Week 5: Outdoor Advertisements

This week I'm going to be talking about outdoor advertisements, where grabbing the viewers attention is more critical than in any other media. What used to be only billboards with words has now turned into not only billboards with spectaculars but also ordinary objects on the streets being turned into advertisements.



This outdoor ad really stuck out to me because it took a media that normal is only 2 dimensional and added movement and consequently a story to the advertisement. With rotating panels, the ad can show 3 different images, in this case illustrating the progression of age that makes the line "get a career you'll never want to leave" more applicable.




This ad is particularly effective in my opinion because of it's location. So many people are probably stuck behind buses in traffic every day, staring at boring metal. Now, with an advertisement on the exhaust pipe people have something to look at that grabs their attention. This is also really clever because part of the object itself (in this case the exhaust smoke) further enhances the meaning behind the ad that urge people to quit smoking.




This is a clever example of an everyday object that you walk past every day that has been turned into an advertisement. Not only is this effective because there is a lot of traffic, but eyes will be instantly drawn to the ad because it stand out as out of the ordinary now. I especially like this particular mailbox ad because the shape of the object itself makes the waterfall look even more realistic, like it is actually moving water.

Week 4: Campaign

One of the campaign's that I have loved recently is for the olympics. It is P&G's television campaign that is targeted towards mothers. This is unusual for P&G to do advertisements for all of their brands as a whole, let alone at such a high profile spot, but I think they are really effective. My favorite commercial (http://www.youtube.com/user/PGThankYouMom#p/u/21/VSn5Z7EC4ME) is great because their turn it around and have little kids as the olympic athletes, essentially exaggerating the idea of "to moms, they'll always be kids." They also have spot for just the ads that are a really effective example of television ads that only you text and sounds to get their message across (http://www.youtube.com/user/PGThankYouMom#p/u/16/ViKJJtK6Hzk). The olympics are a great opportunity for brands to get their names out there and I think that P&G formulated a concise and cohesive campaign that will help their brand and wide range of products.

Week 3: Verbal Solutions

This week I'm bringing Verbal Solution ads to you!



This ad uses only text to convey the message. It is for Western Union and the copy reads "The fastest, most reliable way to receive money from abroad is now also the fastest, most reliable way to send money abroad." I think that by writing the text forward and backwards the idea of a fast and efficient way to transfer money becomes clear.




This is one of my favorite ads that use only verbal messages to convey the message. It is for marriage counseling and I think what is so effective is that it uses user participation to get the message across. By making the reader cut out the M and flip it around the message becomes "we" instead of "me" therefore further driving through the idea that the key to a good relationship is working together as partners.




Though this ad is an example of verbal solutions, I don't think it serves as the most effective example. The copy is not the clearest means of getting the message across and it took me a while to figure out what angle they were trying to play with. I think that a lot of times beer ads use verbal means of communication for print ads because they cannot get as much across like they can on television ads. It is hard to tell a story through one print ad so most of the time they take the easy way out and just use a headline.

Week 2: Visual Solutions

Here are some ads I found that use visual solutions to get their message across! Enjoy!



This was one of the best visual solution ads I found. There is no form of copy whatsoever because the image is so strong that it doesn't need explaining. By using accumulation and repetition, the smaller gas tank stands out right away therefore explaining how fuel efficient smart cars are.




This one is for the new Toyota Prado and uses the visual aid to show how multifaceted the vehicle is. Instead of using copy, they use a picture which contrasting environments which is a more effective means of illustration.




This ad uses the visual aid to explain the meaning behind the product. It shows a hypothetical, extreme situation that is out of the ordinary and therefore draws in the viewers eye immediately. By having the chef in an unusual environment, the viewers understand the power of the product, which essentially is so good that chefs aren't needed anymore.