Whose message is this? Who created or paid for it? Why?
The message owner is Ikea,famous Swedish decoration,furniture producer.They wanted to promote their new collection of beds,Sultan Mattress.
- Who is the “target audience”? What is their age, ethnicity, class, profession, interests, etc.? What words, images or sounds suggest this?
Target audience is especially for women.Because women tend to think more about decoration in their house rather than men.Beside they are targeting women who suffer from sleep deprivation.
- What is the “text” of the message? (What we actually see and/or hear: written or spoken words, photos, drawings, logos, design, music, sounds, etc.)
Text of message on top is ‘’sleep well,become beautiful’’.Then text message continues at lower right ‘’new sultan mattress collection from 195 to 4.295’’.There is also women on left who is without make-up,bad hair,looks dirty with ragged clothes,and right same women with make-up looks fresh with proper clean clothes and hair.
There is also Ikea logo under the price tag.
- What is the “subtext” of the message? (What do you think is the hidden or unstated meaning?)
Possible subtexts are;
–The bed is comfortable only for women.What about men?
-The women on the left looks like drug,alcohol addict rather then women who suffer sleep deprivation.It’s example of extreme usage.No women who suffer from sleep deprivation tend to look that way even they have to get up early and go to work,school etc.
-If you sleep on sultan matress how negative mood you are,you will get up in positive mood.
-It’s for single womens who lives alone,not housewifes?
-Is that bed only fix sleep deprivation and physical beauty,what about inner positive feelings?
- What kind of lifestyle is presented?
The lifestyle presented may be varies customer to customer.It can be for housewifes or women who get early and goes to work.But i think its especially for single womens.
- What values are expressed?
Beauty value is expressed in that printed media.It’s done by showing same women ugly and beautiful way.
- What “tools of persuasion” are used?
Association,Fear and Simple Solution tools are used.
Association is used because it links product which is bed with beauty.
Fear is used because it shows ugly side of beautiful women,and catches the consumer by ‘’result of this ugliness is lack of sleeping well’’ and giving a solution by purchasing new series of Ikea bed.
Simple solution is used because it’s suggesting just only new series of bed for being more beautiful.
- What positive messages are presented? What negative messages are presented?
Promoting their new series of beds price are positive.There is no strict single price,as they say price differs 195 to 4295.So in consumers mind it will recognize as cheap.
As negative side being beautiful only tied to sleeping well only on Ikea beds.
- What groups of people does this message empower? What groups does it disempower? How does this serve the media maker’s interests?
This advertising mostly empowers women not men.Women tend to think more about themselves rather then men beside they think about their home furniture rather than men.Men consumer disempowers the message.
- What part of the story is not being told? How and where could you get more information about the untold stories?
Whats the key technology in those new series of Ikea bed.It’s untold.We dont get details about it.If the details of bed listed on their website,we can get information from there.
Media Cauldron 