YOUTUBER (SAMUEL)

Hi, everyone! I'm Samuel. Today I will show you a review about one of my favorite movies ever: Deadpool. Hope you enjoy it!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dcCl3Rt_oUNVWhTM9tuNHjR7Dcgng2_6/view?usp=sharing

TED TALK: GAMING DISORDER (SAMUEL)

 

Hi, everyone! Today we want to talk about gaming disorders and how they can be treated.

First of all, let's talk about the meaning of "gaming disorder". Gaming disorder is considered as an addiction to videogames, which is an impaired control over gaming. A person with gaming disorder prioritizes playing videogames over other activities made in a daily basis or interests, and despite the negative consequences the affected person still prioritizes gaming over other factors. The person can't control how many time it had been playing videogames and even if the person considers that the caused impact is harmful for him or her, it can get even worse; so we can say it can also affect to his or her self-awareness.

The aforementioned gaming disorder contributes to a sudden and enormous change of behaviour to the affected person. As we said before, that change of behaviour makes the person forget about other activities apart from playing videogames, and it also can contribute to the loss of social or even familiar relationships. In the worst of the cases, gaming disorders can contribute to depression.

Gaming disorders occur because videogames offer some rewards after "beating a level", and the providen motivation of beating levels for obtaining more rewards can contribute to an excess of playing. This is extremely dangerous, especially in those games with a huge or even infinite number of levels. Gaming behaviour, which can be considered as the behaviour a person has over videogames, raises upon the completion of levels; to the point it affects to the main behaviour of the person (and to the born of a gaming disorder).

The consequences of gaming disorders are, among others:

Psychological: Alteration of daily schedule, loss of relationships (being social and familiar the most dangerous), drop of school grades, depression, anxiety, insomnia.

Physical: Headaches, wrist pain.

The treatment for gaming disorder depends on the victim. However, upon studies it is said that the best method for treating gaming disorder is to try to make the victim acquire again his or her lost self-awareness. If the victim recognises that he or she has gaming disorder, he or she will regain self-awareness and try to beat it via doing other daily activities. Another effective treatment for gaming disorder is the use of regular therapies.

What do you think about the concept of gaming disorder? And how it can affect us?

Link to TED talk: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WSdRp4ahGeKdEJi17xWBWs6T-VenW9hb/view?usp=sharing

Analysing a TV Commercial

 ANALYSING A TV COMMERCIAL

Hi readers. In this entry we are going to analyze a tv commercial. We will give you the link to see the ad and then our work. Enjoy your days.

Link advertisement: https://youtu.be/PLUwmnPJIGk 

The Advertisement

The ad that we have selected is divided into three main parts. The first scene and the last scene are contextualized in the present. The second part has a lot of different scenes which have different flashbacks referring to Alexa’s function in the past, specifically one thousand years ago.

In the first scene of the ad we see a famous presenter, Ellen Lee DeGeneres, who is waiting for her wife, Portia de Rossi, to be ready to go. When she's prepared, the presenter orders Alexa to turn off the light. Next, she asks a question to her wife. She considers how they should have lived before without the existence of this small electronic device. After this introduction, the ad gives rise to several scenes from ancient times.

The second scene is divided into several settings, all of them set at the same time. In each of them there are two main protagonists, one gives orders and the other complies with what is requested. All the people who perform the requested action have a name similar to Alexa (Alex, Alexander, ale…). Children, women and men appear.

At the end of the ad, in the last scene, they return to the present. The two women from the beginning appear in the car. They act as if they imagined all the scenes and didn't believe it. When they come back from their thoughts, the presenter asks Alexa to play her favorite song. The ad ends with a song and both dancing to the rhythm of the music.

Type of product advertised

Is there a product? 

Alexa, Amazon's virtual personal assistant, has been around for about two years, and it keeps getting smarter. It lives inside the company's Echo smart speaker, among other devices, and offers users the ability to dictate commands to the assistant to control products throughout their home, listen to music, and more. As time has gone on, Amazon has added "Skills" to Alexa and made the virtual assistant far more powerful. And although Amazon says more people are using Alexa each year, many are still unfamiliar with the service. 

Perhaps most important, the companion app is the place to add more Skills to expand Alexa's appeal. The app lists the many, many Skills available to Alexa and lets you add them to the service. Once you do that, Alexa will have the available Skills regardless of where you're using the service.

The companion app isn't required for you to use Alexa. But it rounds out the experience, so you really should consider it.

Alexa’s Skills extend the virtual assistant's appeal. The Skills are offered from both Amazon and third-party developers, and act as virtual apps to expand Alexa's features.

