Bon Appegeico

(Sorry about the picture being sideways. It's simply trying to mimic my life and I can't change it. Oops!)

I found this ad while skimming through a Bon Appetit issue. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the bright orange background color. The white bubble also stands out quite a bit against its contrasting background. In the actual magazine, the background is more orange than red, and since it was next to a picture of a bunch of green asparagus, the ad was very striking. And in the corner is a bright green gecko, which is, of course, Geico's well-known mascot. 

The majority of the ad is taken up by the white speech bubble-looking design that features a hilarious joke. This is an obvious use of the common advertising technique "wit and humor." The use of "your" also attempts to make a personal connection with the reader, possibly in hopes to convince the customer that the service is personal, just like the advertisement. It also features the technique of "simple solutions." The second line of text reads, "See how easy it is to save money." It's as easy as making a lame joke, I guess. Because the quote is black and white, it must be simple. Or that's what the advertisers want you to believe. 

I believe the ad appeals to the need to satisfy curiosity. Because the question on a white background stands out so much and is not what you expect from an insurance ad, it certainly makes one stop and ask, "What?" And the punchline of the joke does the same thing, considering I have no idea what arrabbiata sauce is. The joke makes the reader pay more attention to the ad, even if the rest doesn't exactly answer the questions I have. 

I think the ad is effective because it's simple. I feel as if there isn't much to analyze because there just isn't much in the ad. It's quick,simple, and it goes down easy. The gecko and the white logo makes it easy to identify what product is being sold, and it gives a phone number, so it's easy to contact the company. But despite these pros, there is one major con that bothers me. It gives no information on how Geico can save you money or what makes it easy to save money. But as far as advertisements go, it was cute and managed to stand out without being obnoxious, so I appreciate it. 

Beach, Books, and Profit

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. 

Jack in the Box Raises My Blood Pressure for the Wrong Reasons

I had to talk about this commercial because I hate it so much. I'm almost driven to tears of anger every time it comes up on Hulu because it is so unbelievably stupid. Not a lot of things offend me, but this commercial does. I feel like there are a lot of stereotypes about young people and how ridiculous the newer generations have become because of social media, and I feel this ad back such claims up. It features a clueless young woman who is constantly distracted by social media and who can barely function in the workplace. The tanning bed comment at the end is the one of the dumbest things I've heard, and I certainly does not appeal to my sense of humor. 

I'm sure that the marketing team at The Box knew that the commercial would annoy some people, and I'm sure they were fine with that. As we have discussed in class, marketing teams are willing to do anything to stand out in the crowd of advertisement, and this ad does that. It stands out to me, at least, because it's so darn infuriating. If nothing else, the commercial did a very fine job of attracting my very negative attention.

One of the things that stood out the most to me was the diction created for the ad. Words such as "chipoltcray" and "crazeamaze" will forever be burned into my memory. I hate them, but I'll remember them. The time the intern spent talking about the burger's components is the real substance behind the commercial  because it's the only part that focuses on the actual product being sold. The ad features very quick camera editing and very fast talking, so it kept my attention by jumping from one thing to another.

The advertisement employs the "Wit and Humor" technique. It attempts to, at least. I believe that by making everything happen in such quick succession, the commercial attempts to throw a lot of stuff at the audience and hope that something makes them laugh. I believe the main appeal used in the commercial is physiological need, because the sandwich looks pretty appealing. The cheese is perfectly melted, the bacon is totally uniform, and the tomatoes have a sprinkling of water on them, which means they have to be fresh. Now, I highly doubt that an actual chipotle chicken club combo would look anything like that, but the commercial makes it look pretty darn good. 

Overall, I thought the commercial was incredibly annoying, but it affected me enough to watch it roughly ten thousand times in order to analyze it, and that's more than I can say about all the other commercials I watch. Sure, the ad makes the sandwich look appealing, but it's covered in so many layers of annoying stereotypes that I would never step foot into a Jack in the Box unless my life depended on it. The actress did a fine job of portraying the role, though. 

Oil Help You Out

I found this ad in the back of an old National Geographic magazine. The first thing that caught my attention was the coloring, especially considering it was next to a black and white spread. The blue was very striking, and the layers of...something...caught my attention as well. And, of course, in the center of the ad was a woman in a bright yellow sweater that quietly proclaimed, "Look at me!" I think the woman's sweater served as more than an attention-grabbing piece of clothing. Yellow is usually associated with some form of happiness, and between the sweater and the little sun at the top of the tank, it gives the impression that the whole situation is a happy and helpful one. I don't exactly know what's happening with the tank, but it seems like a good exercise in science. 

The next thing I noticed were the little details included. However, these details confused me rather than clarified what was happening. In the top of the tank there's an oil tanker, and since the ad is about an oil company, that makes sense. Flying around the boat is a helicopter. What. Just...why? Tell me, oil ad! Tell me! And the man to the left on a step ladder is pouring in...something. Fish food for the little shark that is also in the tank? WHY? Well, actually, I assume it's to show how much the oil company cares about preserving the environment. Not only can the ecosystem thrive while the company is drilling, but they'll take special care to ensure that. Or maybe that man just is just confused about his job.  

