Artistic and Aesthetic Elements of Advertising in Bangladesh

International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 8, Issue 3, March-2017 1406 ISSN 2229-5518 Artistic and Aesthetic Elements of Advertising in Bangladesh

Mohammad Ferdous Khan Shawon

Abstract:Advertising, mainly an aid for branding products, services or events to people commercially, plays a great role to construct the society, economy and state. It is not only a medium of publishing the content, also a subject of art and industry. Besides it plays a vital role in economic sphere. A successful or effective advertisement contains artistic and aesthetic elements to catch the attention of its audience. One can find useful information, source of entertainment and various beauty tips from advertisements and thus it becomes popular. It provides message to the customers or consumers. This research mainly aims to operate on various types of advertisements in Bangladesh, such as- newspaper advertisements, billboard promotion, Television Commercial (TVC) and digital advertising. The prime objective of the research is to evaluate the artistic and aesthetic elements of advertising in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Advertising, Advertising Agency, Aesthetic, Artistic, Billboard,Newspaper Advertising, Poster, TV Commercial.

1. INTRODUCTION Advertising plays a vital role in society, it At present, there are around 500 advertising promotes the goods or services. agencies in Bangladesh. But newspaper Advertisingattracts the mind of customers or advertising is very popular medium in consumers. Industrial revolution helped to Bangladesh. Because the newspaper covers expand the advertising industry in Europe. all classes of people. The objective of the At present, in this rapid development of advertising is to promote the goods and technology, people can see different types of services. Unfortunately sometimes these ads advertising in daily life. From the represent the young community in a very increasingly industrialized and urbanized negative approach. People see thousands of landscape, a IJSERunique phenomenon in advertising everyday, where he/she lives. marketing was born, and sometime around Therefore, the city dwellers see Dhaka as a the 1900s, the concept of modern city of advertising. Here someone can find advertising emerged in the society.There unorganized or unauthorized billboards, was a trend or tendency of newspaper hoardings, posters etc. The advertisers advertising since 19th century in the Indian compete with each other. Men live in a Subcontinent. At that time, most of the world where earning is not major objective. advertisements were based on typography Besides the information an advertisement and were published in English language. should feature aesthetics and artistic Basically,government proclamation, tender approach to attract the viewers. etc. were published in printed forms. An advertising can be transmitted through Besides product ads were published TV, radio, internet, newspaper, billboard, sometimes. Sometimes, images were used in poster etc.Among those newspaper goods in advertising. Advertising is very effective way to circulate. In this research paper, the researcher will artists and the advertisers. The prime thrust shed light on the work of graphic designers, of this paper is to identify the aesthetics and

evaluate the aesthetic and artistic elements feature –usage of forms and appropriate of design. . Aesthetic elements will feature colours and good composition. Here the beauty, good story, suitable dialogues and researcher will evaluate the work with the appropriateinformation. Artistic elements help of principles of design.

2. METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH The article projects the qualitative approach. be scrutinized several times and the Data will be collected from both primary authenticity will be ensured. The researcher and secondary sources. Primary source has considered the research area primarily in features interview,close observation and Bangladesh. The time frame will be taken analysis. Secondary source features- books, from 1972-2016. internet, social media, social media pages, various websites, journals etc. Each data will

3. LITERATURE REVIEW Advertisements published in the newspapers advertisements of theatre, along with from Kokata between the latter half of the cinemas or with a few other products. The 18th century were mostly addresses of shops, visual language of advertisement gradually the name-date-venue of festivals or developed alongside the improvement of advertisement of different products.The printing technology [2]. Bengali type was then at its primary stage. Rabindranath Tagore is a protagonist Most of the advertisements had some in Bengali life. Tagore played his robust role information and very little scope for making in art, culture, dance and other aesthetic them attractive. IJSERHowever, there had been fields. People or businessmen who are not attempts to make them eye-catching by directly associated with Rabindranath or his making a contrast of large and small fonts culture, used the fame or brand in their [1]. business expansion. They have collected Throughout the 19th century and the comments and remarks about their goods or second decade of the 20th century, services. Later they published those in advertisements published in the newspapers newspapers as newspaper ads. After the mostly reflected Western lifestyle and death of Rabindranath many persons or culture, for example- advertisements of cars, companies associated their products with ready-made garments for men and women Rabindranath. Then they published those as etc. Sometimes there were personal news or ads in various newspapers [3]. advertisements of painters from Europe, In Pakistan period most of the role in the graphic design of Bangladesh. advertising agencies were in West Pakistan; Among these, Evergreen Publicity, Kamart, especially in Karachi. However, the few Estland Advertising, Greenways Advertising advertising agencies set up in East Pakistan and later Star Advertising, Nikku in the 50s and 60s had played an important Advertising and Nabangkur Publicity are