Skill refers to many industries, including sports, entertainment, news and social media. There's no limit to the number of Skills users can add, but it can be challenging to keep track of their features and remember to use ones you added several months ago. Luckily, the Alexa companion app lists all of the Skills you've downloaded, so you can quickly refer to them and see what commands are available.

Currently, there are more than 3,000 Alexa Skills for users to download from both Amazon and third-party providers. The Skills are available for free in the mobile companion app or online via Amazon's Alexa portal.

Can you easily figure out what the product is?

The product they are trying to sell us is not physically visible. It is named and talked about at all times. We can also listen to its voice and how it obeys orders. In turn, in the different scenes, Alexa is represented with different people and trades.

We consider that the fact that the product is not physically visible is a marketing strategy. They sell us a small electronic device that performs various functions. Being such a good product and that it cannot be seen, it leads us to imagine that it is small and that it can be placed in any corner of the house. It is even suitable if we do not want it to be seen and continue to perform its functions. The only thing that Alexa needs is to hear our voice and proposals clearly.

Is the brand more important than the product?

This product belongs to Amazon. Amazon is an online commerce company, which in Spain is the one with the highest turn over of all. Its main headquarters are in Seattle, Washington. Amazon began to make history in 2018 by boosting its sales.

This trade is known everywhere, any product you need can be found there and with a single click you can buy it. The popularity of this company is very wide and recognized, and most of its reviews are positive. That is why any product that is purchased is made in a confident way and with the satisfaction that it will be a good acquisition.

It was not going to be less with Alexa. Every time they bring out a new product, they advertise it and set high expectations for it. The business is booming and large advertisements can be allowed in different mass media. And so it was with Alexa. In response to this question, the brand is better known, that is its creator, and that is one of the reasons for its successful sale.

Target audience

Who is the target audience?

This announcement is valid for all audiences. On one hand, we do not consider that any behavior that children want to imitate comes out and is compromising or incorrect. But if we highlight, it is aimed for adults. On the other hand, although they see the advertisement, not all children can understand the jokes and comments of the protagonists due to their young age and slyness. Also, they don't use any bad language.

However, there are two parts of the society which this announcement isn't focusing on. The first of them, are the children because it only appears one child along the ad, and the needs required by the people are always connected with the adults needs. The other people who seems to be hidden are the old people because they havent appeared during the announcemnt, and like the children, their needes arent also required. 

It is an electronic product that thanks to its easy handling can be used by anyone. However, those who can make the purchase are adults or those who can afford their purchase. Therefore, the ad seeks to hook adults to buy it, but also children to persuade adults to make their purchase.

How do you know?

We cannot say for sure what age is appropriate to view this ad as there is no recommended minimum age. But we suppose that to see the ad there is no minimum age, however to understand it we would recommend it to young people of at least 16 years old.

Strategies used 

Is there a story? What type? If not, what?

This announcement uses a story to hook on people. This story is a short one, and it is related, like we have said previously, with Alexa’s functions. 

The story is composed of different scenes. In these scenes, we can see how Alexa’s device has always been with us for a long time because of the different functions requested by the main characters to a person who was always called similar to Alexa. 

In the first scene the two women talk about the importance of Alexa, and they say the slogan of the ad "How people lived without Alexa". In the second scene, it is showed a function of Alexa which is to go down the temperature. In the third scene it is showed how Alexa can say jokes. In the fourth scene Alexa says us the news. And finally, in the las scene we can see how this electronic advise also can put some music, or sent some messages.

This use of the story creates needs between people; which helps them in realizing that they truly require this device. 

The story's gender is complicated. It mixes several types of stories.  This mix of genders helps the announcement to reach different types of people, and also to attract them. We can distinguish various types of genders, such as “The journey and return” because it ends similarly as it starts. Also, it uses a lot of comedy features, and in the final part a little of tragedy. 

As we said previously, every story occurs at the same time period, which is around the Middle Ages and Modern Ages in places where English is the main language, such as the UK or USA. The story concludes in the present, with two women using the current Alexa’s product.

Does it use celebrities? Why? If not, what instead?

In this ad we find two celebrities. First appears Ellen Lee DeGeneres, an American actress and television presenter. Winner of several Emmy Awards, she has presented two Emmy galas and the Grammy Awards.

On the other hand, another famous one, Portia de Rossi. She is an Australian-American actress, model, and philanthropist. She is known for her role as lawyer Nelle Porter on the television series Ally McBeal and as Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the comedy Arrested Development.

It should be noted that they have been in a marriage since 2008.

Also, apart from celebrities also it appears intertextuality. We can see this along the different scenes of the announcement, for example in the final scene we can relate it with Game of Thrones. 

Visual elements
The production level is absolutely amazing. So many locations and scenes, all crafted perfectly and edited in one great ad.

