“Spanish cultural

dimensions in the
advertising”

Student: María Hernández Gallego

Visual Communication and Media Theory.
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Wintersemester 10/11 Medienwissenschaft
 Visual Communication and Media Theory

Dates basics of Spain

Spain is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe
on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea
except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north by
France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and
Portugal.

Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands
in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and
Melilla, that border Morocco.

Because of its location, the territory of Spain was subject to many external influences since
prehistoric times and through to its dawn as a country. Spain emerged as a unified country in the
15th century, following the marriage of the Catholic Monarchs and the completion of the reconquest,
or Reconquista, of the Iberian peninsula in 1492. Conversely, it has been an important source of
influence to other regions, chiefly during the Modern Era, when it became a global empire that has
left a legacy of over 500 million Spanish speakers today, making it the world's second most spoken
first language.

Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a parliamentary government under a

constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the ninth largest economy in the world by
nominal GDP, and very high living standards (20th highest Human Development Index), including
the tenth-highest quality of life index rating in the world, as of 2005. It is a member of the United
Nations, European Union, NATO, OECD, and WTO.

Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament,

the Cortes Generales. The executive branch consists of a Council of Ministers of Spain presided
over by the Prime Minister, nominated and appointed by the monarch and confirmed by the
Congress of Deputies following legislative elections. By political custom established by King Juan
Carlos since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the king's nominees have all been from parties
who maintain a plurality of seats in the Congress.

The Spanish nation is organizationally composed in the form of called Estado de las
Autonomías ("State of Autonomies"); it is one of the most decentralized countries in Europe, along
with Switzerland, Germany and Belgium.

Cultural dimension

Publicity cannot be seen as a set of techniques but rather as an activity wich has enter into
the context of the media and which helps to shape new culture areas. From this point of view,
advertising forms parts of the modern audiovisual culture and this requires researching new
axiological principles.

Hofstede found five dimensions of culture in his study of national work related values. The
dimensions are:

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In this work, I am going to relate each dimension of cultural with the advertising of Spain.

Power distance

The power distance is respect for the hierarchy of people (age, status, experience). Much
power distance is that the hierarchy is respected a lot. Low power distance means that the hierarchy
is not respected. In advertising shows that older people are experts and they give advice to young
people. Young people are with respect to older people. On the other hand in the ads with low power
distance is used humor in communication and roles are not marked.

Latin American and Arab nations are ranked the highest in this category, the Scandinavian
and Germanic in the lowest.

Spanish advertising in the two cases are given. In the first ad we see a nun placed a clamp on
the nose to avoid the temptation of harassing a man who uses Axe.

The following advertisement shows a grandfather advising his grandson about life, the
product is Werther´s Original candy.

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Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm18Ko06g0Q&feature=related

Individualism and collectivisms in the society

Individualism:

Many are the ads that offer products or services with unique characteristics, or at least
pretend to be, but there are also many who use simple, direct messages in which clearly expresses
the exclusivity of the brand. For example Andalusia only one. Different products or services shown
in distinction to impress your guests, that makes them unique among all other human beings. You
could say that the advertising discourse is a discourse of individualism, which operates the service
of strengthening the capitalist system. What can guess that if you change the current political and
socio-economic system, the language of advertising would change, so you can rely on different
arguments. The current advertising message is developed under capitalism, and capitalism is based
on individualistic ideas, advertising uses these ideas in Spain.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hovvdJ2MQ_4

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Collectivisms:
Collectivism uses a lot of communication in the advertisement. The features are: time is
polychronic appear groups of people or families on the news the news presenters have each other.

The elderly, people with low socioeconomic status and low culture can be associated with
collectivist sentiments. For the collectivist group:

• People belong to a group

• The tasks are less important than people.
• Act groups, people do not act
• You are born into a culture that defines your identity
• The work and private life are related.
• Groups have eigenvalues

Asian, Latin-American and Muslims are collectivist.