IJSER © 2017 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 8, Issue 3, March-2017 1408 ISSN 2229-5518 important ones. Among these, Evergreen At present, the first world (North America and Kamart were renowned for and Europe) emphasizes on internet based advertisements of films. A few important advertising. This influence is also seen in advertisements from this era are those of Bangladesh. There is a large number of Habib Bank and different products of the people between 25-40 age group in Tibet Company etc. [4]. Bangladesh. This age group use social communication sites like- Facebook, Those advertisements were done in Instagram, Twitter, You Tube, Google+, ink and pen and reflected artistic and Whatsup, etc. This huge number of people aesthetic attributes. are the target market for different We can identify a conventionality in companies. Most of the companies today the advertisements in newspapers until the publish or advertise their goods or services year 1975-76. The main reason behind this in social media. was that most dailies, weeklies and Besides there is a huge number of viewersof fortnightlies were published in letterpress TV channels in Bangladesh. On these TV until then. For that reason screens were channels there are segments like pick-hour, avoided in design and the line was preferred, semi-pick hour and off-pick hour. In pick which created monotony. By the end of 70s, hour in Bangladesh the advertisers transmit with the introduction of offset press, designs advertising of adult contents like birth- overcome the limitations. We have to make control pills or condoms. In many countries, special mention of Rashid Ahmed in this these types of broadcast in pick hour is regard. In the 70s and 80s, he created prohibited. amazing designs in black and white without using any middle tone. We can give Sometimes in Bangladesh, most of the ads examples of advertisements of the Kohinoor are made for other countries but later Group of Industries,IJSER Bangladesh Tobacco dubbed in Bangla language. That ad is Company, Rice Research Institute, Janata appropriate for other countries, not for Bank, Uttara Bank etc. for this kind of work Bangladesh [7]. [5]. The underneath are the features and At present, we noticethe influences of mixed contents of some ads in Bangladesh- languages in different radio stations. This The ad features the trait or the function of a influence is also seen in advertising too. detergent powder. The school boy broke the Mobile phone operators send Bangla glass of a house while playing cricket. There message in English alphabets. For this, the is a chaos among the boys who will collect language got distorted. We also send Bangla the cricket ball from inside the house. message in English [6]. Someone from them entered the house with courage to collect the ball. But the master of the house became angry and about to punish will play cricket, you will hit six and then the boy with a stick. He said angrily,“You break the glass.” Then the boy advanced his two hands “Uncle, hit me on my two hands, because I forward and replied in a confident tone, will hit six on the next ball too.” In this

sequence, the boy somehow expressed his newspaper feature all classes of people like- indecent behaviour. But the commentator rich, poor, service holder, students and announced from the background, “If the jobless people. So newspaper advertising is target is double time vibrant, why not the popular. We can divide the newspaper clothes?” Hence, instead of punishment, the advertising in two segments- one is based on boy got back his cricket ball [8]. typography, another is mixed up of typography and images. Most of the This is an ad of a shampoo company. recruitment ads are based on typography The superintendentof the hostel alerts the [10]. girls-“It is forbidden to go outside the hostel after 10 pm”. The inmates of the hostel Robi, the mobile company operator assured the superintendent that they will not will donate new clothes in the Eid. In this go outside the hostel after 10 PM. They regard, Robi has presented an excellent replied,“Madame, how come? With this wet imagery. The most heart toughing scenery is hair!” But they joined party and danced. that the younger brother is showcasing the These are the attributes of the shampoo. The opposite side of the clothes to his elder feature of the shampoo locked hair, but brother and said, “Brother, look, my cloth is exposed lies and forgery [9]. new now.” Then the sadness disappeared in a moment [11]. Newspaper advertising is easier to circulate than other media. Because the readers of the

4. ANALYSIS Advertising orders come to the hands of Some advertisements were made for other Marketing Department in Ad agency. Then countries, but the advertisers just dub it. it is sent to theIJSER Creative Department. But Grameen Phone made a Television Brainstorming is generated there and then Commercial titled ‘Ay to Somoy Fire Asar’ again sent to the client for feedback. Client (This is the Time to Back). Usually people service is also associated with this go to their home town or native villages procedure. Basically, Marketing prior to Eid in Bangladesh. The ad makers Department, Creative Department and Client applied the emotion and constructed a Service work together. There is a lack of unique imagery to portray the festivals. Here research tendency among the ad agencies in someone can find very unique creativity and Bangladesh. In the advertising sector, there aesthetic approach in ad making. It conveys should be a survey, aesthetic approach and the Grameen Phone 3G Internet service necessity of the consumers. At present, a package. Here the advertisers emphasized on large number of TV commercials are made emotional content than information. outside the country;especially in India. Ad agency Asiatic advertises an advertising it showcases the freshness Unilever products in Bangladesh. The area and shine of the hair through timeline. It covers billboard, newspaper ad, TV used white as background colour. Commercial etc. Someone can find the elements of aesthetic in their advertising. In

