My MDIA 101 Assignment 1 - Close Analysis

Jack Adams

MIDA Assignment 1 – Close Analysis

The picture that will be the focus of this close analysis is the Vodaphone cell phone that is pictured above, it was taken next to the Porirua motorway on ramp and it was located on the side of advising potential Vodaphone customers that with this cell phone company you will get more ‘bars’ of signal. The fence poles are also an iconic reception of the bars on a cell phone, which get taller as the reception gets better.

The area surrounding this advertisement is an office block of which the ground floor is also a gymnasium. The photo was taken from the rear side of the office block where the recycling bins are located as well as the office car parking block, by having this advertisement placed on the side of this building by the motorway on ramp, (Not depicted due to the trees) Vodaphone is trying to get the maximum amount of coverage to the cell phones users in the area. However, having an advertisement near rubbish or recycling bins may have an adverse effect on who views it, as the area where the bins of an office block are not frequented by most people and could possibly lead people who have seen the advert in this context to conclude that there is possibly a link between Vodaphone and ‘Rubbish’.

If you know the background of cell phone companies in New Zealand you know that Telecoms XT network has had many problems with the third generation (3G as depicted on the advertisement) reception and signal since its release. This advert for Vodaphone is playing on that knowledge to try to get your custom it is also playing on this knowledge is trying to remind you that Vodaphone has not had the problems that have plagued the XT network.

The fence poles that are shown in the images are shown on what we can assume is a field possibly on a farm somewhere in New Zealand, due to the context of the advert, getting more bars (reception) it may be assumed it is farmland. This might be playing on the desires of some farmers to get better reception when they are not in the cities. The fence poles themselves are depicted in a row, but the way they are photographed is iconic of the bars of signal on a cell phone. What this iconic image is playing on is your knowledge of a cell phone and how the more bars you have represents the better signal as you notice with the image it represents five bars, on a cell phone having five bars of signal is known as having full signal this show that with Vodaphone you will receive also full reception, even when you are not in the inner cities and located in places like the farm that is depicted. The clear skies that are also depicted could be interpreted as an ideal view of the world with many New Zealanders loving the sunshine, by depicting this advert with a sunny day Vodaphone is appealing to that ideal.

The text itself says “Boost your 3G bars at home”, “Search Vodaphone boost your bars” and “power to you” with the Vodaphone logo pictured above. What the text is trying to accomplish is selling you the Vodaphone ideal. What it is also telling us is that with Vodaphone you will get more Bar’s (Signal). ‘Power to you’ in this context is giving us the impression that with this company and not with a rival one you will be more in control. By knowing that Telecom has had problems, Vodaphone is hoping that your knowledge of this will help you to buy into their company.

To better understand this advertisement you need to have a basic knowledge of Vodaphone  for instance knowing they are a cell phone company; 3G is an acronym that it stands for Third Generation a ‘cell phone network’ and that ‘bars’ represents, in this context, the amount of signal a cell phone is receiving. Without this knowledge the advert would not appeal to you. What these understandings tried to do is work together to convince you, in the brief moments you see the advertisement is that Vodaphone is the best, or tries to be the best, cell phone company and provider in New Zealand.

The preferred reader, or the person who this advertisement is appealing to would be a farmer, because of the wide open space we can conclude is a farm, anyone who has had problems with reception on a 3G network in the past (The XT customers mentioned before) or anyone who is interested in joining a new 3g network.

The Vodaphone image that is depicted above is one that is trying to sell you into their company, you being a cell phone user, possibly a farmer, due to the context of the image. It is clear from the image that it is also playing on your knowledge of cell phones, depicting the poles in the manner of a cell phone signal bar. Vodaphone is also trying to play on the knowledge most New Zealanders have about the failure of the XT network on many occasions. In summary Vodaphone has used a clever mix of text and images to play on the knowledge of New Zealanders to sell their brand.