Inessa LotoninaJMC 389 Introduction to AdvertisingIndividual Ad Analysis November 25, 2014

GTA V Earns $1 Billion in 72 hours

How is it possible that one video game made more money in three days than the whole U.S. music industry in a month? In this paper I will analyze an official trailer for the latest video game release in the Grand Theft Auto series. GTA V was released on September 17, 2014 and revenued $1 billion worldwide in the first three days.1 This paper will illustrate and analyze advertising elements that stand behind the success of the game’s sales. First, I will provide the details of the advertising campaign, then I will take a look at the audiences of the game and their possible reactions to the campaign. After I will perform an analysis of the several components of the campaign. Finally, I will evaluate the effectiveness of the trailer and make a conclusion regarding what is the cornerstone of a successful advertising campaign.

The trailer was produced by the in-house advertising department of Rockstar Games, the developer and producer of GTA V.2 The company is multinational, with offices in England, U.S., Japan and the main headquarters in New York City.3 GTA V is the fifth release in the Grand Theft Auto video game series. It was released worldwide for the major platforms, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on September 17, 2013.4 The trailer, which I will be analyzing, was published on the official Rockstar Games YouTube channel on August 29, 2014 allowing the viewers to get a glimpse on the game’s storyline as well as to see the main characters.5 GTA V is available via Rockstar Games’ official website, retailer stores worldwide and at PlayStation Store and Xbox Life, for the digital download.6

The trailer’s goal was to go viral (the view count nowadays is close to 9 million), boosting agitation amongst gamers, reminding them of the release date and encouraging them to pre-order the game.7 The trailer was released on the Internet with the primary purpose of promoting GTA V and increasing the game’s sales.

1. Andrew Goldfarb, "GTA 5 Sales Hit $1 Billion in Three Days," IGN, September 20, 2013, http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/20/gta-5-sales-hit-1-billion-in-three-days.2. Michael French, "Inside Rockstar North – Part 2: The Studio," Develop, October 4, 2013, http://www.develop-online.net/studio-profile/inside-rockstar-north-part-2-the-studio/0184061.3. "Rockstar NYC Job openings," Rockstar Games, accessed October 10, 2014, http://www.rockstargames.com/careers/openings/rockstar-nyc.4. "Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox 360 Reviews," Metacritic, December 17, 2013, http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/grand-theft-auto-v.5. “Grand Theft Auto V: The Official Trailer,” YouTube, August 29, 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvoD7ehZPcM.6. Mike Jackson, "GTA V gets digital release on Xbox 360," Computer and Video Games, October 19, 2013, http://www.computerandvideogames.com/434568/gta-v-gets-digital-release-on-xbox-360/.7. “Grand Theft Auto V: The Official Trailer,” YouTube, August 29, 2013, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvoD7ehZPcM.

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The target audience for GTA V is males aged 18-30 (Millennials), the group that plays video games the most.8 Their location or level of education is not considered. Typically, they are heavy users of the Internet but rarely watch the TV, which explains why Rockstar Games released the trailer on the Internet versus the television. The target audience would be strongly influenced by the campaign as it is tailored to their interests (guns, cars, money).

The secondary audience is parents, spouses/girlfriends and friends who might purchase GTA V as a present. Other people who might be involved are female game players, underage game players (ESRB gave the game Mature 17+ rating) and the ESRB itself.9 The secondary audience will have mixed attitudes towards the trailer. Parents will be offended by the trailer as it is heavily based on the depiction of violence and crime. Spouses/girlfriends and friends are unlikely to be affected by the trailer, as all they really care about is finding a gift for their husband/boyfriend or friend, and GTA V does look like a good game for a male. Female game players will like the trailer because it is entertaining and shows wide variety of game’s possibilities, but they will not like the game as much as male game players; it is a common knowledge that women and men have different interests. Underage game players will be favorable to the trailer as it is very entertaining. Besides, they would be intrigued to get a game they are not supposed to have. ESRB will be against the campaign as they are known for their concern with the message GTA series passes on to the society.10

To get a deeper understanding of the visual aspect of the campaign, I will analyze the trailer scene-by-scene, paying attention to the details.

