| Theorist | What does it mean (in your own words) | How does it apply to the advert (in your own words) |
| Equilibrium | https://prezi.com/y5gvfc_pngwb/todorovs-narrative-theory/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zqdhrdm/revision/3 Todorov’s Theory argues that every moving image follows a structure/plot and includes a beginning, a middle and an end. However, these elements are in equilibrium (balanced) at the end of the film, thus identifying that a resolution has been made. Todorov also mentioned that these events follow a chronological order of a beginning, middle and end. These are the full steps of equilibrium in media: 1) The narrative starts with everything normal and characters follow their day to day lives 2) An event stirs and causes trouble to the character. 3) There is a quest to make everything return back to normality 4) The narrative continues and the quest to normality is found 5) A way to restore normality is found and everything returns back to normal. | In the advert, the beginning is that Shayla and Manny arrive into a penthouse in New York. The event that causes disruption is the bellboy that arrives with loads of suitcases and presents them with a golden suitcase. The quest to return everything to normality is that Manny and Shayla open the golden suitcase and is transformed into a world of luxury, however, reality is restored when they put on the mascara and are transformed to a better world full of luxury. |
| Binary Opposition | https://www.mytutor.co.uk/answers/8161/A-Level/Media-Studies/What-is-Levi-Strauss-Theory-of-Binary-Opposites/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binary_opposition Straus claims that there are certain elements that oppose to each other in order to thicken the plot and take the narrative into more depth. An example of this is in a superhero film, they include a superhero, who defeats the villain that is plotting to change everything and disrupt normality. The only problem with binary oppositions is that they can create negative stereotypes towards something that might actually have an aim to be regarded as a positive stereotype. Overall, it is very important to identify binary opposites because it broadens the narrative and takes it into more depth. | In this advert, Manny and Shayla are opposite to the bell boy, as they are on holiday/work trip and are staying in this penthouse in New York, whereas the bellboy that delivers the suitcase is working. Another binary opposite used in this advert is the clothing all the characters wear: the bellboy is wearing a dull grey bellboy uniform (before the transformation) whereas Manny and Shayla are wearing clothing that aren’t a uniform and are quite casual everyday clothing. However, at the end of the advert, they are all wearing golden clothes, signifying wealth that goes against the beginning of the advert when they are in plain, everyday clothing/ a bellboy uniform. |
| Character Types | https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zgydhv4/revision/1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Propp Propp had analysed that moving images follow a plot and this plot is determined by the characters included and what decisions they make. Propp also concluded that in an advert there are different types of people in moving images: the hero, the villain, the donor (prepares the hero for what they are going to do), the helper,the false hero, the dispatcher (the person that sends to hero to the event) and the princess. Propp also stated that one character can adopt multiple roles (ie a person might act as both the donor and the dispatcher. | In “That Boss Life” the mascara can be seen as a hero as it creates beauty and gives power to people, whereas at the beginning, Manny and Shayla (before applying makeup) could be seen as the villains because they are not wearing makeup. It can also be argued that Shayla can be seen as a hero for “Bossing up” herself and Manny. |