Speaking of the man and the woman in the sweater, I believe the ad uses the "Plain Folks" technique. These scientists aren't wearing lab coats, they're dressed like normal people. They're normal people who just want to keep the environment safe while doing their jobs. Nothing about this ad even whispers "I'm better than you." The man on the step ladder is bald! If that isn't trying to connect to the common man, I don't know what is. And the ad isn't set in a fancy laboratory - it looks like it could just be a warehouse. Besides from the tiny flying helicopter and the tiny shark, there's nothing extraordinary about the scene being set. 

The ad appeals to one's need to satisfy curiosity. Because there's so much happening in such a small space, you almost can't look away from it. And the more you look, the more you find. And immediately under the eye-catching photo is text about the company's mission. The bottom of the ad was cut off in my picture, but it has the logo, which is a pink design with the name Statoil next to it. Their little motto is included also, which is "Always exploring, never satisfied." Because of the text, I believe the ad also appeals to one's need to feel safe. It says that the company is focused on keeping people and the environment safe, so there you go. 

Overall, I feel the ad was sort of effective. It was attention-grabbing and very detailed, but it didn't necessarily get me to believe that the oil company was focused on the safety of the environment during drilling expeditions. Even the bald man couldn't convince me of that. 

Delta: More than a Shower, Somehow

This shower is more than just a shower. Not only is it a shower, but it can wash your clothes clean off. That's not true, but one of the ad's selling points is that it's more than your average shower. They focus on it being extra special because the center of the shower head comes away from the rest of it. On the top of the ad, it says that the showerheads can be used "together or separately to get water where you need it most." Now, maybe it is because I have never used a Delta shower and I don't know what I'm missing, but I generally don't have an issue with not getting wet enough in a conventional shower. The point of every shower is to get you completely wet, right? The information provided in the ad is not enough to convince me of an integrated showerhead's merits. However, I still find the ad effective. 

I found this ad in an issue of National Geographic. I thought it was very appealing because of the dramatic colors. The colors white from the water and the baby blue from the man's shirt contrast a lot with the black background, which makes it look, for lack of a better word, cool. The simplicity of the colors are what appeal to me most. The red Delta logo stands out against the other colors as well, so it is obvious who the company is. And by making the product stand out against the black background, it's obvious what is being advertised.

 I think the concept of the visuals in general is pretty interesting. The top of the ad says "wash the day away," and there's the man washing away his work shirt. He can relieve the stress of the entire day with an integrated showerhead, something he would not be able to achieve in a normal shower. The ad is saying that the shower won't just get you clean , but that it can relieve stress or worries from the day past. It would be wonderful to think that something as simple as a shower could have the capability to do such a thing, and Delta wants to provide this for people. Their advertisement does, at least. 

Diction also plays an important role in the advertisement concept. Delta has created a new word for the sake of this ad. The revolutionary showerhead is part The In2ition Two-in-One Shower. I think that the 2 in in2ition refers to the 2 in H2O. I mean, I think that's pretty clever, if not a little silly. However, I don't see how intuitive that kind of shower would be. Is it intuitive to use a new showerhead more complicated than the average one?  Delta thinks so! 

I believe this ad appeals to the need to dominate, because it's more than just a shower and its better than other shower designs. By using the shower, you can be better than people using normal showers. Overall, I thought that the ad was pretty effective in making its product seem appealing.

These Glasses Are No Fad

I found this ad while looking through an issue of Harper's Bazar. Out of all of the ads in the magazine, this is the one that said the most, which I found surprising, considering it still doesn't say that much. However, the diction that is used is very important to the ad. The name of the company (I think) is Silhouette, which sounds quite refined. The name wouldn't have quite the same effect if it was called "Shape" or "Outline." Directly underneath that it says "Authentic Eyewear. Since 1964." Now, I have no idea what makes eyewear authentic, but when I'm told Silhoutte has it, I want it. And I don't even wear or need glasses. By including the date that they were established, the company also establishes credibility. Or it attempts to establish credibility, at least. Since they've been around for forty nine years, they have to know what they're doing by now, and their product must be reliable. Well played, Silhouette.  

The ad also tries hard to compare its glasses to art, and not very subtly. It calls itself  "minimal art." Is art what you really need in a pair of glasses? Instead of giving any real description of the glasses, the advertisement just throws out words and expects to be believed. On the right it also says the brand is an icon. And even though I've never heard of the brand, I believe that it's an icon because the powerful woman in the center is telling me so. However, some questions are raised. How can a pair of glasses be dynamic? What does that even mean? Maybe that's why they put it in such small print. 

The ad is appealing to one's need for prominence. The woman looks like she could be a powerful businesswoman of some sort, and I'm sure she got there because of her cutting-edge glasses. 

If you wear the glasses, you too could be wearing a blazer in front of a bunch of high-rise buildings. Sweet.

All in all, I think the ad is a little silly. They downplay the glasses so much that at first glance, you could miss the product all together. The glasses blend into the background, so it was necessary they have the pop of red on the ends of the arm-things. However, it kind of looks like it could be an add for anything if you miss the glasses in the corner. I believe they're trying to sell the image more than the glasses themselves. 

P.S. The white splotch is the flash from my camera and is not part of the advertisement.