The advert shows a close-up shot of the rapper in the left half, whilst there are images of different fingerprints on the right half of the advert.
The fingerprints could allude or have a relation to criminal activity, which could suggest to the audience that the rapper is someone not to be taken lightly. Also, that he has a huge a background for which he stands by and takes his motives seriously.
The advert uses a unique way of creating shadows on the subject's face, this is done by placing the light source on top of the person's head so the shadows are placed on the lower half of the subject's face. This helps to create a very serious theme as the facial expression of the subject make him look determined and stern which could show the passion for the product or his determination shown on his face is something he regularly uses.
The company's slogan "I am what I am" is the largest piece of text on the advert, showing it is the most significant factor, even more important than the logo itself.
The dominant or preferred reading this advert would be that it shows determination and resilience through the actions and history of 50 Cent. Also that by displaying the slogan “I am what I am” the creator intended to convey the idea of promoting individuality, that by being content with oneself you will achieve great success. This could also lead into the creator’s negotiated reading that by being who you are you are acceptant of your past and use it to shape yourself in the present and future for the better.
However, the oppositional reading could be that due to use of the fingerprint picture, there could be ideas of gang violence and crime which is obviously not the intentions of Reebok. It could also play into the idea of stereotypes and racism that the reader interprets the advert through stereotypes that black males are more prone to a violent and crime lifestyle.
The advert uses a very dark, grim and bleak colour scheme overall. This connotes to the idea of how the setting is in a scary and a very stereotypical horror situation.
In the mise en scene, the audience can see a young girl playing tea party with her doll and she is closed off in to the left side of the frame, whilst in the wide open right hand side of the frame, you can see an open door with a slightly older and sinister looking doll creeping in. The older looking doll is casting a very big shadow for something as small, which makes the reader feel uncomfortable and uneasy. The advert uses the natural light from outside to create shadows on the young girl, and her expressions show that she is scared and in a very dangerous situation.
This entire advert seems unusual for a battery company like Duracell, until the reader reads the tagline for the advert which is "Some toys never die". This immediately changes the audience's idea of it being a scary situation to one that is much more light hearted and humorous. It makes sense to the audience as the older toy's battery haven't finished so it hasn't "died" which also relates to the idea that the young girl has a newer toy next to her. This shows the audience that their product is very reliable and goes with their campaigning strategy of the fact that Duracell actually lasts longer than it's competitors.
The dominant or preferred reading for this advert would be that it is a very funny and humorous scenario where it actually tries to parody the stereotypical horror movie posters. This gives the audience something to laugh and essentially hooks them into looking at their product.
However, the oppositional reading could be that this same idea of a horror situation with a young girl suggests that Duracell promotes danger and that their product will put young children in a situation where they would feel threatened.
