Media #9: Sleep Number

       This is an advertisement that I found in a Vanity Fair magazine on the last page right next to a wordy interview with a comedian. If you were just scanning the pages, you might mistake this unusually wordy advertisement for an article or interview like the one right next to it. I believe this was done deliberately. My opinion was verified when I looked closer and realized the paragraphs were on "the complete Sleep Number experience" and "You'll only find Sleep Number at a Sleep Number Store"- a completely unnecessary addition to the actual information on the Sleep Number, however it creates more words therefore making the advertisement blend in with the articles around it. You can tell that the advertisers do not want people to actually read the words because they are an extremely light color- they just fill up space.
     
     The advertisement uses the "magic ingredient" marketing technique in that it provides new technology and claims that it has the ability to solve anyone's sleeping troubles. I don't think this technique will be effective enough to make people get up and buy it because their problems will be solved, however it will likely convince people to call the given number for more information assuming the person has sleep troubles. 
     
     An aspect of the article that really bothered me as the title; "This is not just a bed." This is pretty much the most cliche that an advertisement could have. Although it may provoke a little bit of curiosity, I really believe that a better title would have captured the interest of more buyers- like an amazing fact or statistic.
     

Media #8: WWF

     This is a print advertisement for the World Wildlife Foundation. It depicts a match producing a fire-colored leaf instead of a flame. The page itself is very simple- the only thing that really grabs your attention is the orange leaf because everything else is black and white- even the logo itself. What is also interesting is the fact that actual message of the advertisement is very small, and in the corner of the page. 

     The message of the advertisement, "Be respectful out there" is in itself extremely vague- it could mean anything really. In combination with the simplicity of the image, you almost wouldn't be able to tell what the advertisement was actually advertising if it weren't for the WWF logo. This could be because WWF wants people to research the organization for themselves and find out more. In this way, the advertisement appeals to peoples' need to satisfy curiosity. 

     I do not think that this advertisement is effective in spreading its message because it is extremely vague. People who might actually want to learn more about WWF are not given a website to go on, or a phone number to call.

Media #7: Milky Way

  

     

I found this advertisement for Milky Way candy bars in a People magazine. People magazine features pictures of people (mostly celebrities) on every page. This advertisement did a great job of blending in with the magazine because the focal point is the two ice skaters. Also, the fact that the ice skaters appear to be looking directly at me really turned my attention to this advertisement. 

     Also, the advertisers use the testimonial technique in that it quotes Matt Brush, a US skating judge as saying "Sorry I was eating a Milky Way." This makes possible buyers think that if its good enough for a U.S. skating judge then it must be good enough for them. 

     The advertisement is also humorous, which in my opinion always makes people remember a brand. The fact that a judge messed up his scoring because he was eating a Milky Way bar makes me laugh. The fact that the Milky Way bar is part of the joke makes me remember the advertisement, as well as the Milky Way brand so that when I see it in a store I will associate it with the humorous advertisement. 

     

Media #6: Clorox

   
     
     This is an advertisement for Clorox cleaning products that I found in a magazine. It immediately caught my attention because of the bright contrasting colors that cover the entire page. Also, the bathroom reminds me of my bathroom because of the colorful tile. This shows that the advertisers used the plainfolks technique to appeal to most middle class customers in that the bathroom pictured in the ad could be any middle class family's bathroom, making the ad relatable. 

     The pictured bathroom is also very clean- there is not a spot of dirt anywhere. A spotless bathroom is the goal of most mothers or wives, and this advertisement makes it seem like if they use Clorox, then they will have a spotless bathroom. For this reason, the target audience of this advertisement is wives and/or mothers. In addition, the toilet is pink, and pink is a typically feminine color. 

     In the bottom of the advertisement, "the toilet" is translated into french ("le toile"). French is often seen as a luxurious language, adding class to anything- even toilets. For this reason, the advertisement appeals to our need for prominence. 

     I think that this ad is effective in creating an emotional tie with the viewer because it looks like a lot of peoples' bathrooms, however I do not think that the advertisement was successful in making toilets, and the Clorox brand classy. I think that a better advertising strategy would be to stick with trying to make mothers and wives make emotional ties to the product.

Media #5: L'oréal

     I found this advertisement for L'oréal Paris' Preference hair dye in a People magazine. People magazine is pretty much the perfect place to advertise in order to reach their target audience which is women of all age- especially those who read tabloids.

