ESSAY TOPIC:
Total word count: 2,000 words (+/- 10%) excluding references and appendices.Refe
Assignment Topic
This assignment focuses on semiotics, and has two parts, both which should be answered
approximately equally.
(i) You are to design a 30 to 60 second television / online advertisement which meets the Nike
advertising brief (see next page) for a country of your choice.
Your advertisement design should include semiotic principals and:
– clearly describe / illustrate what is happening, to whom, where and when in the
advertisement, and
– clearly explain how your advertisement will appeal to Nike’s target audience.
(ii) analyse your proposed advertisement identifying and describing how semiotics are being
used in your proposed advertisement.
NIKE BRIEF: (campaign called NIKE DO)
THE PROBLEM: After contreversial investigations looking into the welfare of factory employees large amounts of tHe public are questioning NIKE’s ethics and the policies in place to look after the workers at the bottom. This problem has resulted in customers choosing to go to competitors in the market and the NIKE name has become tarnished.
THE BIG PICTURE: As NIKE has developed as a brand over the years there have been a number of policies and CODE’s in place to look after emloyees in all areas. One of NIKE’s responsibilities as a global company is to play a role in bringing positive, systematic change for workers within the supply chain. NIKE has put in place a team specialising and focussing on the behaviour of conacted factories in countries such as China and Vietnam. They visit the factories and check if the contracted factory owners are complying to NIKE’s Code of Conduct. The problem in the past has come from the negligiance of the contractors and NOT from NIKE itself.
THE TARGET AUDIENCE:
The campaign will target a wide range of audiences, preferably from the ages of 16-50. The film or animation will be easy on the eye and will present the information as clearly as possible. The aim is to change the belief of people with the opinion that NIKE do not treat factory employees correctly, and to reassure loyal customers that NIKE is a respectble brand and abides to all international policies and laws.
THE OBJECTIVE
The aim of the campaign is to present the counter argument that NIKE do look after the employees contracted to factories which produce NIKE merchandise. This will be done through the “NIKE DO” campaign. The campaign will be a film or animation which can be used for television advertising and for the brands official website. The film or animation will briefly and clearly explain the policies and Code of Conduct in place to make sure that employees in all areas of manufacting are looked after to their best interest. It will also give a short introduction to the brand, where the majority of factories are located and the benefits in place for the employees who produce NIKE merchandise
THE FACTS: The majority of the factories are in: 25% CHINA, 10% VIETNAM, 9% USA
ALSO, this is my suggested essay structure:
Suggested essay structure 2000 words
1. Introduction, brief discussion of semiotic analysis approach – 200
– What is the essay about- say what is the problem and objective of nike
– Explain structure of the essay
– What is semiotics- academic literature, definitions, how its used in practice (mention some expamples)
– Importance of adressing semiotics (analysis/discussion)- find sources
– Mention some facts and statistics
– Some discussion- not only positive, but (1 statistics about difficulties or challenges of semiotics)
2. Description / illustration of your proposed advertisement. (Feel free to include sketches of
advertisement ideas to support your answer. You will not lose marks if you not are not the
best artist in the world) – 500
– Explain the eadvert step by step:
1) Where the ad is situated, why
2) In what timeframe
3) Where is the ad used- television ad and brand official website
4) Target audidence, where it will be streamed
5) Scene by scene staring with introduction of nike:…. In each scene some symbol of semiotics, add voice description
3. Analysis of your proposed advertisement using semiotics- 700
– One by one scene analyse semiotics
– Find sources or statistics for each semiotics
– link to the target audience
– challenges how it can be misenterpeted?
– How this semiotics helps to represent the aim of the campaign
– Include some theory of semiotics academics
4. Reflection on how your proposed advertisement meets Nike’s advertising brief.- 200
– How the smiotcs and the scenes met the brief
– Target audience (nike fans who are concerned- 16-50- why that appeals to that group- i tis universal- wide age range)
5. Conclusion – 200
– Conclude how i adressed the question of the essay
– How was the advert relevant and helped improve image of nike
WE HAVE TO USE RESOURCES THAT WE COVERED IN THE LECTURES SO THERE THEY ARE:
Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of International Marketing, journal of Business Research, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research
– Drawing largely on the work of the linguists
Saussure, Barthes, and Peirce
i WILL ALSO SEND THE LECTURE FOR SEMIOTICS SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT TO INCLUDE: SIGNIFIED, SIGNIFIER, CONOTATION, DENOTATION, SIGN, CODES
Use reference style: Harward at newcastle
