Analysis of Reality TV Posters

Impractical Jokers: Within this poster Props and costumes are used comedically and immediately imply that the show is intended to be humorous. The type of humour portrayed using the cast’s ‘silly’ facial expressions and the laid-back house style suggests that the target audience will be 16-34-year-olds. The colour scheme and house style consist very bright featuring colours such as yellow, green, red and blue which suggests that the genre of the series is a comedy. This is also implied due to the house style being portrayed as very laid-back and relaxed. This reinforces the ideas that their brand identity suggests they are very relaxed and ‘welcoming’ to their audience. The font used for the term ‘JOKERS’ is portrayed as very informal and casual. This further reinforces the idea that the primary target audience are aged 16-34 and are male because males are more stereotypically ‘laid back’. It will also apply to the target age of 16-34 as this group of people tend to prefer informal text. The blue sky and outside environment suggest that most of the series is filmed outdoors which suggests that the public are involved. This further attracts the target audience of 16-34-year-old males because this segment of people generally like practical jokes.

The Only Way is Essex:
The primary target audience for this reality show are 16-25-year-old (working class) females. This is due to the chosen cast and the type of comedy portrayed within the show. On the poster there are images of achieved celebrities which people within the target audience may aspire to be as ‘famous’ as and may envy the type of lifestyle the celebrities live. This may give the audience a sense of escapism and could be the primary reason they watch the show. The cast features of a wide selection of personalities. Therefore, due to the diverse cast, the show will appeal to a diverse audience most viewers everyone will have someone they can identify with and may favour a character. Therefore they will build a relationship with the reality stars throughout the show. The colour consists of mainly three colours; purple, white and black. It is very minimalistic which suggests that the series is simple and is not complicated. Also, the black and white colours suggest that the series may contain raw and footage that has minimum editing. This is also reinforced by the font of the text being very bold and basic.

Hells Kitchen:

The primary target audience for Hell’s Kitchen is 18-49-year olds. The poster clearly portrays that the show is held in a kitchen through the use of costumes and the fact that Gordan Ramsey is wearing a chef’s outfit. This will appeal to the target audience because this group of people can relate with cooking and will be familiar with the kitchen. The setting is further portrayed as a kitchen because Gordan Ramsey is holding two knives. The way the knives are held as a cross suggests that Gordan is the ‘bad guy’ of the series and the contestants are the ‘good guys’. This is an example of binary opposition. Gordan Ramsey is an achieved celebrity and will appeal to the target audience as fans of his are mostly in the age range of 18-49. Fans of his will know he has a short temper which reinforces the idea that he will be the bad guy within the series. Also, the colours red and orange are very dominant within the poster. These colours suggest that Gordan will be fiery and seen as intimidating to the contestants which the target audience will find entertaining.