This advertisement of the Spanish national football shows the feelings of a group of people.
Focuses on the feeling of the nation.

Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSBV3RC7_CQ&NR=1

Competitiveness- masculinity vs feminity

The male and female characters play within advertising, a traditional role in more than 60%
of cases. This fact is reinforced by the division of roles in communicating the ads down: men take
up to 80% of the roles of authority, hence the recourse to arguments mostly scientific objectives,
while women are identified with the public role of consumer and credit based on their personal
experience with the product. The man continues to dominate the advertising scene, not only because
it acts as a driver's spot in the double of occasions that the woman, but also because it has a
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presence four times larger than the female voices and prescribing forward in all product areas
except cosmetics and home, which is no less significant. In addition, 40% of the female characters
is the continuation of dependent functions related to the traditional role of homemaker, wife, and
even sexual object, while only 9% of the male characters appears in a similar situation with respect
to dependence other characters in the spot. In the communicative process that integrates the
advertisement, the messages are capable of transmitting gender stereotypes and contribute to its
maintenance. Often, innovation, investment paper or apparently transgressive nature proposed in the
notice, it crumbles to a closer look and critique, as the transgression or innovative vision does not
exceed the internal communication process and crashes spectacularly spot with strength of the
stereotype that guides the communication process and, ultimately, real, within which the innovative
proposal is merely a strategy to obtain the same values and issues.

This advertisement of Dolce & Gabbana in Spain have been condemned their as sexist and
violent, throwing the flamboyant duo into a hissy fit and prompting withdrawal of the images.

The advertisement, show a half-naked man holding a scantily clad woman to the ground by
her wrists while four predatory hunks look on. Spain's Women's Institute, a government
organization linked to the Labour Ministry, described the scene as offensive to women's dignity and
an incitement to sexual violence.

Uncertainty avoidance

It is the fear of the future, to what can happen. It reflects the degree to which a society
accepts uncertainty and risk. There is uncertainty cultures create rules that organize activities,
valued at experts advising, and stress and fear must be reduced. The uncertainty is shown in Spanish
ads for cosmetics, medicine, beauty ... experts explain to the public about the product. They appear
well dressed and they use very technical language. Thus reducing the fear of buyers. Also others
who have used the product tell their exeriencias.

Mediterranean cultures, Latin America and Japan are the highest in this category.

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The following advertisement of Elnett by L´oreal. Actress Penélope Cruz gives his opinion
about the product. she says “it is the best hair spray in the world”.

Linkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow7NFkCdjqE

Time orientation
It refers to the importance given to culture in planning long-term life in contrast to the
immediate concerns.

The effects of advertising depend on many variables: the markets where we operate, the
category of products, brands, style advertising campaign, the means and even the media.

It is recognized that online advertising is useful as it reaches more and better for advertisers.
Any person of any social segment can be viewed online ads. Another major positive aspect of
online advertising is that this type of advertising is not limited in time or geographical zones. To
create an impact on potential customers and to ensure good performance, advertisers will not spend
hesitate to advertisement. Ensures that the returns would be much good. A successful advertising
campaign becomes apparent only when the ads are placed well and are directed to perfection.
Currently short-term effect can be seen in viral marketing.

Following link is an advertisement for viral marketing tennis player Roger Federer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTl3U6aSd2w

Sports, news, Internet ... all media advertising reproduced in which the player emulates the
legendary William Tell, this time with a racket and a ball and of course a bottle of foam Gillett

Is advertising that takes more time to work. Is slower. but is safer and has more benefits.
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Communication is word of mouth. It is based on the good work. Its function is to produce sales. is
typical service announcements.

Conclusion

After I make this work I have learned that advertising is a reflection of the culture of a country
and its subcultures. However, can often generate an idea or strategy as solid and well structured can
have an impact in society. Regularly is a temporary effect that fails to transcend. Its main impact is more
economical (for the consumer and the advertiser) and social occasions (incorporating everyday items to
the public).

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Bibliography
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