of the ingredients that

go into each part of the ice cream in

particular the vanilla bean stands Out

Among the other ingredients most

consumers of Fine Foods understand the

value of this bean and this ingredient

symbolizes the important luxury

ingredients that Define both products

finally the bottom third of the image

displays the final product in both cases

this allows the reader to see the result

of this intense focus intentionality and

craftsmanship thus establishing the

violin and ice cream bars exclusive

products worth their exorbitant cost I

like the exorbitant cost that's good so

let's talk let's take this paragraph and

then we'll maybe read what do you notice

I I first of all I like how the student

is focusing on the visuals in one

paragraph in detail it's so clear and

obvious of you're doing that and that's

established in the in the in the topic

sentence that's really nice yeah and I

think we see that ju position they

clearly they're using the course

terminology to show that how they're

similar yet different at the same time

and by declaring the visual aspect

they're letting you know we are talking

about visuals only pick up the language

later I like that I I agree with you the

the author is hogendos and hogendos is a

part of the advertisement they're in the

driver seat they're the ones making

these decisions and and choices and I

think that's really nice we see also

it's breaking down different parts of

the image the top third the bottom third

the final third it's very clear it's

very logical way of walking through the

I think as a student we need to do that

we want to talk about structurally in

the composition we need to think about

what are some natural breaking points so

we can talk about this in a system atic

way and this student has CH chosen to

break it into sections and that manifest

there with some symbols and they even

make some do some inferencing there

which I think is well done agreed and I

I like the Nuance of the Villa vanilla

bean like just knowing that the vanilla

bean is expensive and that it stands out

with the other ingredients that just

shows that they're taking some time with

some of the detail yeah we see the

transition word finally which indicates

to me that this is probably example

three of a multi- example paragraph and

it is uh again they're showing the

effect on the reader uh and then coming

back to those those values of focus

intentionality and craftsmanship and

then acknowledging that this that the

company is trying to justify the cost I

think they're remembering that this ad

has commercial implications and money

has to be spent here so we have to

justify that expense that's great why

don't you take the second paragraph J

read it and we'll talk about it okay

moreover the ads copy also reinforces

the values of precision and Excellence

the phrase precisely crafted combines a

strong adverb with an active verb

crafted and both words emphas ize the

skill and expertise needed to create the

violin and the ice cream when we craft

something we take our time to put in

extra effort and this is precisely the

idea that hoganas wants consumers to

associate with their ice cream the

double meaning of the phrase strike the

perit note also adds humor to the ad as

food and wine connoisseurs often refer

to notes when explaining the taste of an

elegant food or beverage this clever and

intentional pun from hogendos

successfully forces the consumer to

associate ice cream with a another

product of much higher value thus

helping reinforce their claim that hog

andos is worth the price lastly the

superlative of finess stands out and

distinguishes both products as

unparalleled and without competition all

of the instruments and ice creams on the

market uh the viewer is persuaded that

these are of superior quality and

consist of only the best ingredients

thus in the end through intentional

visual elements and precise language

choices hog and do convinces the reader

that their ice cream is worth the Hefty

Pro all right I I like the topic

sentence okay they're talking about the

copy so I know that this time as opposed

to visuals are going to look at the

language and then they're going to link

that to the value messages of precision

and Excellence really strong topic

sentence I agree and I think it shows

that this student has studied

advertising and using the phrase copy I

think that again just shows they're

they're they're connected to advertising

as a text type um we we see the the

discussion of the double meaning of

strike the perfect note I really like

that um I think I think that adds um

some depth of depth of thinking I also

like previous to that the way they

actually unpack the word craft yeah I

was going to say that too it says when

we craft something I kind of like that

use of inclusive language there I think

it adds a confidence and it adds some

voice to the writing uh and they they

definitely talk about that uh because

they actually tap into that advertising

technique of Association and their need

to do that right their hagadas is

associating this idea of craftsmanship

to their product and I think that's

that's really and and that that's really

the the the the main idea that's that's

driven throughout this paragraph is the

fact of the the high Precision in

excellence right and so we see that even

the phrase finest is used to help to

illustrate the idea that this is a

precise and excellent price much like

the first paragraph This paragraph ends

with the word Hefty price whereas the

last paragraph ended with exorbitant

cost so look like I wrote this cuz I

just spent this money on my

right so you can really see that the

student is making that connection

between yes this has commercial

implications and hodas is going to Great

Lengths to justify that $15 price tag

for hog andas here in ice cream uh folks

here in Thailand rather okay yeah folks

in the end uh we hope that you've

enjoyed this video we hope that it

provided some value for you and we hope

that you're developing some confidence

with your academic writing stay with the

channel come on back next time and we'll

explore another text type and another

piece of writing thanks guys thanks guys