Media Studies A Level - Tide Cheat Sheet

Tide (1950) Advert Overview

• Procter & Gamble (P&G): Launched Tide in 1946, became the brand leader in America.
• D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles (DMB&B): Advertising agency responsible for Tide's campaigns.

Production Context

• Product Context:

  • P&G is a leading producer; Tide was designed for heavy-duty machine cleaning.
  • Tide maintains its position as the highest-selling detergent with a 14.3% global market share.

• Contemporary Information:

  • Tide still holds a significant share of the global laundry detergent market.

• Advertising Strategy:

  • DMB&B used print and radio ads to build familiarity quickly.
  • Advertisements featured the "housewife character" and emphasized consumer love for Tide.

• Broader Context:

  • Post-WW2 consumer boom led to rapid development of home technologies (e.g., washing machines).

Media Language

• Common Codes and Conventions of Print Texts:

  • Includes visual codes, slogans, persuasive language, and narrative techniques.
  • Uses both soft-sell (lifestyle) and hard-sell (direct) approaches.

• Industry Context:

  • 1950s print ads used more text compared to modern standards; more information was needed.

• Media Language Influence:

  • Uses Z-line composition and bright colors to create positive associations.
  • Different fonts convey informal and formal modes of information.

• Applying Theory:

  • Roland Barthes - Semiotics:
    • Signs communicate meanings through denotation and connotation.
    • Hyperbole and superlatives used to establish Tide's superiority.

Representation

• Industry Context:

  • Women were primary targets for home technologies post-WW2.

• Gender Representation:

  • Stereotypical 1950s female dress codes and hairstyles are used.
  • Women's representations linked to domesticity and modern convenience.

• Applying Theory:

  • Stuart Hall - Representation:
    • Representation creates meaning through language and signs.
    • Domesticity in ads forms a shared conceptual road map.
  • David Gauntlett - Identity:
    • Media provides resources to construct identities; role models of domesticity.

Audiences

• Target Audience:

  • Despite societal role changes, domestic products targeted lower-middle-class women in the 1950s.
  • Supermarkets and brand focus increased.
  • Women in ads serve as 'ideal' figures to identify with.

• Applying Theory:

  • Stuart Hall - Reception:
    • Encoding and decoding of messages; preferred reading aligns with Tide's domestic solutions.
  • George Gerbner - Cultivation:
    • Repeated representation shapes audience perception over time, reinforcing dominant ideologies.