I picked these ads with the idea that they all make you think their product is made especially for YOU and for YOUR life. These ads all show that yes, your life is full, but they can make it better. You can be yourself, but a better version of yourself with these products.
The first ad is for Tommy Hilfiger clothes. It shows a car packed for a road trip; this should be a normal sight for almost everyone. Yet there is something about this car-- it's wood paneling, the dog in the front, the skis on the top-- that makes it seem adventures and cool. The next part of this ad (in magazines) shows pictures of people sitting fashionably on camping chairs, at sporting events, etc. This ad appeals to the mundane, but brings out the idea that if you wear these clothes, you'll add that element of cool to your life.
Next, the deodorant ad for BAN, shows a girl with a guy and then playing her guitar. These two frames are not extraordinary, but the attitude that the girl exudes makes her seem like she is in control of her life. The text tells us that she has banned nerves and shyness. We all encounter slightly nerve wracking situations in daily life; we wish we could ban OUR nerves and shyness. This ad tells us that we can do just that if we except their challenge and answer their question of "What will you ban?"
My third ad is for Starbucks frappuchinos. The idea in this ad is that you can customize your drink to suit your life. By putting a collage of the woman's life in the background of her drink, it shows that she is living a full life and Starbucks is helping her to do so.
The fourth ad is for HP computers. They also show that their product is customized to the speaker's life. The ad makes its appeal to the audience by saying it will help us live our daily lives but in a better, more efficient way. With this computer we can watch our favorite movies, talk to our favorite people, etc. Everything has been designed for "us."
Finally, in the CitiBank commercial for credit cards, CitiBank helps a son and his father go on the trip of a lifetime. We've all traveled before, but this ad shows us that traveling with a CitiBank card allows for spontaneity and the experiences of lifetime.
I agree that these ads represent the idea that if people use these products they will be a better self and life a happier life. The videos also represent the idea that everyone is an individual and although people can use these products they can still use them there own way. So not only does these ads imply that by using the products life will be better but you can still be an individual.
ReplyDelete1. Are the claims that the ads make "true"? If no, then there has to be some way that they compensate for this.
ReplyDelete2. Particularly interested in the "cool" that is associated with the Hilfiger ads. What is it exactly about the car packed full for vacation that gives this promise?
3. Recall the contradiction that DF Wallace highlighted. If a product is to be marketed specifically for *you* then how does it deal with the fact that the advertising is made for *everyone*?