Advertising CSP 2: Audrey Hepburn Galaxy advert

 Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was a huge Hollywood star in the 1950s and 1960s. She was associated with Hollywood glamour and style and was also a fashion icon and model. She died in 1993 at the age of 63.

For the Galaxy advert, the advertising agency used a CGI-version of Hepburn from 1953, the year of her hit film Roman Holiday. The advert is set on the luxurious Italian Riviera which creates intertextuality and nostalgia – two key audience pleasures.


Intertextuality in Media Products

Intertextuality is where one media product (e.g. Galaxy) makes reference to other media products (e.g. Audrey Hepburn movies such as 1953 film Roman Holiday) to interest and engage the audience.

Narrative theory

We also need to learn narrative theories in GCSE Media Studies and the Galaxy advert is an ideal time to learn these. Narrative theories help us understand how media texts are constructed to engage an audience and keep them watching or reading until the end.

Propp’s  Character theory

Vladimir Propp stated that there were seven basic character functions when he analysed 100 fairy tales and that these were present in most narratives. Media products still use these recognisable character types today:

Hero, Villain, Heroine/Princess, Father, Donor, Helper/Sidekick, False Hero

Todorov: equilibrium

Todorov suggested that all narratives follow a three part structure.

They begin with equilibrium, where everything is balanced, progress as something comes along to disrupt that equilibrium, and finally reach a resolution, when a new equilibrium is restored.

Equilibrium > Disequilibrium > New equilibrium

This can be applied to most media narratives.

Galaxy advert: Representations

The TV advertisement for Galaxy uses a range of stereotypes. Stereotypes are used so that information can be quickly communicated to the target audience. What stereotypes are used in this advert and why? Are they reinforced or subverted?

Place: Italy

Celebrity: Audrey Hepburn

Product: Galaxy chocolate

Time: 1950s

Gender: Men & Women

Galaxy 'Chauffeur' advert: blog tasks

Create a blogpost called 'Galaxy advert CSP' and then work through the following tasks to make sure you're an expert on this CSP. 

Re-watch the Galaxy advert above then answer the questions below:

1) What key conventions of TV advertising can you find in the Galaxy advert?

logo & slogan(galaxy chocolate bar), mise-en-scene(1950's Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn), camera shot ( close up of galaxy chocolate), Audio ( 1950's move soundtrack.)

2) What is the key message the Galaxy advert is communicating about its chocolate? The slogan for the advert will help you with this question.

The galaxy chocolate bar is a luxurious product compared to other brands, as the slogan uses a metaphor for silk vs cotton and how galaxy chocolates are the silk compared to the other 'cotton' products.

3) Who is Audrey Hepburn and why did Galaxy select Audrey Hepburn for this advert? 
Audrey Hepburn is a famous 1950's Hollywood actress, Galaxy chose her to invoke a sense of nostalgia in old fans (people who also have enough money to buy the chocolate.)

4) What is intertextuality?

Reference of media in other media, shaping narrative using outside context.

5) What Audrey Hepburn films are suggested in this advert and how is this effect created (e.g. mise-en-scene - CLAMPS: costume, lighting, actors, make-up, props, setting)? Roman Holiday, this is done by using the movie's soundtrack as a means of call-back, using nostalgia to lure in audiences who watched the movie or have positive memories of the 1950s.

6) Which of Propp's character types are can be found in the advert and how do they change? (Note: just choose two or three character types that are definitely used in the advert - it does not use all seven). Hero- Chauffer, Heroine- Audrey Hepburn and Antagonist- fruit cart / owner. However Audrey Hepburn does not let classic female tropes detain her as she is the one taking control as opposed to the man.

7) How does the advert's narrative (story) follow Todorov's theory of equilibrium?

There is equilibrium while Audrey is in the bus and staring at her galaxy chocolate bar, then disequilibrium as her journey is halted by the obstruction(fruit cart) and then new equilibrium established when she's offered a drive and rides with the chauffer.

8) What representation of celebrity can be found in this advert? Think about how Audrey Hepburn is presented.

Audrey Hepburn is presented as cunning as she achieves the continuation of her journey by showing interest in the chauffer only to disregard him and use him as a means of transportation. Portraying an air of superiority. 

9) What representations of gender can you find in this advert?

The man is a hero, the woman is the one who needs help, which follows classic fairy tale narrative and tropes, with the men also dressing masculine and having masculine jobs e.g. driving) whilst Audrey Hepburn is dress femininely and is the damsel in distress.

10) How are stereotypes subverted at the end of the Galaxy advert to reflect modern social and cultural contexts? 

Audrey Hepburn exits the bus voluntarily and takes the bus drivers hat before placing it on the chauffer, she does not act distressed and instead capitalises on the situation without putting too much focus on the man. It is out of her own volition that she drives the plot instead of the supposed "hero".