Some companies and advertisers use Recently the movie poster Bangladeshi cricketers as models like- ‘Aynabaji’ earned appreciation. The film Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, poster features a fragmented glass and a Mahmuduallah Riyad, Nasir Hossain, portrait.The portrait features blending of two Taskin Ahmed, Soummya Sarkar, pictures together. Thefilm poster carries Mashrafee Bin Mourtoza, Sabbir Rahman decency and aesthetic approach. and Mushfikur Rahman. To use the players In the recent time famous cricketer as models are not new trend in Bangladesh. Sabbir Rahman features Oscar beverage ad Famous ex-footballer Kazi Salauddin starred with Nayla Naim. The ad arises amid in LifeBuoy ad in 80s. reaction among the viewers for its A look at theAARONG controversial slogan, ‘Aktu Privacy to advertisement entitled ‘Flower Power’, Darker’. Later the TV channels in the reminds us of the three Greek goddesses of country stopped the ad for its controversial beauty, intelligence and power; Athena, slogan. Hera and Aphrodite, who seem to be The presentation of women is used in symbolized by the three young girls standing advertising since ancient time. It may here. Their ‘tempting’ outlook and gesture differentiate time to time. In Malaysia, the attract the viewers with their beauty as well presentation of women in advertisement is as power which is already entitled as restricted, if the product is not related with “flower power”. “Flower (Girls) Power” women. In Saudi Arabia, the presentation of signifies a declaration of war against this women is completely prohibited there. Here patriarchal society which can be seen as an in Bangladesh, in many advertisements empowering side of this advertisement. women are presented in vulgar ways. Again, using zero ornament is a signifier of non-violent ideology to renounce their In Western countries there are feminity where theyIJSER are which suggestrefuse advertising regulatory agencies or boards. traditional female roles of being decked up But Bangladesh lacks this type of regulatory with ornaments. The use of zero ornaments board. But there is a broadcast policy in can be seen as an attempt as ‘De-eroticizing’ Bangladesh. here which suggests a renewal of identity or protest [12].

5. CONCLUSION Media has so far been the greatest discovery popularize the advertising, as well as to of all era in terms of mass communication promote the service or goods. It was also and delivering message to a nation. Needless found that in some cases the advertising to mention it also generates a huge amount agencies and companies tend tooverlook of money both beneficial for celebrities and public sentiment or existing custom of the the ad agencies. From the above discussion country. Sometimes they conduct unethical and analysis it can be said that artistic and and cheap practices in advertising by aesthetic elements play a vital role to providing misinformation, misleading youth

IJSER © 2017 http://www.ijser.org International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, Volume 8, Issue 3, March-2017 1411 ISSN 2229-5518 by adverse socio-cultural practices. present advertising with early 19th century Sometimes they steal concept from newspaper ad we will find a huge difference. neighboring country advertising which Those were drawn in black ink and distinct mismatches the overall target audience and line. The advertisers were dependent on the their sentiment. To overcome these hand painted talent. There was a limitation Government should have restricted in letter press printing but now we can see regulatory board and proper screening of the colourful or 4-colour advertisements in adverts before they are being broadcasted, newspapers. Present TV advertisings are they also should develop the dialogues or highly based on technology and different advertising script improvement, penalty for imageries are used as background. Besides breaking regulations or rules should be digital advertising is the latest development introduced in order to develop and polish the in the advertising industry of Bangladesh. advertising agenciesIf we compare the

REFERENCES [1]Shawon Akand, Graphic design, in Lala Rukh Selim (Ed.), Artand crafts,(Dhaka, Bangladesh- Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2007) p 197

[2]Ibid., p 197

[3]Samareswar Bagchi, Bigyapane rabindranath, (Kolkata, India-Bona, 2011) p 11, 13

[4]Shawon Akand, Graphic design, in Lala Rukh Selim (Ed.), Art and crafts, (Dhaka, Bangladesh- Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, 2007) p 198

[5]Ibid., p 199

[6] Mominul Islam Molla, Vasha babohare mediaro daiboddhota royeche, in Muhammad Jahangir( ED.), Gonomaddhom, (DhIJSERaka, Bangladesh-Nobojug Prokashoni, 2015), pp 340-341 [7]Mohammad Shah Alam, ‘Bijjapone Naitikota, Naitokatay Bijjapon’ http://www.ti- bangladesh.org/blog/beta/index.php/en/blog/99-2014-08-21-49.html. 2014

[8]Ibid.

[9]Ibid.

[10]Muhammad Jahangir, Kolkatar tv tey dhakar Bigyapan, in Muhammad Jahangir( ED.), Gonomaddhom,(Dhaka, Bangladesh-Nobojug Prokashoni, 2015), p 85

[11]Mohammad Shah Alam, ‘Bijjapone Naitikota, Naitokatay Bijjapon’ http://www.ti- bangladesh.org/blog/beta/index.php/en/blog/99-2014-08-21-49.html. 2014

[12] Shahid Md. Adnan,Regressive or progressive apparatus? representation of women in billboard and print advertisements in bangladesh, ASA University Review, Vol. 9No.1, January-June, 2015, p181

• Mohammad Ferdous Khan Shawon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Graphic Design & Multimedia, Shanto- Mariam University of Creative Technology, Bangladesh. His research interest are Advertising and Graphic Design. E-mail: [email protected]

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