Text 24: Salty Dog

Text 24: Salty Dog

1. Context of production and reception: This is a crisp packet called ‘salty dog’

2. The purpose is to inform and persuade

   • This compares with text 23: Jonathan Crisp as it is also a crisp packet and will aim to fulfil the same purpose of this text

3. Audience: Cool, trendy young adults, quite alternative people who are modern or men as ‘dog is a man’s best friend’

4. Form and structure: ‘That bites back’ If the slogan was alone on the packet without the title it wouldn’t make sense

   • The nutritional information is printed on the back of the packaging in order to help attract and persuade consumers to buy the product; if this information was on the front it might confuse the buyers so they wouldn’t purchase it
   • This compares with text 16: Mexican Scrambled eggs as Nigella includes information similar to the crisp packet in a way that doesn’t confuse or worry readers

5. Figurative language: ‘That bites back’ The use of the metaphor personifies the crisps into ‘biting back’ and therefore connoting that they have real flavour and character unlike regular crisps

   • This can contrast to text 26: Uses of literacy which uses no figurative language but still meets the target audience and still fulfils purpose

6. Sound patterning: ‘Cooked Crisps’ uses alliteration to attract the reader, the ‘C’ sound is quite is quite harsh making the crisps have real character and purpose

   • ‘Bites back’ uses plosives captivates readers; the ‘B’ sound is quite satisfying assuring the reader that the crisps are good
   • This can link to text 17: Nigella Lawson, as Nigella also uses plosives to satisfy consumers

7. Word choice: ‘100% real’ This quote is used to show that the crisps are real and natural, being used alongside ‘Hand-Cooked’ reinforces this point further

   • The joke which is printed on the back of the packet has a positive effect on the reader making the crisps seem friendly by using colloquial and monosyllabic lexis to achieve this
   • This can be compared with Text 23: Jonathan Crisp which uses the same techniques to achieve the same effect

8. Grammar: ‘Can you do better?’ The use of interrogative and simple sentence and question mark creates an informal register

   • The context in which it is used is not context specific lexis; which could make the consumers feel more at ease with the crisps as they get a conversational feel from it
   • This contrasts with text 26: The use of literacy which uses no interrogative sentences and is not all informal or colloquial

9. Layout and presentation: Graphology – The background of the packaging is silver with black writing and black and white image which looks simple, yet effective

   • It appeals to the target audience as they will be immediately drawn to it and want to try it out
   • The image of the dog is quite fun and will reach out to the younger audience and men who believe dogs are ‘man’s best friend’
     • This compares to text 16: Mexican scrambled eggs as Nigella uses an image of the eggs to attract consumers