Week 4 Audio Arts - Analysing Sound for Ads

This toothbrush ad uses comical, overdone sound design in a similar way to classic cartoons to accompany a similar use of slapstick comedy. The comical xylophone tinkling appears to mock the cat while it meows curiously. When the cat falls over, the crash includes cymbals which references the orchestra effects once used in cartoons, as does the classic brass wow wow when the cat meets its fate. The swanky jazz is also reminiscent of older films and makes you feel increasingly smarter than the cat.

This higher budget CGI advertisement uses hyper-real mechanical noises in a similar way to modern action films. When we enter the world of the fuzzball table, the bassy grinding sounds suggest that it is a huge-scale version that may fit the human soccer players in it. The kicking sounds are also larger-than-life in order to create a strong sense of power and toughness. Non-diegetic crowd sounds add atmosphere and increase the sense of unreality of the fuzzball players coming to life. The action sounds contrast with the sparseness of the beginning and end of the ad which is set in the real world. The clock ticking makes this contrast more dramatic and suggests the event that is about to happen.

Reference: Christian Haines. "Week 4 Audio Arts - Advertisement Sound Design Analysis." Lecture presented at the Electronic Music Unit, University of Adelaide, 17 August 2008.