1. Lines of Appeal Model Answers
Question 1. Use of humour as a persuasive device.
This advert for Intersport (a sports clothing and
equipment retailer) uses the juxtaposition of two
easily recognisable (but very different) situations put
together to create humour. The runner on a treadmill
which is actually a conveyer belt at a supermarket is
used to reinforce the message of the advert that we
all have a desire to partake in sporting activities and
that with the right equipment, there is nothing
stopping us. This is taken to exaggerated proportions
in the advert, creating an impossible situation which is
obviously ridiculous and incongruous to real life.
The target audience would be the Mainstreamers
from Young & Rubicam‟s 4Cs model. The ideologies
encoded in the advert are that sport can be an everyday activity for anyone. That it should be
as much a part of your daily routine as shopping in the supermarket. There is also a universal
appeal in the advert through the assumption that everyone has a desire to „Free‟ the sport
inside them. The audience may also recognise the Adidas logo on the clothing. Adidas is a
long standing and world renowned brand and therefore valued by the Mainstreamer
audience. The prestige of the Adidas brand may also appeal to the Succeeder audience type,
who look for „the best‟, this may also be reinforced by the ideology encoded that many
people lead busy lives which makes physical fitness difficult to fit in as part of their hectic
schedule, again fulfilling the needs of the Succeeder audience.
Question 2. Use of slogans.
In some ways this slogan is effective simply because
of its fame and notoriety, but it is worth analysing just
why the slogan has enjoyed the longevity it has.
Obviously three short words are easy to remember
however there is more to the slogan‟s effectiveness
than this. The slogan is an imperative, it tells the
audience to do something. This acts as an order, but
also creates a link to the audience establishing a
relationship and therefore allowing them to form Personal Identity with the brand.
The slogan offers a positive ideology that „anything is possible‟, all that is required is action,
fulfilling the need to achieve. To emphasise this, the verb „Do‟, central to the slogan, signifies
activity of some kind. The word „Just‟ connotes that there is simplicity in the command and

2. Lines of Appeal Model Answers
that to achieve what you want in life needn‟t be complicated or „put off‟ for another day. The
word „It‟ is open to interpretation – suggesting that everyone has their own „It‟ in life and this
reinforces the personal identity that the audience will have already formed. When presented
in print form, the slogan is always concluded by a full stop. This small punctuation mark
connotes that there is nothing left to discuss, that no other advice needs to be taken on
board other than that offered by Nike.
Question 3. The use of shock tactics.
This advert for fashion label Dolce &
Gabbana caused much controversy with an
obviously shocking image in an advert that
was banned in many countries. The ad
represents what looks to be an attack on a
young woman, as she is restrained by one
man and another three look on
voyeuristically. For many, the implication is
that she will be raped. This representation of
women as weak, submissive and to be used
for violent sexual abuse was rejected by many and seen as promoting sexual violence against
women. However this would give weight to the Hypodermic Syringe or Inoculation audience
theories which treat the audience as passive robots, unable to make their own decisions.
Modern thinking suggests that audiences are actively involved with consuming the media. So
if audiences already reject the ideology of violence against women this advert is unlikely to
change their mind. In this case we must look closer at why it is so shocking. Firstly the advert
creates fear by challenging certain needs we have – the need for safety is clearly challenged
by the image. Also the need to nurture and protect those who are vulnerable is made
impossible. In addition to this the audience is positioned in a way that forces us to look
without helping. Even more uncomfortable is that the advert positions the audience in a way
that suggests that we are one of the figures partaking as they all look on.
Apart from presenting challenges to our needs, the advert also juxtaposes different needs
with the violent act depicted in the advert. Sexualising the models used, both men and
women wear clothes and have body types which connote sex appeal and are generally
considered an aspiration or even „beautiful‟ within the context of advertising. The elite brand
name also fulfils the need for prominence. Experiencing the fulfilment of these needs sharply
contrasts with a hideous and taboo act – making the audience feel uncomfortable,
challenged and even exploited.
Question 5. Stereotypes in advertising.

