📗MEDIA advertising&marketing SUPER. HUMAN. Flashcards
(28 cards)
Context
- Created to promote the 2020 Paralympic Games
- Shot and directed by Bradford Young, an acclaimed cinematographer noted for his impactful storytelling, the first African American cinematographer to be nominated
- Their main message is ‘our purpose is to create change through entertainment’
- Produced by Channel 4’s in-house creative agency (4creative) in collaboration with Serial
Pictures and Somesuch - Part of Channel 4’s third Paralympic campaign integrated into a larger multimedia strategy, including posters and social media outreach
- Seeks to shift the narrative from portraying Paralympians as superhuman to emphasising their humanity, highlighting both their athletic achievements and everyday lives
Codes and conventions
- Uses a range of codes and conventions specific to charity and awareness advertising
- Aims to make a memorable, hard-hitting impact, essential for generating engagement and emotional response
Tone and sound
- Adopt a positive, upbeat tone to combat compassing fatigue (so you want to be a boxer from Bugsy Malone), symbolising resilience and perseverance
Technical codes and camera work
- Incorporations of technical codes like close-up shots capture athletes’ facial expressions, highlighting determination, struggle and human strength
- Visual codes juxtapose athletic training with everyday life, e.g. Ellie Simmonds putting on goggles in the pool vs training in the gym, signifying the duality of being both an elite athlete and an ordinary person
Editing and visual techniques
- Editing techniques emphasise the arduous nature of training, eg slow motion during a cycling crash, accompanied by muted sound to intensify the dramatic impact and immerse the audience
- Stylised dreamlike sequence, interspersed with new footage, creates a contrast between aspirations and reality, emphasising the emotional journey
Gestures and body language
- Uses gestures and body language to convey emotions, including frustration, competitiveness and triumph, reinforcing the humanity of the athletes
Narrative structure
- Narrative structure follows the athlete’s dual roles, balancing intense training with personal lives, e.g., athletes sing happy birthday while cycling, reflecting g the personal sacrifices involved
Humour
- Humour is cleverly integrated to counterbalance the intense training scenes, eg a hamster on a wheel, symbolising repetitive effort, and the puke bucket highlighting the physical toll of the training
Challenging traditional media representations
- Activity challenges traditional portrayals of disabled athletes, rejecting the binary of victim versus heroism
- Contrast nuance portrayals, showing athletes as multi-dimensional individuals facing both everyday struggles and sporting triumphs
Breaking down misconceptions
- Uses real-life scenarios to challenge stereotypes, presenting disabled athletes not as
inspirational cliches but as dedicated, skilled sportspeople - Combining scenes of athletic success with moments of vulnerability (challenges with the
café), portraying athletes as relative and human
Highlighting mental toughness
- Emphasising mental determination rather than just physical prowess, challenging social assumptions that disability equates to weakness
Channel4’s Mission
-Campaign aligns with Channel 4’s remit and goal of amplifying underrepresented voices, fostering a progressive view of disability in media
Primary audience
- Channel 4’s demographic audience (16-40s)
- Sports enthusiasts, fans of the Paralympics
- Viewers seeking inclusive, progressive representations of underrepresented groups
Secondary audience
- Wider British public – Channel 4’s remit is to reach a culturally diverse society
- Families, schools and general viewers are encouraged to watch the Paralympic Games
Audience positioning
- Feel admiration for the Athletes’ grit and realism, not just their achievements
- Rethink stereotypes about disability
- Recognise the barriers people with a disability face even outside sports (eg access to public space, a coffee shop not accessible to the individual in a wheelchair)
Personalisation
- Individual stories and intimate shots invite identification (uses and gratification, personal identity, and empathy)
- Scenes like a father singing to his daughter through the phone whilst training, a woman giving birth, highlighting that these are people first and athletes second
Soundtrack –
- “So you wanna be a boxer” (Bugsy Malone) is catchy, upbeat and ironic – grabs attention – adds relatability to older audiences
- Used to help change people’s perception of people with disabilities, as they are more likely to listen and focus on the meaning behind it, due to the familiarity of the song
- The song is juxtaposed with diegetic sound (raw audio) – grunts, alarms, baby cries – creates emotional contract and sensory engagement
