Comparing and Analyzing Two Adverts for Similar Products: Carlsberg and Guinness

Select two television adverts that promote a similar product. Compare the two in terms of how they attempt to sell their respective products and examine each in terms of how successful you think they are likely to be in selling their product. After analysing both the Carlsberg and the Guinness adverts my first observation was that, although they advertise similar products, they are extremely different in content. This is very significant because it shows that these two companies have vastly different ideas and maybe different target audiences when it come to marketing their product.

The Carlsberg advert is a very modern; male orientated sketch, which combines realism with fantasy. It starts with trendy, up to date/club scene music then the first shot opens on three 'normal' looking 'blokes' walking through sliding doors. The entire advert is based upon following these three blokes on their holiday. They board the plane and the airhostess greets them with a pint of Carlsberg each, they get to their seats-which are the only three on the entire jet- and are situated in a room with beautiful women and a huge TV screen, which is playing football.

In the next shot they are given a fresh pint of Carlsberg each, but they can't reach it comfortably so we then see the pilot move the whole plane upwards just so the pints can slip into their hands. Next we see the three blokes being dropped off at a luxury hotel in a luxury limousine and the porter is waiting to bring their bags up to their rooms. In the next shot they look at their fabulous hotel suite while the porter struggles with the bags and then there is a view of the 'paradise' island.

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Then the three blokes, each with another pint of Carlsberg, go out onto the balcony where, to their immediate horror, they see another hotel being built next door, a typical holiday disaster. But, this not being a typical holiday, the builders turn out to be 'page three' girls, absolutely gorgeous and not wearing any underwear. There is a shot of a 'builder's bum' and then the owner is revealed, to their delight, to be a gorgeous girl. Then, to end, we see a beach scene with three sun beds, a builders hat and a beach ball rolling across the still sequence and the words ' Carlsberg, probably the best lager in the world' across the bottom.

Whilst at the same time we hear 'If Carlsberg made holidays they would probably be the best in the world. ' This advert cleverly blends the normal, realistic male fantasy with the realms of fiction and almost makes fun of the stereotypical male in order to sell their product. The Guinness advert, however, is a very arty, stylistic piece, which is shot in black and white to give it a classic look and uses narrative speech to add a sense of story. The advert starts with a close up shot on a middle-aged man's face looking upwards.

At the same time we hear a deep voice speak the opening words (it seems) to the story, which is continued as needed throughout, then the words fade out and a distinctive drum beat follows, continuing for the bulk of the advert. The next few shots are of the main man (as seen before) and some younger-looking friends preparing to surf, running into the water and some under water shots which make you feel as if you are diving in with them. The next shot is another under water shot that shows horses hooves, then it is followed by a front view of the waves and the surfers.

This is followed by a birds eye view shot of the four surfers and the huge wave, this shows the audience just how big the wave actually is. In the next shot we see the surfers preparing for the enormous wave and the white horses also preparing to ride the wave. The next shot is of the main man swimming from above, but when the camera is brought under water the shot is of horse hooves swimming instead. Next we see the surfers trying to catch the wave and succeeding from a side view which really gives a good perspective of the waves' immense height.

The power of the wave and nature is really felt in the next shot as the white horses are galloping on the waves and all the surfers are thrown off their boards except the main surfer who rides it perfectly. Following this is a series of short shots of the surfer, the wave and the horses and, because of the speed, it creates a dramatic and powerful effect and at this point the drum beat is more pronounced. Then silence. The calm is resumed and the main surfer is victorious. He has conquered the ultimate challenge that nature had to throw at him.

We see some short shots of him riding the wave when it has broken and his friends running to hug and congratulate him. After rejoining his friends they all run back to the water as if to try again. The advert is concluded with a picture of a pint of Guinness and the words 'Good things come to those who wait... ' complete with the music in the background. This advert almost glamorises being middle aged- trying to promote the idea that it is experience and not youth that helps you achieve your goals.

Age is also incorporated in the slogan as 'Good things come to those who wait' is about ageing and it suggests that good things come when you are older (after you have waited). Both these adverts are targeted at a specific audience. For example, the Carlsberg advert is very modern, with a hip soundtrack and it features three young 'Lads'- This is because the advert is aimed at a younger audience. Whereas, the Guinness advert, with its classic style, middle aged main character and its artistic approach to film, will automatically appeal to a more mature audience.

This is a clever way to grab the attention of a specific audience because in order to make a lasting impression it is important to identify with your chosen target and give them what they want. In order to sell their product, Guinness has chosen to adopt an old fashioned style of film and create an intriguing, artistic piece -which also incorporates a sense of story. We are able to recognise the audience the advert is aimed at through a combination of all these things.

The main characters featured in an advert are, in fact, extremely significant when it comes to selling the product because in order to interest viewers they have to identify with the main characters to a certain degree. The character in the Guinness advert is certainly an older man most probably in his thirties, this can give us quite a strong hint that the producers are aiming their advertising at a more mature audience and it would probably appeal to a male audience, who are forty plus, and defiantly feel that they are not past it.

Whereas the characters in the Carlsberg advert are young, not particularly attractive and appear to be very 'normal'. This is an interesting sales technique because, as the avert is aimed at younger, laddish males, the producers are trying to say that you don't have to be anything special to get beautiful, page three, women. Both these audiences are quite general but they are also aimed at particular circles with their genders and age groups, such as; I believe that both adverts are aimed at males, of different age groups, but what these different groups have in common is their social outings.

I think the advertising is aimed at people going to the pub and buying beer or maybe people who buy crates of it for party's -but with the same kind of sociable attitude. This is because of the groups of men found in both the adverts; these made me associate beer with friendship and groups in a sociable way. This also led me on to a thought about the beliefs and values of these particular groups, which I think very much, tie in to the age of the audience.

For example, the vintage style of the Guinness advert is, I believe, aimed at the more vintage character with old fashioned ideas and values and also the idea of achieving personal goals is communicated which might suggest it is aimed at people who are ambitious, but the more modern Carlsberg advert with the younger characters, I think, would be aimed at a student- types audience with newer ideals and more modern values. All these factors within the advert help to build a wider picture of the target audience and the specific aims of the producer are revealed.

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