Persuasion or Story? Historical Spots Bridging Film and Advertising

Historical spots published on YouTube accompany upcoming historical anniversaries. They are a transmedia genre, possessing the features of advertising, while at the same time adapting the experience of historical film in the process of discussion about a specific “product”, namely, a historical anniversary. Combining the techniques of two different genres, advertising and film, strengthens the basic function of the spot, which is to attract viewers’ attention through the formula of a film narrative, engaging in the story and encouraging discussion. The aim of this article is to recognize how advertising and film techniques, used in parallel, increase the chance of constructing an engaging message in the difficult area of historical memory.