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Australian Banana Advertisement Campaign: How the visual and verbal features work together to create a successful ad.


Following is an analysis of the visual and verbal features of the No Nos versus Na Nas ad campaign for Australian Bananas. 



Visual features
Given and new – no no in Given, na na in New
-       end of tv ad, poster in Given, happy healthy people in New.
-       Tv ad generally shows no nos then na na scenes. Unhappy, unhealthy, sedentary people shown inside. Then happy, healthy, active people shown outside.
Modality – no nos have unnatural colour saturation, grey, unhealthy, ‘peeky’ colours. They have ‘animated’ qualities of fist punching no no eater, chair rocketing no no eater through the roof of building, background wizzing around behind no no eater.
-       na na eaters are shown through more realistic colour saturation, bright colours, light filled scenes, yellow light symbolic of the bananas.
Mix of ages shown. Use of old sound track know to adults from their childhood. Comparable to old tv ad which only showed children.
Demand – both the still ad and video, include lady holding both no no and na na, shown via a Demand to engage the viewer.
Power relations – mostly eye level, to relate to viewer. One shot from above as viewer sees no no eater in chair rocketing through the sky, creating a sense that we knew this would happen. One shot from below, boy kicks football high into the sky, towards the sun, symbolic of nature, energy, life and na nas giving the eater the ability to soar naturally. Placement of shot from above at beginning of ad and shot from below at end of ad providing a symmetry and cohesion.

Verbal features
 Transcript of tv ad:
When it comes to energy snacks there are no nos and na nas.
A chemical high, that’s a no no.
An all day glow, that’s a na na.
Quick hit is a no no,
Lasting energy is a nan a.
Sugar rush, no no.
Natural high, na na.
When you need longer lasting energy reach for nature’s energy snack.
Australian bananas.
(Sound track) Make your body sing!

Alliteration to help campaign stick in peoples minds.
No no, na na.
They want to create a meme comparing junk food to bananas.

Juxtaposition of competing elements
‘chemical high’ vs ‘all day glow’
‘quick hit’ vs ‘lasting energy’
‘sugar rush’ vs ‘natural high’
Cohesion and symmetry verbally via the first and last elements using ‘high’. This is echoed in visual text and power relations.

 Use of Judgement within the noun groups.
Chemical, quick, sugar – negative, undesirable
All day, lasting, natural – positive, desirable, worthwhile.