Humor

 How can advertising campaigns appeal to a sense of australianness?

Australianness is a term that is used to display the Australian culture. Australian culture is very unique and is not at all similar to any other culture. This is because Australian culture is a unique blend of already established old traditions and fresh influences (Prideaux, 2009). The mass media and the advertisements of Australia gives a sense of belongingness to that community by rendering images that precisely belong to Australia. As a result no other nations who are not the part of the Australian community will able to understand it. The advertisers use the different symbols such as humor, masculinity and animals as a part of advertisements in order to remind the Australians about the daily happenings (Kavanagh, 2010). According to the advertisers this helps in giving a sense of patriotism to the viewers.

This assignment will be dealing with the advertising factors that includes humor, masculinity and animals and are used by the advertising agencies of Australia for appealing to the sense of Australianness among people. In addition to this, the most important factor among the three factors that appeals the most to the Australians is also discussed. Examples will be cited from the television ads for better understanding of the topic.

1) Humor

One of the most important factors that advertisers use in their advertisement campaigns for appealing the Australians is the Australian unique sense of humor. The humorous images clearly identifies the humor used in the advertisement is simple or complex (Wagler, 2013). The humorous advertisements are so made that it is easily despicable by the Australians and not by other communities. The humor used in Australian advertisements are somewhat complex and unique so that the Australians have a feeling that they are related to the advertisements and no other outsider of the community will be able to relate that to their lives. For example- In the advertisement of Drop Bear for Bundaberg Rum, the Australians will easily depict the humor within the advertisement but the other tourists will fail to do so. According to ŠliburytÄ— and KlimaviÄÂius (2012) the humor used inside the advertisements helps in linking the Australians to the advertisers by arousing the sense of Australianness. In addition to this, the traditional humor of Australia is strongly aligned with the national myths and that helps in attracting the Australian viewers towards the advertisements.

On the other hand Lang (2010) had a view that Australian humor contains irony and is quick witted with an intension of mocking and making fun of the class system and thereby challenge the British supremacy. Moreover, the advertisements reveal a part of racism and exclusiveness. By using sarcastic comments, the advertisers always give a feeling to Australian consumers that they are inclusive of the joke where no other nation can understand it or take part of it. The Australian humor mainly believes that they are an exclusive nation to understand the humor and no other nation will understand it (Moran, 2010). Another example can be cited from the campaign of “I Believe” where the announcer jokingly said that he doesn’t possess a kangaroo or doesn’t wrestle with the crocodiles. The advertiser here makes a fun of the unawareness of the other nations by commenting that no one realized that the stereotypes are false except the Australians. So, by using sarcastic comments and exclusiveness, the advertisers gives a feeling to the Australian consumers that they are unique and are the part of the joke which is not understandable to the rest (Prideaux, 2009).

Masculinity

According to Kavanagh (2010), the Australian advertisers are always trying to indulge unique flavor of Australianness through humor and jokes into the advertisements for attracting the people of Australia. This is because; humor can be termed as an important emotional appeal that is generally used in the field of advertisement. The more the advertisers use the humor that arouses Australianness within the advertisements, the Australian feel happy and have a feeling of superiority over the other nations of the world. So, for the companies who are willing to establish a strong foothold on the Australian market have to understand the importance of usage of humor in advertising and use it as a powerful strategy to attract the customers (Wagler, 2013).

2) Masculinity

Another major factor that the advertisers use to show the tinge of Australianness in the advertisements is by showing masculinity. In Australia, it is a stereotype belief that males are the carriers of Australianness as compared to the women. For this reason, the men are likely the national identity and are shown in Australian televisions for the advertisements (Lang, 2010). While discussing this context, the idea of “Ocker image” is evolved. This image defines an ocker as an Australian who is a self satisfied barbarian, has beer, is ignorant and opposes anybody who is unlike him as well as love spending both money and time in pubs. This image gives an impression of masculinity and thereby celebrates the masculinity by drinking excess beer. According to Moran (2010) the Australians have a nostalgic relationship with the masculinity, drinking beer and Australian nationalism. Though it is said that the above mentioned trinity has faded to an extent still the beer advertisements have hold the nostalgia and the feel of traditional Australianness among the people.

So, the advertisers of beer companies try to include more masculinity in the advertisements for promoting their advertisements among the Australians. It is said that more the masculinity will be involved in the advertisements, the more the Australian will tend to have that product in their daily life (Kavanagh, 2010). This ultimately gives a feeling of Australianness to the Australians for holding their tradition of drinking beer that helps the companies’ in gaining a huge customer database and profits. Moreover, this also helps the companies in achieving a positive promotional continuity for their products.