1. The video starts with a bird-view of the typical West Coast sunlit landscape. We can see the desert with cactuses and the railroad.

2. Next scene introduces us to the three characters. Two of them are white males in their thirties and a younger black male in his twenties. They are having an emotional argument in the abandoned house.

3. Two characters are lying by the pool, drinking and talking. Scene is filled with sunshine and palm trees. The house and the pool look luxurious, indicating the financial wealth.

4. In the middle of the screen we see “Rockstar Games Presents” sign. Behind the sign we see the ongoing bank robbery with three men with automatic guns and black ski masks decisively coming towards the building with a sign “Blaine County Savings Bank.”

5. Disturbed guy in a black hoodie is walking towards the wall. He has angry expression on his face. The scene is set in a poor area with run-down houses and broken fences on the background. He yells and bangs his head against the wall.

6. The scene №4 continues. Bank doors open wide, two men enter. One of them shoots at the security camera with a shotgun.

7. The camera is in slow-motion mode. It moves towards the safe door, which cracks open.

8. “Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” Entertainment Software Association, accessed October 7, 2014, https://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2013.pdf.9. “GTA V Rating,” ESRB, accessed October 7, 2014, http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=33073.10. Yannick Lejacq, “GTA V Torture Episode Sparks Controvercy,” NBC News, September 18, 2013, http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/video-games/grand-theft-auto-v-torture-episode-sparks-controversy-f4B11185864.

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8. Man in glasses and lumberjack shirt is talking to the main character in the headquarters of the gang. The room is poorly lit and has multiple maps on the wall.

9. The trademark GTA V appears in the middle of the screen. On the background we can see typical Southern California city. The sign on the hill resembles the famous Hollywood sign. Los Santos, the city in which the game is set, is based on modern-days Los Angeles.11

10. Five men are sitting on the couch and planning a bank robbery.11. Black male from the scene №2 is breaking the window of the red sports car with his

elbow. 12. Two black male are walking on the boardwalk. The Ferris wheel resembles the one on

the Santa Monica pier.13. Three police cars chase sports car from the scene №11.14. The men continue planning the robbery. 15. Well-equipped man pulls the mechanism causing the bank alarm to go off. This scene

creates a lot of tension.16. Psychotic-looking man blows up the trailer and turns around with an angry face and a

huge gun in his hand.17. The same male is fighting with the main character over a black briefcase.18. Two men in black masks open the roof window using special equipment.19. The main character’s girlfriend yells at him in frustration. 20. A character sky jumps over the night Los Santos.21. Man with a machine gun runs on the street with the helicopter flying over him.22. Black man rides a luxurious motorcycle. He is chased by multiple police cars. 23. Man hangs on the edge of the elevator pit. Elevator explodes underneath him.24. Military plane flies over the bridge as multiple cars explode. 25. Final scene. GTA V trademark sign on the black screen, white letters only, big font.

Medium font for release date September 17th. Smaller font for PS3, Xbox 360 and Rockstar Games trademarks.

The visual component of the trailer is very efficient, it consists of 25 different scenes during one-minute timeframe. The video sets up a positive mood by the use of exciting, flashy graphics and special effects (need for entertainment). The storyline depicted is so attractive that it makes the audience see the world as exciting and full of adventures. The characters are so charismatic and down-to-earth that they can be seen as a better version of your real friends. Video makes you want to trust it and believe what you see.12 The video is emotionally compelling, it elicits positive response immediately.13 For example, the viewer can imagine what the relationships among the main characters are like. The video tells a compelling story, but doesn’t give you enough information. It teases the viewers and makes them go and buy the game (need for information). It creates positive associations (money, power, luxury).

The sound element works well with the visual element towards creating a compelling mood. Characters’ voice-overs lead the storyline. Voice-overs fulfill the audience’s need for

11. Michael French, "Inside Rockstar North – Part 1: The Vision," Develop, October 5, 2013, http://www.develop-online.net/studio-profile/inside-rockstar-north-part-1-the-vision/0183989.12. Walter Johnson, “7 Visual Elements of Art Used in Advertising,”Houston Chronicle, 2014, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/7-visual-elements-art-used-advertisement-25752.html.13. Ibid.