3. Lines of Appeal Model Answers
This advert for Post-it notes uses the
Stereotype of men as forgetful and
occasionally thoughtless in regards to
their relationships with women. Whilst it
is not necessarily suggesting that this
man has so many sexual partners that he
has to use the notes to remember them
all, it may be considered a negotiated
reading that the ad also uses the
stereotype of men as being promiscuous.
It also stereotypes men as finding
practical solutions to problems even if they might not always be appropriate!
Question 6. Intertextuality in advertising.
This simple but effective advert uses various
intertextual references and primarily uses Nostalgia as a
technique to engage with the audience and encourage
them to Personally Identify with the text. The main
image is of a cassette tape, now seen as an obsolete
form of musical storage but one which people will
recognise as having its heyday in the 1980s. This
particular era is in popular consciousness at the
moment as the clothing, music and cultural effects of
that time are now considered „retro‟ and have a cache
of cool.
The second intertextual reference is the written code:
“Ipod... I‟m your father” a misquote from a Star Wars movie of the same era. Recognising the
quote will reward the audience for having knowledge of the movie that others may not.
Interestingly, knowledge of the quote is not compulsory for the text to still be understood as
many will still get the joke about cassette tapes being the ancestor of MP3 players. The
advertising slogan: “Do You Remember?” emphasises the sense of nostalgia and also
deepens the Personal Identification through the personal pronoun: “You”.
Question 7. Elite Persons in advertising.
Scarlet Johansson is the celebrity used in this advert for Dolce & Gabbana‟s make-up range.
The choice of this actress is particularly apt as she embodies and represents many of the
qualities and ideologies that D&G wish to promote about their brand.

4. Lines of Appeal Model Answers
As a Hollywood „A list‟ star,
Johansson‟s represents
exclusivity and prestige –
one of the best! She is the
archetypal movie icon and
this is emphasised by her
white underwear and change
of hairstyle which is an
intertextual reference to
Classic Hollywood movie
idol, Marilyn Munroe, further
representing Johansson (and
the D&G brand) as timeless and classic.
Her known beauty and sex appeal, emphasised by the body language and dress codes in the
advertisement, also reinforce the ideologies of the product but also give the product a sense
of mystery and difference as Johansson is notoriously guarded about her private life and
associated with making slightly more unusual films away from the mainstream compared
with her contemporaries in Hollywood.
Question 8. Reward & Punishment in
advertising.
There are numerous ideologies at work in this
advert that offer Reward & Punishment –
mostly punishment! Firstly the central ideology
that children are the most vulnerable when it
comes to smoking, challenging an audiences
need to nurture and emphasised by the
childlike handwriting of the copy. By extension
this will also feed an audience‟s need for Love
& Belonging, suggesting that the family unit is
at risk from those who smoke.
As many people are scared of spiders the text
uses the shock tactics in the main image of a
large dangerous looking spider, lit from
behind to exaggerate the shadow of its long
legs. Some might equate this fear to smoking,
again challenging their need to feel safe and secure.
This advert does not only punish it‟s audience, it offers the audience an opportunity to fulfil
the need to achieve by giving them a phone number to call which may lead to quitting their

5. Lines of Appeal Model Answers
habit and through this an audience may also see the advert as fulfilling the need for
guidance – in a sense, the advert is giving audiences the opportunity to find rewards that will
avoid the punishments that the advert itself is dishing out!
Where people go wrong...
The following are the most frequent mistakes made by students when they answer these
questions.
Not enough detail in analysis
Overly generalised answers
Not using the actual Lines of Appeal handout to complete the answers
Not being thorough when looking for suitable advertisements
Sometimes using ads from the internet which are not actually adverts!
Not thinking about the other audience theories that we have already studied
Ignoring the ideologies that are encoded into the advert – i.e. not realising that
adverts do not just sell us a product – they are often selling us ideas, lifestyles and
concepts
Not using the visual codes and written codes from the actual adverts as evidence