Wagler (2013) commented on the fact that the Ockers have a traditional language that is only understandable by the Australians and nobody else. The beer advertising companies make a good use of this language in the advertisements to give a feeling to the viewers that they are the part of the advertisements and no other nations are its part. This gives the Australians a feeling of uniqueness among the world. Moreover, according to Walter J. Thomson, the CEO of one of the biggest advertising company, Burt Manning, commented that the Australians do not drink beer; they only drink the advertisement showing it. Apart from this, Lang (2010) had a view that the advertisements of Australia and masculinity are closely knitted to one another that are well apprehended by the Australian community and not a single one exterior to that community. In addition to this, the masculinity of the Australians is also depicted by showing advertisements where they fight with the dangerous animals. This also gives an essence of masculinity that makes the Australians feel Australianness in the advertisements.

Animals

3) Animals

The advertisers use another essential factor in the advertisements that appeal the sense of Australianness among the people is the usage of animals. The animals that are showcased in the advertisements are the kangaroos, crocodiles and koalas that are the national animals of Australia. Showing these animals in the advertisements gives a feeling of belongingness and nationalism to the Australians (ŠliburytÄ— and KlimaviÄÂius, 2012). The advertisers take an advantage of this feeling and thereby include animals in the advertisements to give a solid impression of Australianness among the people. An example can be cited from a film named “Crocodile Dundee” where it shows a good connection between animals and Australianness. Moran (2010) commented on this fact that the image shown in that film where a man wrestles hard with a crocodile became a symbol of Australian males.

In addition to this, Steve Irwin who became world famous for finding and dealing the deadliest and the most dangerous animals in Australia also gave a feeling of courage to Australians in dealing with the dangerous animals. The advertisers use this association of Australians with animals in the most effective and tricky way for advertising their products (Wagler, 2013). Apart from this, the advertisers also use animals in order to reveal and trace on masculinity of Australians. Another example can be cited from advertisement of Bundaberg Rum where a bear is portrayed and is seen by the other Australians as one of them. This connects the masculinity of the Australians with the dangerous animals. The animals are thereby used in order to make the Australians remember the product which by consumption or usage give them a feeling of nationalism and Australianness (ŠliburytÄ— and KlimaviÄÂius, 2012). The advertisers thereby these tactics in the most innovational way that help them in continuing their promotional activities.

According to Moran (2010) the advertisements of the companies in order to attract the customers appeal to the sense of Australianness by giving a sense of familiarity. This is because; the Australians will be feeling nostalgic to see the animals that they saw during their childhood in the movies are still used today for the advertisement campaigns. This will give a tendency to the Australians to lean towards that products rather than choosing any other external brands. So, the companies try to use more and more animals in their advertisements to attract the Australians for having their products which ultimately helps the companies in increasing their profits and customers (Kavanagh, 2010).

Conclusion

Throughout the assignment it is seen that 3 essential factors that are used within the advertisements and appeal the Australianness among the people of Australia are the sense of humor, masculinity and usage of animals. These 3 factors constantly remind the Australians their uniqueness and the sense of nationalism. This is because; these factors are the traditions of Australia that helps them to get differentiated from rest of the world. The advertisers put traces on these 3 factors in order to capture the market and extend their business. However, humor is considered as the best of the 3 factors since the humor and joke that is used within the advertisements is only understandable by the Australians and not by other communities. This results in giving a feeling of snobbery and dominance over other nations. But, if it deeply elaborated and discussed, it is seen that these above mentioned 3 factors have a huge contribution in appealing the Australianness among the people. For a company to make the campaigning more appealing and unique, the advertisers have to combine all the three factors that include masculinity, animals and humor in their campaigns to get a better result.

Reference List

Lang, A. (2010) “Troping the masculine: Australian animals, the nation, and the popular imagination”, Antipodes, 24(1), pp. 5-10

Prideaux, J. (2009) “Consuming icons: Nationalism and advertising in Australia”, Nations and Nationalism, 15 (4), pp. 616-635

Moran, C. (2010) “Regional Identity and Humor”, Rural Society, 20, pp. 101-114

Kavanagh, N. (2010) “What better advertisement could Australia have? Encyclopedias and nation-building”, National Identities, 12(3),

pp.237-252 ŠliburytÄ—, L. and KlimaviÄÂius, M. (2012) “Humor appeal in advertising: how to use it effectively”, ecoman, 17(3), pp. 24-36

Wagler, A. (2013) “Embracing Change: Exploring How Creative Professionals Use Interactive Media in Advertising Campaigns”,Journal

of Interactive Advertising, 13(2), pp.118-127