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.
