Communication & Social Relations Assessment Task #3 Discipline: Advertising
Group Members:
- Zoe Kypros (s3168891) - Emily Adams (s3283172)
- Louise Sully (s3236104) -Jessica Minear (s3165398)
Artefact #1: Melbourne Moomba Festival Posters
This artefact is a multi-poster advertisement for the annual Melbourne Moomba Festival ‘wrapped’ around an information booth in the Bourke Street Mall. This piece was commissioned by Moomba and is positioned in a highly visible area, with lots of foot traffic from surrounding shops and the information booth itself. As well as having rides and live entertainment; the festival has a parade, including floats, through the city’s busy main streets. Moomba is a festival for the young and old, bringing Melbourne together every year with live bands, a host of different cuisines and cultures, plenty of rides and iconic live event such as the Birdman Rally. The Moomba parade combines a host of Melbourne’s ethnic groups; including traditional Chinese Dragons, highland dancers and flamenco dancers and celebrates through the display of national customs. Journalist L Edwards (2010) describes the opening day parade for Moomba 2010 as being an event of ethnic diversity and community spirit. In a city where food and wine is synonymous with the name, Moomba also translates ethnic diversity into a celebration of the cuisines. This greatly reflects Melbourne’s epicure culture and gives people yet more opportunity to indulge in delicious food. On a deeper level of meaning, the Moomba festival itself is a vault of semiotic constructivism; signs and symbols of what the festival represents to the people of Melbourne and Victoria as a broader community, as well as the historic aboriginal land owners.
Kleinert (1999) suggests that the act of performing is important to display social and ritual symbolic action, and also an extension of a form on critique of the social life it comes from, reflective on how society has handled history. This can be interpreted through the means of the Moomba name being of aboriginal decent and the way in which aboriginal communities perform ritualistic dances. Through performance, the aboriginal communities united to celebrate their history and place in society, and still do so now with many performances during the Moomba festival displayed by local indigenous groups. In 1951, it was celebrated as an ‘exotic spectacle of the Other’ (Kleinert 1999). This being said, Alomes (1985) argues that Australia, unlike Europe with Carnival, didn’t need an ‘escape’ from severe food shortages through the winter. Broadly speaking, Australia doesn’t have harvesting rituals, deep-rooted religious or folk traditions that many parades and festivals stem from; Moomba has become a ‘festival of pleasure’ (Alomes 1985). This doesn’t mean to say that Moomba is any less of a festival or event, but it does reflect on Melbourne as a city of celebration and activity, alive with diverse culture and cuisine and a passion for expression.
Artefact #2: Melbourne’s laneways- Degraves Street
The unique and distinctive narrow laneways of inner city Melbourne are becoming even more of an urban trademark. Just as the state of Queensland incorporates their beautiful long sandy beaches to advertise Queensland and promote it as a place to visit, Victoria uses its ‘European style’ laneways, such as Degraves Street to invite and entice tourists to visit Melbourne and Victoria. The purpose of the laneways is not to simply visit and photograph ‘tourist attractions,’ for instance the Sydney Harbour Bridge but rather the constructed nature of the laneways, actually allows visitors to join the locals, to immerse themselves in the essence of Melbourne, and become one with the city. Travel Point Holidays’ brochure for Victoria 2010-11, showcases Degraves Street on its cover, capturing a fashionable woman looking over her shoulder, as though she’s inviting future tourists on a tour, just as the laneways will invite them once they arrive, to explore Melbourne, via a series of laneways. It conveys the feeling that you won’t know what you’ll find at the end of the tunnel until you walk right through, stumbling into another wondrous secret of Melbourne. However not everyone views these laneways in the simple, glowing rhetoric of a tourism brochure. Mixed perceptions are commented on by
Fung (2006), who is interested in the construction of this imagined geography of laneways. She focuses on history and design, in order to establish why Melbourne is being portrayed as a ‘world city’, and whether such a claim is warranted. Fung refers to an episode of the TV tourism show, ‘Postcards’, which focussed on Melbourne’s laneways, including ACDC laneway. Fung asks whether these really are a world class tourism attraction, or just, drawing from Lindsay’s (2004 cited in Fung 2006) words, ‘...the narrow road to profit (for tourism Victoria.)’ Fung wrote positively in regards to the term ‘romanticism’ associated with the laneways. It is interesting to note that these laneways have European influence which could be thought of as an example of Symonds’s (1997 cited in Fung 2006) negative perspective of Australia as a whole, at ‘...an international level, Australia is viewed as a primitive backwater incapable of producing its own urban centres.’ Focusing on the Spanish city of Bilbai, Larente seeks to ‘understand the narrative strategies that underlie the signifying forms that represent the city’. In her work she touches on city development and symbolic and communicative constructions labelling forgotten and rundown places as ‘the space of opportunity’. This can be compared with Melbourne’s laneway revitalisation, which has progressed over the past 20 years, now representing the city in a highly positive manner. The laneways are a good example of what Larente is expressing, ‘...Obsolete and degraded spaces resulting from industrial decline become spaces of opportunity’ (p147). Sydney is in the early stages of plans for the revitalisation of their laneways. This has created uproar in the Sydney Melbourne rivalry, with Sydney seeming to be copying Melbourne’s successful laneway revitalisation. Sydney journalist Norrie (2008) has written about to reassure Sydneysiders that they’re simply restoring something that Sydney used to have. A major city objective is to increase tourism rates, and to make it an enjoyable place to live, through revitalisation.