Visual elements are used in order to search similarities with the historical time it is held. For example, the scenes occured in the present use elements we can find in our environment nowadays, such as the inside part of a car or the office of USA’s President’s assistant.

Elements used in past times are more complicated. The characters that appear in the ad use clothes to make the scene more distinguishable, for example the court buffoon or the servant. Other aspects of the ad try to catch the viewer’s eye, such as the window the servant breaks by throwing something at it. Finally, even some fantastic elements are used, such as a dragon.

Slogan

What did people do before Alexa? This is the slogan and the rhetorical question that the famous ones ask themselves. They use it as an introduction to the product. They reflect on what life was like before the company's famous virtual assistant, Alexa. Life #BeforeAlexa.

Also, in the title of the ad and in the message that we can interpret through the story they tell, they pose a hashtag. #BeforeAlexa. It makes us consider what life was like before, how such a small product can perform the functions of so many people at the same time, and how with just a few words it executes the action.

It is a strong and a very good slogan because with the rhetorical question hook on the audience, and make them think about what are their common daily routines Alexa can help with. 

Persuasive techniques used

Now, we are going to talk about the main persuasive techniques that are used in the announcement. 

Firstly, the use of famous people such as Ellen and much more, help the product to be more familiar to the audience. These people, who appear in their daily life, have with them some good values which attract people.

Secondly, the use of different settings make the ad more powerful, and help the ad to connect better with the audience because it adapts to the people's interests.

Thirdly, action is a very important factor in the design of the announcement. It makes the ad more spectacular and spontaneous. The combination of all these features make the announcement more attractive.

Fourthly, although the product of Alexa is mentioned since the start of the ad, it doesn’t appear physically until the very end, making the viewers that don’t know what Alexa is to try to guess what product is announced.

Finally, the use of the short and funny speeches help the ad. Reducing the length of the speeches helps people to not forget what is the information which is given. Also, the use of the humour is a good feature because everybody loves the jokes, and it generates good vibes. 

Message 

What is the message of the commercial?

There has been so much said about this spot. Really cool piece, and not just because you watch it with a smile on your face. There’s a subliminal trigger message that makes you think, “If I don’t start using Alexa, I’m gonna be stuck in the past like these ancient folks.” The video persuades you to believe that Alexa is an essential technology that you won’t be able to live without, just like your mobile phone.

What hidden messages are there in the commercial?

When we see this ad we think that all the messages they send us are related to the product. But once we have analyzed the announcement, we can decipher other messages that try to normalize or inform on other topics.

The one we want to highlight the most is homosexual marriage. From our point of view, we understand the ad as a campaign in favour of the lgtbi + collective. The two protagonists are two celebrities who got married in 2008. Both are in the house where they live and share their lives. A life equal to a heterosexual couple. Full of love and normality.

We want to think that this symbol is in favor of the collective and not used as a strategy that attracts all homosexual couples and people.

On the other hand, another hidden message from our point of view is the social classes. In the scenes where you go back to the past, you can see various jobs that were carried out at that time. One of them is the fool, who receives orders from a queen, thus demonstrating that there have always been classes and there will be. Although, it should be noted that Alexa is available to everyone and that it can perform any function for all people at the same time. In other words, it is capable of doing the work of all people and people can only carry out their corresponding work. The buffoon told jokes, the one who distributed the newspapers did not  tell the news …

Ethics

About ethics, they are not developing this announcement in a direct way. The only ethic feature we have found in the ad are the values of the LGTBQ group because of the use of these two famous people. And also, another ethic aspect would be the value of equality. 

However, we must say that this ad isnt only trying to sell us its product, it also want to create in us some needs which without this product we woudnt need them. 

Also, the product of Alexa dosent go alone. Apart from the Alexa's product, you have other electronic services which are connected with Alexa, and if you havent them you cannot develop totally its potential. For example, if you dont have a electronic wifi device of temperature, you would be able to regulate the temperature of the house, and also for the music because if you dont have internet or amazon music you couldnt reproduce all the songs you want. 

Questions 

1. What is the general ambience of the advertisement? What mood does it create? How does it do this?

The general ambience of the advertisement isn't only one, it mixes several of them to hook on a big group of people with different interests. These ambiances go from the actual times to the oldly centuries. Although we can see the past of the time through each scene, these scenes have a setting based on a successful series. 

The mood it creates generates all time good vibes. This good mood helps people to attract them better and to see the product of Alexa like a familiar electronic device. These familiar vibes come from, first of all, because of the principal actress of the vibes. These people are famous, but also familiar, has they are considered as very good, and funny people. Finally, the use of popular scenes from famous series also help people to hook on to them, and to flourish in them, maybe, some mood that these series could have created. 

