essay. spanish cultural dimension in the advertising. maría hernández. visual communication

8/7/2019 Essay. Spanish cultural dimension in the advertising. María Hernández. Visual Communication

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“ Spanish cultural dimensions in the

advertising ”

Student: María Hernández GallegoVisual Communication and Media Theory.

Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Wintersemester 10/11 Medienwissenschaft



Visual Communication and Media Theory

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Dates basics of Spain

Spain is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe

on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea

except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north by

France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and

Portugal.

Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands

in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and

Melilla, that border Morocco.

Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences since

prehistoric times and through to its dawn as a country. Spain emerged as a unified country in the

15th century, following the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs and the completion of the reconquest,

or Reconquista, of the Iberian peninsula in 1492. Conversely, it has been an important source of

influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has

left a legacy of over 500 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken

first language.

Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a

constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the ninth largest economy in the world by

nominal GDP, and very high living standards (20th highest Human Development Index), including

the tenth-highest quality of life index rating in the world, as of 2005. It is a member of the United

Nations, European Union, NATO, OECD, and WTO.

Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament,

the Cortes Generales. The executive branch consists of a Council of Ministers of Spain presidedover by the Prime Minister, nominated and appointed by the monarch and confirmed by the

Congress of Deputies following legislative elections. By political custom established by King Juan

Carlos since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the king's nominees have all been from parties

who maintain a plurality of seats in the Congress.

The Spanish nation is organizationally composed in the form of called Estado de lasAutonomías ("State of Autonomies"); it is one of the most decentralized countries in Europe, along

with Switzerland, Germany and Belgium.

Cultural dimension

Publicity cannot be seen as a set of techniques but rather as an activity wich has enter into

the context of the media and which helps to shape new culture areas. From this point of view,

advertising forms parts of the modern audiovisual culture and this requires researching new

axiological principles.

Hofstede found five dimensions of culture in his study of national work related values. The

dimensions are:




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In this work, I am going to relate each dimension of cultural with the advertising of Spain.

Power distance

The power distance is respect for the hierarchy of people (age, status, experience). Much

power distance is that the hierarchy is respected a lot. Low power distance means that the hierarchy

is not respected. In advertising shows that older people are experts and they give advice to young

people. Young people are with respect to older people. On the other hand in the ads with low power

distance is used humor in communication and roles are not marked.

Latin American and Arab nations are ranked the highest in this category, the Scandinavianand Germanic in the lowest.

Spanish advertising in the two cases are given. In the first ad we see a nun placed a clamp on

the nose to avoid the temptation of harassing a man who uses Axe.

The following advertisement shows a grandfather advising his grandson about life, the

product is Werther´s Original candy.




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Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm18Ko06g0Q&feature=related

Individualism and collectivisms in the society

Individualism:

Many are the ads that offer products or services with unique characteristics, or at least

pretend to be, but there are also many who use simple, direct messages in which clearly expresses

the exclusivity of the brand. For example Andalusia only one. Different products or services shown

in distinction to impress your guests, that makes them unique among all other human beings. You

could say that the advertising discourse is a discourse of individualism, which operates the service

of strengthening the capitalist system. What can guess that if you change the current political and

socio-economic system, the language of advertising would change, so you can rely on different

arguments. The current advertising message is developed under capitalism, and capitalism is based

on individualistic ideas, advertising uses these ideas in Spain.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hovvdJ2MQ_4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm18Ko06g0Q&feature=related



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hovvdJ2MQ_4








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Collectivisms:

Collectivism uses a lot of communication in the advertisement. The features are: time is

polychronic appear groups of people or families on the news the news presenters have each other.

The elderly, people with low socioeconomic status and low culture can be associated with

collectivist sentiments. For the collectivist group:

• People belong to a group

• The tasks are less important than people.

• Act groups, people do not act

• You are born into a culture that defines your identity

• The work and private life are related.

• Groups have eigenvalues

Asian, Latin-American and Muslims are collectivist.

This advertisement of the Spanish national football shows the feelings of a group of people.

Focuses on the feeling of the nation.