Artefact # 3: Music poster collage on structural poles
Spread throughout the Melbourne CBD structural poles are used as pin boards for music posters, on first glance the poles a seemingly interpreted as an abstract form of urban art. Instead the collaboration of the posters present a different aspect of Melbourne urbanity, that of the elusive music scene, which is also a large part of the underground culture. Each pole presents a sense of community interaction and enjoyment, with slight mystery behind the events of raw live music. Perhaps these poles represent the part of the city that isn’t dominated by stereotypical elements such as stress, uniformed attire and committed work ethic. On the contrary they subtly remind city residents there is a route of escape, places in which a distraction from the grind of everyday can be found. Once you have closely engaged with the advertising you become aware that music within Melbourne is not just light entertainment, it adds to Melbourne’s identity and unique aurora. It is commented by Bennet and Peterson that the idea of a ‘music scene’ allows a sense of togetherness within particular groups, enabling confident self expression within a particular context. Melbourne becomes the context of self expression for groups and hence the city itself is shaped through the shared expressions
of the people. Music therefore has become a predominant element of self expression that can define a city image, so much so that the “tourist industry exploit the distinctive aspect of their city’s music scene”. (2004, Bennet & Peterson). However when we engage with the music scene it becomes obvious what surrounds the music underground, the essence of self expression. Additionally the collaborative music advertisements communicate the feelings, thoughts and opinions of the city community. Music in Melbourne reflects the many known attributes of city as a whole, such as the idea of Melbournians’ constantly wearing black clothing, a colour often connected with more serious nature. Furthermore this serious nature can be interpreted that Melburnians’ are deep thinkers, who filter their opinions into music. Furthermore the importance of the city is detrimental for a thriving music seen, without “space and place” there cannot be a physical music scene. Consequently Melbourne cannot be disconnected from its music scene, the “underground alternative” label is what adds to the attraction of Melbourne’s urbanity. Experiencing a music scene is unavoidable and pin pointing its elements a simple task, determining its origins can be difficult. In Cohen’s case study on the music scene in Liverpool she discusses the integral role of placement in the world sphere and overall economic standing. When looking at Liverpool it is obvious that the city is different in physical structure than Melbourne, Liverpool has industrialist themes while Melbourne is major city full of growing technologies and facilities. It is much easier to create music from already developed resources and so it Liverpool’s music scene has a more classical edge, using its heritage as its central source. Differentially Melbourne uses its growing base of modernity and young edge to create the underground music culture, bringing Melbournians a unique set of music festivals and events. Cohen states that music plays an enormous role in “the making or ‘social production’ of the city”.