Visual appeal
- Fast editing keeps pace, energetic, and holds short attention spans
- Humour (hamster wheel, puke bucket) engages younger viewers and contrasts the intensity with other scenes
- Gritty realism’s use of blistering oppression and medical frames may shock, but it draws attention to often unseen aspects of disabled athletes’ lives
Audience impact and reach
- 20 million+ viewers watch Channel 4’s Paralympic coverage (33% of the UK population)
- 81% campaign reach across the UK
- 22% of viewers aged 16-40 show success in reaching its youth demographic
Beginning shot, Ellie Simons
(Camera techniques, Sound techniques, Symbolize and emotional appeal)
Camera techniques
- Long shot transiting smoothly into a tracking zoom shot, establishing a sense of isolation and vulnerability, not only highlights her physical space but also symbolically affects her sacrifice as an athlete
- Gradual zoom in serves to instil emotional proximity, creating a more personal connection with the audience and empathising the mental and physical exhaustion she experiences
Sound techniques
- Diegetic sound is used, news stories, chiming juxtapose her focused state against the chaos of external interruptions – use of sound mirrors the athlete’s need to maintain
concentration despite distractions, symbolising the mental endurance required in elite
sports
Symbolize and emotional appeal
- The combination of visual and audience codes underlines the reality of balancing public
perception with personal ambition, reinventing the human aspect of athletic success rather
than just portraying her as a reliant figure
Super. Human. – ending frame
(Breaking the Fourth wall, Symbolism and visual metaphor, Message and representation)
Breaking the fourth wall
- Adver ends with a ball hitting the screen, deliberate techniques to break the fourth wall, directly confront the audience and make the message more impactful
- This approach disrupts the spectator’s passive viewer, symbolically inviting them to reconsider preconceived notions about disabled athletes
Symbolism and visual metaphor
- Shattering glass metaphorically represents the breaking of stereotypes and traditional ideas surrounding disability
- The fracturing signifies strength and power, suggesting that the athlete’s reliance and determination are strong enough to shatter social barriers
- Final frames emphasise the work “Human.” – use of the period.” is intentional, symbolising a definitive statement that disabled athletes are not to be seen as “Super” or different u but as human beings
Message and representation
- Their closing shot reflects the campaign’s underlying message that disabled individuals do not lack the desire to be seen as superheroes or extraordinary; rather, they simply wish to be recognised as ordinary people who happen to be athletes
- The shattered screen visual aligns with the idea of breaking through misconceptions, reinvigorating the theme of empowerment, while maintaining the athletic humanity
Boris Johnson
(Media language, Representation)
Media language
- Uses dubbing to make Boris Johnson’s (former prime minister) “well, you might as well quit”, creating a satirical effect that criticises the neglect of disabled individuals
- The medium shot with eye level framing positions him centrally, making the stamen feel different and emotional, minimising a news broadcast
Representation
- Challenging conservative government attitudes, portraying them as out of touch with disabled people’s needs
- Uses humour to add critical yet light-hearted tone, making the public criticism more engaging
Representations of disability
(marginalization, avoiding stereotypes, promoting realism, portrayals)
marginalization
- Addresses the underrepresentation of disabled people in media, aligning with Channel 4’s ethos of amplifying marginalised voices
Avoiding stereotypes
- Actively reject stereotypes of Paralympians as either victims or superhumans
- Celebrates them as elite athletes rather than focusing on overcoming disparity
Promoting realism
- Depicts athletes as high-performance competitors not defined by their disability but by skill and determination
Diverse portrayals
- Used fast-paced editing to show a variety of athletes and disabilities, highlighting the diversity within the community
Stuart Hall - reception
Preferred reading
- Audiences admire the themes and accept Channel 4’s progressive ideology
- The slogan ‘to be a Paralympian, there’s got to be something wrong with you ‘ is read as a challenge to outdated views
Negotiated reading
- Some may appreciate the representation but feel disconnected from the sports content or Channel 4’s style
Oppositional reading
- Viewers who prefer traditional, less provocative media may reject the unfiltered, raw style
- May disagree with the confrontational message about disability or feel uncomfortable with the shock tactics used
