1. Communication Study Assessment Task 2: creating an example of communication Caradock Gardens Magazine advertisement Commentary Word Count: 799 By Latoya Hancock

3. Context This single page advertisement was created for the state’s The Adelaide* Magazine. This publication focuses on elements of the state and highlights hotspots around the town. This advertisement may be placed in a special tourist issue of the magazine.

4. Audience The image of the people exploring the maze in my advertisement relates to my audience of family. This image symbolises the place being fun and appealing to families with children. It is idealised that the place is also educational and free, so this would appeal greatly to my audience.

5. Product & Campaign Details Caradock Gardens is a 30 hectare fictional garden which is now home to a large amount of hedge mazes. This advertisement focuses on them and promotes other facilities in the garden in the copy at the bottom of the advertisement. I wanted to create a simple advertisement that had deeper meanings to it and have a powerful image which would draw people’s attention to it. The advertisement is not flashy and does not contain a large amount of text. The logo I created carries images that are associated with gardens and nature.

6. Overall Concept The overall concept for my advertisement was to create the idea that visitors to Caradock Gardens would have a heightened experience when they visit as the advertisement illustrates it as being this amazing mystical garden. I created both an ideal element (the top half) and a real or grounded element (the bottom half) to the advertisement. The basic idea was to promote the new hedge mazes at Caradock Gardens. The garden wants to draw in more families, so I used an image with people in it and mentioned family related activities (and the fact that it is free to visit) in the copy. “ Take a magical trip through wonderland this summer by exploring our brand new hedge mazes. Fun for the whole family and it's free. Whilst visiting, don't forget to explore our wide range of colourful gardens or have a scrumptious meal in one of our many restaurants.” – Copy on Advertisement

7. Central Image The central image is the perfect visual representation of losing yourself in this larger than life location. The hazy top of the central image creates a fantasy ideal of the garden. The bottom half of the image is darker and creates a more realistic feel to the advertisement. The people in the centre of the image pointing into the distance bring a personal feel of families into the advertisement. The way the tones of the colours change (from the top to the bottom) in the advertisement links to my colour scheme.

8. Caption The caption in the advertisement essentially does what it says and gets lost in the image. The first part of the caption creates a signified of losing yourself in a magical place due to its beauty and vastness. The remainder of the caption is found in the lower half or grounded half of the advertisement. It could be also

9. known as the new idea being introduced or in other words, the product that is being advertised. It mentions that this place is real and the word ‘our’ invites people in to visit. The garden statement creates a signified of the Garden of Eden which Adam and Eve lived in. Using this signified gives the viewer the impression that this place is just like the mystical Garden of Eden.

10. Layout The given and ideal is placed at the top of my advertisement. It is shown by the words ‘Lose yourself’ and the hazy top of the skyline. An image of a fantasy world and makes the viewer want to look for themselves at this location. The real and grounded is placed in the lower, darker half of the advertisement. The text ‘in our garden’ makes you realise that this place is real and available to visit to discover its glory. The simple logo shows real elements of nature and the gardens whilst the text explains facilities of the park.

11. Logo & Address Copy Central Image Beginning of caption Ending of caption

12. Logo The Caradock Gardens logo is simple with eight boxes of images relating to nature. Birds are predominantly featured and the colours complement central image colours. The images create a signified of images from different seasons, mainly autumn. The address in South Australia is placed underneath the title to reduce the amount of clutter on the page, thus creating visual balance.

13. Address Images of Flora & Fauna

14. Colour Scheme The advertisement’s colour scheme is dominated by earthly colours and the colours of the seasons. The brown caption tone allows the viewer to notice that and then find the remainder of the text. The semiotics of the cartoon style images in the logo are the bird and nature images. If the viewer sees these, they will automatically think nature or gardens and a picture will form in their head of a simple garden. The colours tie in with the nature theme.