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information.14 Voice acting is very professional. The trailer makes a good use of natural sounds, like police sirens and sounds of explosions, which makes the trailer believable. Music sets the scene and goes well with relaxed Californian lifestyle. At the critical moments, like in scene №15, the music becomes louder. Trailer’s music fulfills audience’s need for entertainment. 15

The trailer uses the language element effectively. Functionality of the language can be seen in scene №25, which prompts action and convinces people to buy the game.16 It avoids the word buy by simply stating GTA V’s release date. Narrator says: “Order now.” Now is one of the most persuasive words, according to David Ogilvy’s Confessions of An Advertising Man. Scene №25 lasts for a few seconds and has to be readable: minimum text, big, simple white letters on a plain black background. All the dialogues in the trailer are used in order to provide the audience with the information about the game plot (need for information).

Semantic dimension of the language can be seen in the dialogues.17 Examples of literal meaning: scene №19 “you’re psychopath” (character’s girlfriend believes that he is an actual psychopath), scene №10 “we’re all professionals” (characters are professional bank robbers). Examples of figurative meaning: scene №2 “soaking by the swimming pool” (means “lying by the pool”), scene №8 “back in the game” (means “back to robbing banks”).

In terms of thematic dimension, the dialogues make the audience feel excited (scenes №13 and №16) or feel the tension ( scenes №15 and scenes №17).18 All the dialogues are very exciting (need for entertainment). Dialogues use slang and criminal jargon in order to get audience’s attention and make the trailer more realistic. Characters sound like guys you can meet on the street. The dialogues are casual (“happily soaking by the swimming pool”, “welcome back, man”, “we’re gonna keep it cool”). Use of criminal jargon can be seen in the following examples: “back in the game”, “we’re all professionals, we’re all know the score”, “this is legit business.” Jargon makes the audience feel like part of the gangsters’ team (need for belonging).

Emotional appeal is tied to deeply held needs.19 The trailer illustrates common experiences (dealing with police, friends, girlfriend). It tries to define the audience.20 As a game targeted at males, this trailer shows only one women in scene №15. Trailer shows what it means to be a man—to deal with serious issues and make your own money (need for pride). The trailer influences its audience’s judgments and values.21 For example, it shows the importance of money and freedom (working a well-paid job where you’re your own boss)

14. Ibid.15. Ibid. 16. Lynnette Leonard, “Tools For Analyzing Advertisements: 3 Dimensions of Language,” AUBG Elearn, accessed October 8, 2014, https://elearn.aubg.bg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_24664_1%26course_id%3D_661_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue.17. Ibid.18. Ibid.19. Lynnette Leonard, “Emotional and Logical Appeals,” AUBG Elearn, accessed October 8, 2014, https://elearn.aubg.bg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_24664_1%26course_id%3D_661_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue.20. Ibid.21. Ibid.

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and the importance of having skills (“we’re all professionals here”). Trailer shows racial and cultural diversity, as it features white and black characters with completely different background. The trailer gives the audience the feeling that the game can resolve their anger: gameplay allows to control people and events as well as offers the ability to reach goals, for example buy luxurious cars and houses (need for power).22 The trailer shows the audience how they can be proud of successful bank robberies and car thefts (need for achievement).23 The trailer allows the audience to experience happiness through the eyes of the characters (scenes №6, №11, №13, №16).24 The trailer makes humor appeal (scenes №5 and №8).25 Maybe the secret of trailer’s success lies in the way it suggests fulfillment of the emotional needs of the human being: love (“brother gangster’s love”), importance (player is crucial in the heist), respect (game allows to get “street reputation” points), autonomy (player is his own boss), creativity (player chooses his own tattoos and cloths).26 Trailer suggest fulfillment of the social needs: belonging (to a gang), learning (getting experience points and level-ups), play (mini-games such as golf).27

In terms of the logical appeal, the trailer shows the audience many features and benefits of the game.28 The gamers can assume that they will drive expensive cars, flight helicopters and even military planes, ride motorcycles, rob banks, run from police. It is enthymematic as the audience draws its own conclusions and infers relationships among elements of the video.29 Trailer allows the audience to experience the game. As experience is the most powerful evidence, audience will believe that the offered game will satisfy their need for entertainment well.30

