Adverts – Narrative Structure
Narratives are used in adverts to tell the audience a story which will grab their attention quickly and sustain their interest for the full advert length(usually 30 seconds or less). A quality narrative should lead to the audience noticing the product when they go to the shops so that they consider buying it. A story can be told in many different ways but this Irn Bru 32 advert has a linear beginning-middle-end structure. Linear means the message is told in the order that it would happen – sequential order – so that the audience can easily understand it. Todorov believed that all stories had a normal (equilibrium) stage which is upset by a problem (disruption). The Disruption is resolved in some way and the new normal/equilibrium exists at the end. Using Todorov to explain the narrative structure of the Irn Brn 32’s Derek the Cuckoo library advert, it is clear that the equilibrium is a quiet, library environment where a student is studying. Everything is so quiet that the ticking of the clock has been exaggerated to seem loud and distracting. The student appears tired and uninterested in his studies. The disruption is very obvious because a huge blue and orange cuckoo springs from the wall, causing loud noise and chaos. The cuckoo shouts “Wakey wakey!” which causes anxiety. We see the student trying to back away in his seat as the drink can (product placement) comes towards him. The new equilibrium at the end is where the cuckoo has won and the librarian’s complaints have stopped. The student appears to be enjoying the drink and this scene segues into the final shot of the can against an orange background hanging from the cuckoo clock spring. Just in case this message has not been clear enough there are words on the screen to drive the message home.
This advert has a humorous and dramatic tone. Whether you like it or not it will be memorable as it is an exaggerated version of life in Scotland. The fluffy appearance of the cuckoo is not matched by the words which are coming out of his mouth which are aggressive.