Link :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSBV3RC7_CQ&NR=1

Competitiveness- masculinity vs feminity

The male and female characters play within advertising, a traditional role in more than 60%

of cases. This fact is reinforced by the division of roles in communicating the ads down: men take

up to 80% of the roles of authority, hence the recourse to arguments mostly scientific objectives,

while women are identified with the public role of consumer and credit based on their personal

experience with the product. The man continues to dominate the advertising scene, not only because

it acts as a driver's spot in the double of occasions that the woman, but also because it has a

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSBV3RC7_CQ&NR=1







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presence four times larger than the female voices and prescribing forward in all product areas

except cosmetics and home, which is no less significant. In addition, 40% of the female characters

is the continuation of dependent functions related to the traditional role of homemaker, wife, and

even sexual object, while only 9% of the male characters appears in a similar situation with respect

to dependence other characters in the spot. In the communicative process that integrates the

advertisement, the messages are capable of transmitting gender stereotypes and contribute to its

maintenance. Often, innovation, investment paper or apparently transgressive nature proposed in thenotice, it crumbles to a closer look and critique, as the transgression or innovative vision does not

exceed the internal communication process and crashes spectacularly spot with strength of the

stereotype that guides the communication process and, ultimately, real, within which the innovative

proposal is merely a strategy to obtain the same values and issues.

This advertisement of Dolce & Gabbana in Spain have been condemned their as sexist and

violent, throwing the flamboyant duo into a hissy fit and prompting withdrawal of the images.

The advertisement, show a half-naked man holding a scantily clad woman to the ground by

her wrists while four predatory hunks look on. Spain's Women's Institute, a government

organization linked to the Labour Ministry, described the scene as offensive to women's dignity andan incitement to sexual violence.

Uncertainty avoidance

It is the fear of the future, to what can happen. It reflects the degree to which a society

accepts uncertainty and risk. There is uncertainty cultures create rules that organize activities,

valued at experts advising, and stress and fear must be reduced. The uncertainty is shown in Spanish

ads for cosmetics, medicine, beauty ... experts explain to the public about the product. They appear

well dressed and they use very technical language. Thus reducing the fear of buyers. Also others

who have used the product tell their exeriencias.

Mediterranean cultures, Latin America and Japan are the highest in this category.




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The following advertisement of Elnett by L´oreal. Actress Penélope Cruz gives his opinion

about the product. she says “it is the best hair spray in the world”.

Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow7NFkCdjqE

Time orientation

It refers to the importance given to culture in planning long-term life in contrast to the

immediate concerns.

The effects of advertising depend on many variables: the markets where we operate, the

category of products, brands, style advertising campaign, the means and even the media.

It is recognized that online advertising is useful as it reaches more and better for advertisers.

Any person of any social segment can be viewed online ads. Another major positive aspect of

online advertising is that this type of advertising is not limited in time or geographical zones. To

create an impact on potential customers and to ensure good performance, advertisers will not spend

hesitate to advertisement. Ensures that the returns would be much good. A successful advertising

campaign becomes apparent only when the ads are placed well and are directed to perfection.

Currently short-term effect can be seen in viral marketing.

Following link is an advertisement for viral marketing tennis player Roger Federer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTl3U6aSd2w

Sports, news, Internet ... all media advertising reproduced in which the player emulates the

legendary William Tell, this time with a racket and a ball and of course a bottle of foam Gillett

Is advertising that takes more time to work. Is slower. but is safer and has more benefits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow7NFkCdjqE









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Communication is word of mouth. It is based on the good work. Its function is to produce sales. is

typical service announcements.

Conclusion

After I make this work I have learned that advertising is a reflection of the culture of a country

and its subcultures. However, can often generate an idea or strategy as solid and well structured can

have an impact in society. Regularly is a temporary effect that fails to transcend. Its main impact is more

economical (for the consumer and the advertiser) and social occasions (incorporating everyday items to

the public).




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Bibliography

http://www.maecei.es/pdf/n14/articulos/A10_El_topico_de_la_cualidad_y_el_individualismo_en_la_publicidad._El_efecto_JB.pdf

http://books.google.com/books?id=6NiFA6L6Lq0C&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&dq=colectivismo+publicidad&source=bl&ots=r73fDKhf9o&sig=csdueXjotQnRAgOlN0IsVaZFwco&hl=en&ei=fPQXTdbLBsGy8gP- __CGBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=colectivismo%20publicidad&f=false

http://www.ehu.es/zer/zer21/zer21_14_hoyo.pdf

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