Doc Marten Advert Evaluation

by Paige Ward

I had to research about different techniques which are used within adverts some of these are

Emotion, Benefit, Dramatic Conflict, Sex and etc… I found 5 different adverts which were examples

of 5 different techniques the techniques I chosen were exaggeration, emotion, sex, dramatic

conflict and demographic positioning. I had to watch the adverts and research about the

Narrative, so what the story of the ad was, the characters, settings and conflicts. I also had to look

at the different camera shots which they use in the advert, think about who the target audience

would be and why. Once I finished researching about the different techniques I started researching

about advertising structures, I researched about the forms in which the advert takes for example

realist narrative, Anti- realist narrative, Animation, Documentary, Talking heads and etc… I also

researched the styles of adverts for example humorous, Surreal, Dramatic and etc…Once I finished

my research on different adverts and their techniques I started researching about the audiences

and researched about Quantitative and Qualitative research. I also researched about audience

classification this included Audience profiling for example higher management, Middle

Management and etc… I also had to research about psychographics and the groups for example

mainstreamers, aspirers, succeeders, resigned, explorers, reformer and struggler. This was all the

research which I did.

Once I finished all the research I had to start thinking about what product I wanted to advertise, I

started with the ideas of shoes and told Harry what I wanted to advertise. We spoke about what

sort of shoes I could advertise and what sort of things I could include within my advert and what

sort of things I need to think about for example the audience would want to see the shoes so make

it obvious what the adverts actually about and try to show the benefits. I then decided I was going

to advertise Doc Martens because I own a variety of pairs and it would be fairly easier since I had

the product which I was going to advertise. I had to do some research on Doc Marten boots and

look at previous adverts and their wasn’t many I found around 3 different previous adverts. I

looked at how they were edited and how they shown the Doc Martens with certain camera angles

and listened to what sorts of sounds that get play in the background. I used two completely

different Doc Marten adverts which were made in around the 80’s and shown how they were

different and what ideas I got from each of them.

When I finished looking at previous adverts I made a mind map of ideas on mind genius, I included

how I would brand the shoes in my advert, previous adverts which I looked at, how I was going to

mention places where the audience can buy Doc Marten boots from, target audience, who would

be in the advert, destination and why, how I was going to include different colours and patterns to

show how they’ve changed over the years and etc… Once I finished my mind map I pitched it to

Harry and he videoed it, I spoke about what I was promoting in my advert and a brief explanation

on how I’m going to advertise them. I then had to write my advert synopsis and I had to relate it to

my pitch and keep it around the same, after this I had a brief idea of what I was actually doing so I

put my storyboard into Adobe Illustrator and typed in what was going to happen because this

would be easier to understand and it would fit better. Once I wrote down exactly what was

happening in my storyboard I printed them out and drawn what was happening to make it easier

to understand.

When I finished my storyboard I had an idea of what I was filming, who, my destination and etc…

So I booked the equipment which I needed and started to fill in the tables which Harry gave us for

example the production plan, which included the production equipment required, crewing

requirements, Actors, Transport, Props/scenery and Post-Production requirements. I also had to

produce my shooting schedule this helped me during filming with knowing what I had to film. I

used this as a check list when filming so I knew where I was while I was filming. Then I had to fill in

my risk assessment on everywhere I’m filming, this also included certain contacts in case of

emergencies. Once I finished all my pre-production and production I printed the documents off

which I needed during filming for example my storyboard so I knew what I had to film and go off. I

booked a camera for over the weekend.

I went into town and spent majority of the day filming I wasn’t 100% sure on what exactly I was

going to do and didn’t use my storyboard to film. I used two different Doc Martens and three

different models in town which I was filming. When I finished filming in town I filmed four different

Doc Martens in Eccles on a field I kept the background for each exactly the same because I wanted

to switch a second from each at the start and end of my advert to show the product. I like certain

parts of my advert for example when Stacey and Beth are skipping down the street, I like how it

starts of a close-up of the doc martens then zooms out to them skipping. I also like the start when

the doc martens switch for a second from each it works well with how fast they switch. Even

though I like majority parts of my advert I had some parts where I filmed indoors and when I

added them into my advert after the footage which was shot in Manchester I didn’t think it looked

right or went well going straight from outdoors to indoors. I tried the footage at different parts of

my advert but I still didn’t like it so I just deleted it and didn’t use the footage which was shot

indoors. Overall I like my edit especially the footage where they’re skipping and I think it goes well

with the song which I have chosen to use.

In the past when I have filmed I’ve always had someone to do it with and filming the advert was

the first time which I’ve filmed on my own and planned everything out by myself. Even though I

found this easier because there were no disagreements on which ideas were getting used and etc…

I think it would have been easier doing it with someone else to get some extra ideas, I found

filming the footage to the advert easy because I had an idea on what I wanted to do and I had a

variety of different Doc Martens which helped. When it came to putting all the footage together I

didn’t find it as easier as actually filming the footage because I didn’t know how to start it and I

didn’t like how certain parts looked with how I planned to do it on my storyboard so I changed my

ideas and I kept my advert simple. It’s mainly people walking around and the camera focuses on

the shoes more than anything else, I think it works well because it was a wet day it shows how the

Doc Martens are water proof and who I used as models don’t seem to care about the weather

during filming.

If I were to do my advert again I think I would plan it a little better and be more organised when it

came to the planning. I’d also shoot more footage than I did because by the end I was running out

of footage and had to make part of my advert a little longer and add the logo for a little longer

towards the end to make up the 30 seconds. I also think I could have shown different day-to-day

life happening for example instead of just walking down the road but also shown them with

different people for example friends, family or work colleagues. Even though I wanted to shoot

when it was rainy I think I should have thought about the wind because in some of the footage it

was obvious how windy it was with the camera and it isn’t the best quality.

Overall I think my advert promotes Doc Martens well because it shows a variety of advantages of

having them for example they’re water proof, comfy and come in a variety of different colours and

patterns. I also think I’ve shown they can go with a variety of different clothes for example

dresses, shorts, all in ones and etc…