Artefact # 4: Brunetti Postcard
Coffee culture has played a vital role in the city of Melbourne for many years. Advertising has contributed to the success of many cafes throughout the city, with posters, postcards and print advertisements exhibiting images of delectable food and creamy coffee. Brunetti City Square was opened in April 2005, combing authentic Italian style, with a modern edge. It holds onto the traditional Italian style expected from a European influenced cafe and offers many delicious delicacies. Coffee culture is a vital part of life fore many Melbournians, with some of the best cafes existing in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. An article recently published in The Age, titled ‘Australia, a nation of coffee drinkers, ‘argues that Australia’s coffee culture is so strong because of the European influence felt throughout the country. This argument is highly relevant in Melbourne’s case as it is a very multicultural city, and coffee drinking has become an “integral part of Australian lifestyle.” Every part of Melbourne displays a different style of cafe culture, whether it is Italian style in Lygon Street, or uniquely Greek in Oakleigh. Family and friends are brought together through the social interaction brought about by cafe culture. There has always been a strong emphasis on the
idea of cafes as a place for sociality. Author M. Hartmann (2009) discusses that, “the idea of a cafe contains notions of sociality, meeting with friends, being seen, seeing others, engaging with outsiders.” The article discusses social changes in the world of work, more specifically the changing cafe environment, from one of sociality to an environment where Wi-Fi and computers are now socially acceptable. Various forms of media have always been accessible at many cafes, such as newspapers, books, television and radio, however it has only been in the last few years that laptops have become a standard fixture at many cafe establishments. The idea of Wi-Fi in cafe spaces brings a whole new dimension to the idea of communication and social interaction. Social interaction has also played a role in the success of Starbucks, through traditional forms of advertising such as printed advertising as well as through word of mouth. C Ruzich (2008) discusses that in the last 20 years Starbucks has spent less than $10 million dollars worldwide on advertising, relying on consumers to positively promote their cafe experiences. Its use of music, colour, texture in stores to create a specific experience, has clearly been effective in enticing customers to spend. Brunetti is similar, in the sense that its reputation has grown through word of mouth, with generations of Italians enjoying the coffee delights on offer. Brunetti is a city icon, with great consumer demand for coffee helping to fuel its success. Cafes and coffee culture have always been an integral part of city life, with advertising playing a key role in its development and success.
References: • Alomes, S 1985 ‘Parades of meaning: The Moomba festival and contemporary culture’, Journal of Australian Studies, 9: 17, 3 — 1, <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14443058509386909> • Bennet & Peterson, A&R.A 2004, ‘Scenes in Journalistic Discourse’, in ‘Music scenes: Local, Translocal and virtual’, 1st edn, Vanderbilt University Press, Nashville, pg2 • Cohen, S. 2007, ‘Music and the Production of the City’, in ‘Decline, Renewal and the City in Popular Music Culture: Beyond the Beatles, 1st edn, Ashgate Publishing Limited, Hampshire, England, pg 34 • Edwards, L 2010, ‘No one rained on this Moomba Parade’, The Age, 9 March, viewed 20 March 2010, <http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/no-one-rained-on-this-moomba-parade-20100308-psqm.html> • Fung, P. (2006) ‘The seduction of the laneways: making Melbourne a “world city”’, Crossings 11(2): 1-12.. Accessed 6 April 2010 < http://www.inasa.org/crossings/11_2/index.php?apply=fung > • Hartmann, M 2009, ‘The Changing Urban Landscape of Media Consumption and Production’, European Journal of Communication, vol 24, no. 421, viewed 13 April 2010, Sage Publications Full Text. • Hudson, R 2006, ‘Regions and place: music, identity and place’, in ‘Progress in Human geography’, Sage Publications, University of Durham, pg626 • Kleinert, S 1999, ‘An aboriginal Moomba: Remaking history’, Continuum, 13: 3, 345 — 357, http:// dx.doi.org/10.1080/14443058509386909 • Lorente, J I, Antolin, J R & Fernandez J M 2007, The City under Reconstruction and the Narrative of Revitalisation: from the Obsolete to Spaces of Opportunity, The Image of Urban Regeneration Concerning Bilbai: The City as a Narrative and Experience, English edn, journal article, EBSCOvol 1, viewed April 1 2010. <http://www.ehu.es/zer/zere1/ZERE_lorente.pdf> • Norrie, J 2008 ‘Forget Melbourne, Changing Lanes is Right Up City’s Alley’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 November, viewed 1 April 2010, <http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/changing-lanes-is-rightup-sydneys-alley/2006/11/27/1164476135246.html > • Rose, D 2010, ‘Australia a nation of coffee drinkers’, The Age, 5 March, viewed 13 April 2010, <http:// news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-business/australia-a-nation-of-coffee-drinkers-20100305-pnbb.html> • Ruzich, C 2008, ‘For the love of Joe: The Language of Starbucks’, Journal of Popular Culture, Vol. 41, no 3, pp. 428-442, viewed 16 April 2010, EBSCO database.