Saturday, January 8, 2011

THE AUDIT: Applying It All

I am going to audit two different ads.

Ad #1 is a print ad from one of the Arabic magazines published in the UAE. The product featured in the ad is anti-frizz serum by Indian company Dabur.


Ad #2 is also a print ad featured in American magazines. The product is anti-frizz cream by Dove.





Auditing Ad #1:




The first thing I noticed about the is the woman. She has heavy eye makeup on, and her hair is blow dried to perfection. She is wearing a white sheath. It doesn’t look like real clothing, this leads me to think she was wearing something else but censorship in the Arabic Magazine decided it wasn’t appropriate.  I am guessing the woman in the ad is south Asian, because the brand is Indian. Her facial expression says serene. Personally I believe she should look “happy” for getting rid of her hair frizz.
I first looked at the woman, then the products next to her, and then read the largest words of the text. It says “anti-frizz.” Its seems to me, they wanted the viewer to first wonder what the add was all about and then answer it. The smaller text is just additional information (introduction of the product + what it can do).
I would describe this ad as busy and unfocused. There is A LOT of text all over the place. There are 3 images: picture of woman, picture of products, and on right lower side there is an illustration.
The colors used in the ad all complement each other. Nothing sticks out. Nothing grabs my attention. It makes me wonder whether the design of the ad was done based on aesthetic reasoning only. There is no main focus to this ad.
Appeals: informational and glamour.
I think want the ad is trying to say: “if you want pretty frizz-free hair like the model buy this product.” However, on the receiving end I am having trouble decoding this ad. There is a lot going on. What I am getting is: “this product can fix your damaged hair.”
I would understand culturally why this ad was made and chosen for an Emirati audience. The woman in the ad could pass for an Emirati/Arabic woman.  The woman isn’t wearing anything that might be culturally offensive.  I am not sure whether the ad was actually created for a South Asian audience, and has been transplanted in the UAE. However, I think it might as well have been created for an Emirati audience. There a lot of ads in the UAE that follow the same format.
Personally, this ad isn’t working for me. I think the lack of focus is negative point. The appeals used are a cliché for this type of product. However, the ad might work on a viewer who prefers the verbal aspect of advertising rather than the visual aspects.



 


Auditing Ad #2:




This ad made me laugh. The two images of Marge Simpson are the main focus of the ad.  In the first image, Marge’s hair is how it has always been a curly foot long upright beehive. She looks self-doubting and insecure. In the second image, her hair is transformed into loose voluminous waves. She looks confident and assured.
Without reading the text, you can predict that this ad is either an ad for a new season of the Simpsons or a hair product. When you finally do read the text, it makes sense that it’s an ad for an anti-frizz cream by Dove. The slogan is also humorous: “unstick your style.” It also relates perfectly to the image of Marge whose hair has always been the same.
I would describe this ad as funny and cheerful.
I think using white as the background color was a great contrast to the colorful Marge. It was clear that main focus of the ad was Marge.
Appeals: Humor
The Simpsons is a very popular TV show both in the states and other countries. The Simpsons family have been around since the late 1980s. We could say that Marge is used as a cultural icon.
I believe this ad is effective. The humor works. It is simple and to the point. I also think that even if a person hasn’t heard of the Simpsons he/she would understand the ad, it easy to understand the change occurring between the two images. Although I don’t think that person will get the humor presented in the ad.

DOCUMENTARY: Sell & Spin

I found this documentry on YouTube. I think its a great way to learn the history of advertising and gain a broader understanding.


















LESSON TEN: Questions to ask yourself when auditing an ad

In addition to everything you learned from previous posts, there are questions you need to ask yourself when you're auditing an ad. These questions are adapted from Media Education Foundation and Center for Media Literacy.


1- What adjectives can you use to describe this ad?

2-  What do the people in the ad look like?

3- What gender is represented?

4- What are their facial expressions?

5- What parts of  the ad are highlighted and what parts are not? (camera angle and lightening)

6- What colors are used? brightness and contrast?

7- What does the text look like? How big is it? What kind of font? What are the colors used?

8- What does the text say?

9- What is the product? Do you find it appealing? Why?

10- What feelings are they trying to associate with the product?

11- What can you tell about the target audience from the ad?

12- What assumptions is the ad making about gender? Are the assumptions realistic? Do they inforce or challenge stereotypes?

13- What assumptions is the ad making about race? Are the assumptions realistic? Do they inforce or challenge stereotypes?

14- What assumptions is the ad making about class? Are the assumptions realistic? Do they inforce or challenge stereotypes?

15- How would different individuals respond to this ad?

16- What are the possible consequences?

17- Is this ad socially responsible? How or how not?

LESSON NINE: CULTURE

Here are two ads of the same product (snickers bar), they are very similar except each was intended for a different audiences: 1- An American audience 2- An Arabic audience

Both ads share the message "You're not you when you're hungry"

Let's have a look at the ads first:


                                                    American version starring Betty White

Arabic version starring Raga Al Gedawi


Both ads employed a humorous appeal. Both ads had the same message but in different languages. Both ads are snickers ads. And in both ads we had acclaimed actresses from the older generation.

The only DIFFERENCE is the storyline. The question is WHY? Why are the storylines different when both ads share a number of things most importantly the message?

The answer is culture. An Arabic audience might not accept or find it funny that young men are pushing an older woman while playing football. It is culturally unacceptable. You can now understand why the storyline was adapted in the Arabic version of the ad.

Culture plays an important role in understanding the media, especially in advertising. When you're trying to sell something or get a message across it is very critical that your target audience understands your message easily, and is not offended by it.

Next time you see an ad, think WHO created this ad and for WHOM?

 


Friday, January 7, 2011

ADVERTISING OUTSIDE THE BOX

Here are some of the most creative ads I have ever seen. I would really like to see super creative ads to take place in the UAE.

I'll just leave you with the pictures:
























INSPIRATION

I found a great website/blog! The inspiration room is website created to inspire all the creatives out there.

Check it out:


WWW.THEINSPIRATIONROOM.COM

LESSON EIGHT: APPEALS II

Advertising appeals aren't always categorized as informational or emotional. There are other appeals that are different and don't always fit these categories. Sometimes appeals can overlap in an ad.

Here's a list of different appeals:


Fantasy


Love





Self-importance


Humor


Nature


Glamour



Childhood






There are even more appeals that are used in advertising, and a many more ways to use them. Next time you spot an ad, think about the appeals that are used.