Absolut killer.

One of my favorite ad campaigns is composed of a variety of spoof ads for Absolut Vodka.  These ads were featured in AdBusters magazine, which targets the young anarchist population.  I wouldn't say that any one of these ads is my number one favorite.  I think the campaign as a whole was necessary for it to be totally effective.

These ads were targeted toward just the readers of AdBusters magazines because they appeared officially only in the magazine.  I think the ads could have been more effective if they were aimed at a larger market--especially as a public service campaign.

The campaign attempts to combat corporations that advertise unsafe and unhealthy products (alcohol in particular) to the general public.  It attempts to strip alcohol of its glorified associations as a result of advertising and show the public the truth.

Alcohol is not safe, and it is likely to only cause problems in our lives.

Death, addiction, illness, and stupidity are all issues that can be caused by alcohol consumption.

The "Absolute End" advertisement addresses one of the most serious effects of alcohol: death.  The ad shows that alcohol can result in car crashes, which can result in death.  The imagery in this ad is very effective, especially the outline of the bottle in place of the outline of the dead body.  This is intended to show us that the individual did not cause the death, but the alcohol did.

If the alcohol was not part of the equation, it is likely that this car crash would have never occurred.


Do you think these ads would be more effective if they could be seen by a mass audience?

Get a mac.

Apple has done an incredible job at implementing new advertisements.  One of the most memorable Apple campaigns is probably the "Get a Mac" campaign, which introduces the public to the new Apple computer.  Just as Pepsi used advertising in order to create rivalry with Coke, the introduction of the Apple computer created a rivalry with PC.

Apple used the personality of a young, hip male to represent its product, and an old, grey-suited male to represent the PC.  The visuals alone in these ads create a new, cool, and nonconformist image of the new computer.  The cosmetic elements of the Mac also differentiate it immensely from any other computer.

The advertisements present the Mac as a new, fast, reliable, convenient computer that defies the capabilities of a PC.  After viewing these advertisements, even if we don't long for the new Apple computer, we are likely to abandon the thought that a Mac is actually just another brand of PC.

The Apple advertisements do an incredible job at creating an opposition between the Apple brand and all other brands of computers--not just one specific brand.  This is what makes the Mac so unique.  The ads create the illusion that the Mac is so much better than any brand of PX that it refuses to even call itself a PC.  The only issue (at the beginning of the campaign at least) was that these ads were targeted mainly to young people who were more likely to do artistic things on computers.  Older (or less artistic) professionals were not targeted at first.

However, this audience is targeted later in the "Self-Pity" ad, where the male who represents the Mac is seen wearing a suit and tie while describing the "work stuff" that he performs.

What are your favorite Apple ads?

Celebrity endorsements gone bad.

I think one of the strangest celebrity endorsement-based advertisements was the Charlie Sheen commercial for the Fiat.  The commercial was released very soon after Sheen's highly publicized scandal.  Although Sheen maintained his fame--he was all over the news, television shows (mostly satirical ones), and talk shows--his credibility was totally shattered.  Sheen was portrayed to be a drug addict and totally out of his mind.

The commercial features Sheen, while on house arrest in his mansion, racing his new Fiat around the house.  By showing that the vehicle is able to speed through the house and make very sharp turns, the commercial does highlight some features of the Fiat.  But I think the use of Sheen as a celebrity endorser totally overshadows the features of the vehicle.  It creates a horrible brand image for the Fiat.  And honestly, I don't know anyone that would make such an important purchasing decision based on a celebrity endorsement.  Especially a celebrity endorsement by Charlie Sheen.

The ad seems to target young men who are probably making their first new vehicle purchase.  But I think the young men that would appreciate this endorsement probably wouldn't be able to afford a new car, even though the Fiat is a pretty cheap one.

The campaign also has a commercial featuring Jennifer Lopez, which in my opinion isn't as terrible as the Sheen commercial, but it still doesn't sell the Fiat very effectively.  More importantly, there isn't much of a connection between the two commercials.  Or between those commercials and the other ones that make up the Fiat campaign.

I believe celebrity endorsements can be very effective, but definitely not in this case.  I have probably seen a total of 3 Fiats on the road in the last year.

Here's a Fiat commercial I do really like.  Comparing the Fiat to a sexy foreign woman is definitely a better strategy than comparing it to Sheen or Lopez.  Still doesn't convince me to buy a Fiat.

It gets better.

For those of you who read my last post featuring the 5-hour energy commercial, you'll get a kick out of this one.  If you thought that ad was bad (it's an older one), take a look at the marketing strategy now.

You tell me.  Can it get any worse?

Pseudo-science...what?

Have you ever noticed advertisements (commercials especially) that use the testimonies of doctors or scientists to endorse a product?  Probably.  But have you ever really really paid attention to them?  Did you ever stop to think that the people in the commercials are probably actors?  Not doctors, scientists, or experts of any kind.  If you never thought about that, you probably weren't likely to take the time to really listen to claims these people made in the commercials.  Most of these ads make the argument that the results of some type of scientific study suggest that this specific brand is the best product for consumers.  Take a look at this one.

The woman in the commercial says that 3,000 doctors were surveyed to review the 5-hour-energy drink.  The percentages reported by the person in the commercial do not directly relate to the consumption of 5-hour energy drinks.  They actually discuss the consumption of energy drinks in general--or low calorie energy drinks.  I didn't think about this when I first saw the commercial, so I guess it would have persuaded me that 5-hour energy is a healthier way to consume caffeine.

But after reviewing it in a critical way, I noticed that the information in the commercial was not really about 5-hor energy drinks at all.  it only uses images of the 5-hour energy drink in order to allow viewers to make the connection between the drink and healthiness.

The small print on the commercial explains that actually less than the majority of doctors surveyed preferred the energy drink.

I think it's deceptive to use this type of testimonial in an advertisement because it does keep a lot of the facts hidden from consumers.  It only says how many doctors they asked--not how many doctors answered.  I think that's important too.  Although the commercial is deceptive, I think it was probably pretty successful for the intended market--busy middle-aged men and women.


What do you think about the ethics of this type of advertisement?

All-American advertising.

This commercial associates the Chevy truck with traditional American values to a hard-working male audience.  it shows different, older models of Chevy trucks along with the new model in order to represent Chevy as America's number one choice of truck brands.  It also argues that the vehicle is durable because the men pictured in the ad are performing some difficult tasks.  The song, "Our Country," by John Mellencamp reflects the theme of American tradition and pride.  Mellencamp is likely to be a well-known musician to the target audience--blue collar working men.  This song is valuable in persuading also because it uses simplistic, present-tense language.  The most effective part of the song is its integration with the commercial's slogan.  The song argues that "this is our country," while the text in the ad claims "this is our truck" in relation to the Chevy brand.

What do you think?  Is it an effective representation of American culture? or not?  Why do you think that?

She's back.

Good evening blogosphere.  My apologies for the unexpected lack of posts.  I have been drowning in work, grad school applications and essays, my senior project, and various personal issues.  But no worries, I'm back.  And although I haven't posted in a while, I have continued my journey exploring the murky world of advertising. I've been doing a lot of research lately, and am excited to share it with you.  Stay tuned as I blow up your blogrolls with my advertising discoveries.