2.               What is the use of space in the advertisement? Is there a lot of 'white space'or is it full of graphic and written elements?

In this advertisement, there isn't any kind of white space. There are, like we have said before, different scenes which are connected with fast transitions. 

Also, in this ad there aren't any kind of written elements, although it is full of graphics. These graphics have a good quality, and they are too professional. It has the level required to become what it truly is, a Bowl advertisement. 

3.               What signs and symbols do we find? What role do they play in the ad's impact? 

We have no signs or symbols at first sight. However, the only symbol we can find along this advertisement is how Alexa has always been there over mankind time. We have seen how the Alexia device has been always with us, not always the same thing. It appears, with different types of people, who were required to do a certain task.

In conclusion, the manner in which the producers have introduced the idea of Alexia, and its importance over the years, is a masterpiece, and also an original idea. This helped the announcement to achieve extra-points and became more than a regular ad.

4.               If there are figures (men, women, children, animals) what are they like? What can be said about their facial expressions, poses, hairstyle, age, sex, hair color, ethnicity, education, occupation, relationships (of one to the other)?

This Alexia’s ad is fulfilled by a lot of different characters and figures. We have several men, women, children, but also animals. They are different between themselves, and help us to distinguish social classes, types of people…

To make non-identical characters is a main feature of the design of the ad. The characters are not similar between them. They have different poses, hairstyles, sex, different hair or skin colour…

In conclusion, this advertisement if good well thought because it takes care of the principal differences people usually have, and tries to answer these personality qualities. This detail makes the ad more personal, and also more personal. 

5.               What does the background tell us? Where is the advertisement taking place and what significance does this background have?

The background helps us not only to better follow the story of the ad, but also it contributes to supporting the ad message, making it more powerful. 

However, the main function of using these different backgrounds along the whole advertisement is to contextualize the ad message, and make it being more personalized to the audience.

In conclusion, these backgrounds act like a timeline, which helps people who are watching the ad to better follow the story and also the plot, avoiding them not getting lost. 

6.               What action is taking place in the advertisement and what significance does it have? (This might be described as the ad's "plot.")

The main action the characters of the advertisement are doing is to make questions to the different “Alexas” that appear through the scenes, which are considered as different communication media. Similarly, the main action the “Alexas” do is to answer those questions by an action or a sentence. Summarizing, the ad’s plot is composed of characters which have the different roles of questioners and answerers (the “Alexas”), respectively.

7.               What about the language used? Does it essentially provide information or does it try to generate some kind of emotional response? Or both? What techniques are used by the copywriter: humor, alliteration, definitions of life, comparisons, sexual innuendo, and so on? Formal, informal… 

Like in the majority of ads, the language used in it is very formal: it is the typical language used by a person who wants to ask something. That same language is used in every scene of the ad, no matter the time the question has been made.

The language used through the ad searches is mixed up, depending on the character. The persons who ask questions to the different “Alexas” (the questioners) try to search for information with education: they make the questions calmly. Similarly, the different “Alexas” answer to those questions trying to both provide information to the questioner and trying to generate emotional responses, especially in the case of the child with the newspapers.

The copywriter of the ad tries to mix up a lot of techniques depending on the time period the scene is held. For example, in the case of the queen asking something to the buffoon, she searches for him to answer with a bit of humor; same goes for the woman with her servant. Or in the case with the two present women, it tries to generate a “sexual innuendo” of telling they are a same gender couple.

However, we think the main technique used in the ad is comparison, because the ad tries to show comparisons of people between time periods, by the question made at the start of the ad: “What do you think people did before Alexa?”

8.               What is the item being advertised and what role does it play in American culture and society?

The item advertised in the ad is a virtual assistant named Alexa, which is in an electrical device look-alike. The main role of the virtual assistant is to answer questions made by the owner of the device, such as the weather, the time, the places situated in the environment, information about somebody or something, etc. Of course, Alexa only works by hearing the voices of any person that makes a question to it.

9.               What sociological, political, economic or cultural attitudes are indirectly reflected in the advertisement? An advertisement may be about a pair of blue jeans but it might, indirectly, reflect such matters as sexism, alienation, stereotyped thinking, conformism, generational conflict, loneliness, elitism, and so on.

Although in most scenes of the ad held in the past some historical attitudes are reflected (such as poverty in the UK during 1700s), we think that the main attitude reflected indirectly in the ad is how normalized same-gender couples are in present times. Some people think that men only can marry with women and vice versa, or that same-gender couples are treated poorly nowadays; all of which can be considered as homophobia. The ad tries to show indirectly by a couple of two married women how same-gender couples are integrated in our environment and how they live, not being too different from other people.