I found this ad in a recent National Geographic issue. Since I've started dreaming of summer vacation, the first thing that caught my attention was the ocean scene in the background. I don't have much of an interest in buying a Kindle, but the advertisement definitely drew me in, because it looks amazing. It appealed to my need to escape and my need for aesthetic sensations. The Kindle Paperwhite doesn't really have anything to do with a serene ocean, but having it in the ad makes it very appealing. The top of the ad reads "Perfect for Paradise," so obviously if you buy this Kindle, your trips to paradise will be even better. And if you don't have a trip to paradise planned, then this Kindle will help get you there. Where can I order one? And "Perfect for Paradise" starts a trend of 'P's in the ad, and I always appreciate alliteration.
As I just mentioned, the background to this ad is pretty important. But also important are the colors. The white of the Kindle really stands out against the blue sky and the blackish rock formation, which is important because it's called Kindle Paperwhite. Smart move, advertisers! That's cool!
I believe another important part of the advertisement is the technique of facts and figures. At the bottom of the ad are three features of the Kindle, which attempts to prove that this e-reader is superior to books and the rest of the e-readers on the market. You can take 1,100 books to your perfect vacation, something you could not be able to do otherwise. I have no idea why someone would need that many books at once, but now they can have them! And it can read in bright sunlight, which is apparently something unique to the Kindle Paperwhite. The ad doesn't tell how it allows you to read in sunlight, but advertisements are always truthful, so you just have to accept it.
The one thing that mystifies me about the ad is how random the Kindle placement is. It's just a hand floating in the ocean. Where's the rest of the person? Is said person standing in the water? Is the whole beach scene a figment of the person's imagination? I think the placement is so random because of the need for aesthetic sensations. The ocean doesn't have anything to do with the Kindle, but that's okay, because it draws attention to the advertisement.
Overall, I thought this ad was effective. It is nice to look at, it gives features of the device, and it's simple. It manages to be distracting without being loud and annoying, so I think the marketing team did their job of cutting through the clutter.
I agree with your analysis of this advertisement. The background behind the Kindle is definitely attractive and seemingly "unpolluted" by civilization (or schooling of any sort), and the boat on the right hand corner looks like you are about to go on some interesting adventure. But of course, with your Kindle. Looking at the advertisement, the Kindle really does stand out. The Paperwhite display of the Kindle does seem effective, and I do wonder why this does not produce a glare of some sort...
ReplyDeleteWell, regardless of that detail, I also agree with you about the placement of the hand. That detail might just be something that would work against the ad. If you would want to go that far, it would even seem that the background is only a picture, and some person is standing awkwardly in front of it to take a picture of just their hand at at some weird angle. Just imagine it! Some person squatin...
Alright, I'm sorry, I'm going off on a tangent. But I enjoyed reading your post. Sarcasm, rationality, and simplicity. Your post really cut through the cutter ;).