The trailer for GTA V is an example of a very successful campaign because it incorporates all necessary elements and makes good use of the advertising tools. The advertising department of Rockstar Games knows very well who their audience is and what their audience wants. In only one minute, the trailer caught the audience’s attention, showed multiple possibilities of the game, introduced main characters, and satisfied the audience’s need for information. At the same time, the trailer didn’t give away too much. In order to find out what exactly will happen in the game the audience would have to buy a game first! The campaign not only met the goals of Rockstar Games, it exceeded the expectations, as it sold double of what have been predicted.31

By looking at the analysis of GTA V official trailer, we can clearly see that if the company builds its advertising campaign on wants and needs of its target audience, the campaign will be successful and the sales will meet the set goal of the company. The best strategy for advertising agencies is to make an advertisement based on facts of research about its target audience. If they do that, they will generate great profit for their clients.

22. Ibid.23. Ibid.24. Ibid.25. Ibid.26. W. Huitt, “Motivation to learn: An overview,” Educational Psychology Interactive, 2011, http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/motivation/motivate.html27. Ibid.28. Ibid.29. Ibid.30. Ibid.31. Malathi Nayak, "Take Two's GTA V starts strong with $800 mln in first-day sales," Reuters, September 18, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/us-taketwo-gta-idUSBRE98H0Z720130918.

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Bibliography

French, Michael. "Inside Rockstar North – Part 1: The Vision." Develop. October 5, 2013. http://www.develop-online.net/studio-profile/inside-rockstar-north-part-1-the-vision/0183989.

French, Michael." Inside Rockstar North – Part 2: The Studio." Develop. October 4, 2013. http://www.develop-online.net/studio-profile/inside-rockstar-north-part-2-the-studio/0184061.

Goldfarb, Andrew. "GTA 5 Sales Hit $1 Billion in Three Days." IGN. September 20, 2013. http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/20/gta-5-sales-hit-1-billion-in-three-days.

Huitt, W. “Motivation to learn: An overview.” Educational Psychology Interactive. 2011. http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/motivation/motivate.html.

Jackson, Mike. "GTA V gets digital release on Xbox 360." Computer and Video Games. October 19, 2013. http://www.computerandvideogames.com/434568/gta-v-gets-digital-release-on-xbox-360/.

Johnson, Walter.“7 Visual Elements of Art Used in Advertising.” Houston Chronicle. 2014. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/7-visual-elements-art-used-advertisement-25752.html.

Lejacq, Yannick.“GTA V Torture Episode Sparks Controvercy.” NBC News. September 18, 2013. http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/video-games/grand-theft-auto-v-torture-episode-sparks-controversy-f4B11185864.

Leonard, Lynnette. “Emotional and Logical Appeals.” AUBG Elearn. Accessed October 8, 2014. https://elearn.aubg.bg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_24664_1%26course_id%3D_661_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue.

Leonard, Lynnette. “Tools For Analyzing Advertisements: 3 Dimensions of Language.” AUBG Elearn. Accessed October 8, 2014. https://elearn.aubg.bg/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_group=courses&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Fcontent%2Ffile%3Fcmd%3Dview%26content_id%3D_24664_1%26course_id%3D_661_1%26framesetWrapped%3Dtrue.

Nayak, Malathi. "Take Two's GTA V starts strong with $800 mln in first-day sales." Reuters. September 18, 2013. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/18/us-taketwo-gta-idUSBRE98H0Z720130918.

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“Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry.” Entertainment Software Association. Accessed October 7, 2014.

https://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2013.pdf.

"Grand Theft Auto V for Xbox 360 Reviews." Metacritic. December 17, 2013. http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/grand-theft-auto-v.

“Grand Theft Auto V: The Official Trailer.” YouTube. August 29, 2013. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvoD7ehZPcM.

“GTA V Rating.” ESRB. Accessed October 7, 2014. http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=33073.

"Rockstar NYC Job openings." Rockstar Games. Accessed October 10, 2014. http://www.rockstargames.com/careers/openings/rockstar-nyc.

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