Representations contained in the ad
The man in this ad is represented in quite a generic way. He is an average 3o year old man who dreams of a better life but is instead stuck at home doing the gardening. The house he is stood in front of is representative of a typical suburban home in a average/low income area.
Codes and conventions
Composition
The framing of the man just left of centre makes him, and the content of his pocket, the focal point of the ad. This left of centre framing of the man maximises the visual impact of the life size golf clubs he has in his pocket. Such framing of this surreal representation forces the viewer to look at the man and then clubs, back and forth, until the eye moves away from the centre of the frame in an attempt to figure out why this man is carrying a set of golf clubs in his pocket. The eye eventually falls on the text in the top right of frame, which make the meaning of the image clear to the audience. It is clever use of photo editing that allows the representation of a man carrying a full set of clubs in his pocket, totally unaware of their presence, to work so well.
Body Image/Language
The man appears to be bored in this ad, as if he is unsatisfied with his life out in the suburbs. This can be read by his facial expression and makes sense because this would reinforce the message of the ad that winning the lottery would provide an escape from the routine of daily life; however, his neutral facial expression suggests that he is more likely day dreaming about where he would rather be at that moment. This reading works better in terms of communicating the deeper message of the as that winning the lottery makes dreams come true. If the man is indeed day dreaming, it is reasonable to assume that he is dreaming about playing golf, which allows all aspects of the representation reinforcing each other and suggests a broader message that playing the lottery will give people the chance to live their dream instead of day dreaming of escape.
Props
The life size golf clubs sticking out the man’s pocket carry interesting connotations. They are obviously associated with leisure and are used to reinforce the idea that this man is bored, stuck doing chores, encouraging the reader to associate the purchasing a lottery ticket with an increased chance of enjoying recreational activities. There is also the connotation of wealth and exclusivity associated with playing golf, which suggests to the viewer that activities that are prohibitively expensive could become a regular occurance by winning the lottery. Having the man holding a hose is an interesting choice of prop because out of any task that needs to be done as part of garden maintainence holding a hose has to be the least stimulating. This taps in the boredom many people feel accompanies work-a-day life causing them to think of what they could do if they were suddenly extremely wealthy. This thought process is depicted in the man’s gaze, further encouraging the veiwer to dream, positioning the purchasing of a lottery ticket as a genuine, albiet highly unlikely, way to realise that dream.
Omission
The absence of a car in the drive way is a telling omission. Presumably this is done to make the man look as poor as possible without making him look destitute. The inclusion of a cheap car would make him look overtly working class and may marginalise a middleclass audience; the inclusion of a nice car would limit the impact of the ad’s message as the viewer would be left asking why he wasn’t out playing golf in the first place. The omission of any kind of car also reinforces the representation of this man being as generic as possible; it reinforces the everyman stereotype he represents. No car, no branding of patterns on his clothing, no tattoos or overtly stylised hair positions this man as potential any number of male cultural groups, while simultaneously alienating none, which ultimately positions this product as being aimed at every man who has a job and committments, a pretty wide demographic. The omission of a wife/girlfriend or children serves the same purpose. Men with kids and a partner could imagine that this man is attached in such a manner and that they are elsewhere; whereas, men without either can view him as being like them, thus allowing as larger number of men to identify with this ad as possible.
Text
“Are you carrying today’s winning ticket?” instantly explains the golf clubs sticking out the man’s pocket, making it clear that they symbolise the ticket and the kind of luxury leisure activities one will be able to enjoy with a lucky win. The reference to “today’s” winning ticket makes it clear this form of gambling has cash prizes everyday, distinguishing it from the weekly draws of other lottery formats. This, along with the inclusion of golf clubs and not a luxury car, suggests that this form of the lottery has more opportunities to win as they pay out smaller amounts more regularly, making it more appealing as a gambling option.
Target Audience
The omission of any female representations or children opens this ad up to a very wide male audience. Set in a stereotypical suburban location suggests that this man is likely to have a wife and family, which is likely to appeal to men who do and tap in to their sense of frustration at mot being able to do much; however, having the man stood alone, dressed in simple jeans and t-shirt, in a driveway with not car, limits the codes that can be used to categorise this man. Every effort appears to have been made to have him represent the average man, and consequently the target audience is exactly that: the average man (with or without wife and dependents) who enjoys the odd round of golf. Clearly this is targeted at the average working class man, given the lack any sign of affluence in this representation.
Stereotypes
There seems to be a representation of the average man being bored or dissatisfied with life in the suburbs. The vacent look on his face and his slouch body language suggest he is tired of doing the same old thing, reinforcing the stereotype that having limited finances means life is boring and monotonous. The stereotpye of the average man as someone with simple fashion tastes is also represented here, as the use of plain jeans and t-shirt is used to indicate to the viewer that they are looking at a simple, uncomplicated, run of the mill working class man.