     In the top right corner of the pages, there are the words luminous, luxurious -'f legendary. The purpose of these words is not to describe the product as would be expected, but is to make people think that if they use Preference hair dye then they will embody these adjectives. In other words, they are there to tailor to people's need for prominence. However, there really isn't anything luminous, luxurious, or legendary about hair dye.

     In addition, the advertisers use the testimonial technique with Gwen Stefani where it says underneath her billowing blonde hair, "My signature blonde? Its preference." They do this to make possible buyers think that if celebrities use this brand, then it's obviously great product. However, I'm fairly certain that Gwen Stefani is a natural blonde.

Media #4: Extra

       I found this advertisement for Extra gum in a People magazine. It immediately grabbed my attention for several reasons. For one thing, the background was bright green- it was hard to miss. Also, the text is comically large, and is white, which contrasts the green. This helps the advertisement's effectiveness because obviously. in order for someone to want to buy the product their eyes must be drawn to the advertisement. Also, these colors put together make me think of refreshment, and mint flavored things (like Extra spearmint gum). 
     
    This advertisement is an example of appealing to the need to escape. It says, "So refreshing it's like your mouth's on vacay." This is a faulty analogy- how on earth is chewing so refreshing that it feels like your mouth is on vacation- and what does it mean to have ones mouth be on vacation? Nevertheless, the refreshing colors, and the word "vacay" definitely are meant to make people feel like if they chew Extra, then it will feel like they are escaping to a vacation.

    Personally, this ad worked on me. I looked at the realistic picture of the mint leaf, the refreshing colors in the background, and the word vacay, and I immediately craved mint gum- long-lasting Extra spearmint gum to be precise.


     

Media #3: The Blurred Line

     I was looking through the front section of The Sacramento Bee, like I do every week while searching for my current event, when I came upon an interesting article that said "Memory Pill Helps the Brain Like Prescription Glasses Help the Eyes, Claims U.S. Surgeon General Candidate." At first I thougt, "Wow, this is a huge discovery!" I mean, it was in the front section, where all the important articles are, it looked like an article, and the title sounded like any other article. Then I realized the miniscule writing located at the very top of this "article" and saw the words "paid advertisement." 
     
     After making the revelation that this "article" was actually an advertisement, I noticed that there were actually some small differenced in the article- a slightly different font, a barely noticeable difference in format etcetera, but they sure had me fooled! 

     By buying a place in a newspaper to advertise, this advertisement sort of tricks people into having their need to satisfy curiosity appealed to. A newspaper is a place where people go to satisfy curiosity. People will read the title of the "article" and want to read more, thinking that this new pill is actually a revolutionary technology, which will change the world with its amazing powers when really it is more than likely just a fraud. Some may even find themselves feeling like they need this pill- especially those who do not notice the words "paid advertisement" above the title. Even if they do notice those words, the may still find themselves thinking that they could really use this pill- if its in the newspaper it must be true!

     Personally, I dislike this advertisement. Whenever an ad successfully tricks me, it makes me not want to even consider buying the product. Even if they were selling something I would really want, and not a miracle pill, I would not buy it because I feel sort of cheated, and stupid- things that not put me in the must-have mood. 

     I must admit, that the advertisers did an honorable job blurring the line between advertisement and article, which for its purposes can be very efficient in tricking people into realizing that they need something they did not even knew existed. So, props to you pill people, but I still would not buy your product. 






       

Media #2: Stetson Perfume Ad

          This is an advertisement for Stetson Perfume that I found in a People Magazine. I don't like this ad because I think its very stereotypical, and honestly I don't understand why any guy would be persuaded to by the product based on this advertisement. Just the fact that it says "Made of America" and has a very white couple in  field with a farmer's hat really bothers me. Like, to the extreme. First of all, America is not a country of white people who hug in fields while staring at a hat. I think that the image will only appeal a small number of people because there aren't very many people left who strive to look like the image. Even if there are some, an even smaller number lives in California, so the ad company for Stetson may want to reconsider where they advertise. 
         
         Despite my previously stated opinion, I do think that this ad does a good job of branding its product. Its clear that the advertisers want Stetson cologne to be associated with traditional values, happiness, country life, and America. Also, the color brown is a reoccurring aspect of the add- everything from the bottle to the tree in the background has undertones of brown. This may be because brown is seen as a manly, and yet classic color, which fits the branding of the product perfectly, and also gives a feeling of warmth.

         Because of my study of media, I was able to see how weird this advertisement was in general. If I was just flipping through the pages of the magazine, I probably would have seen this page and either thought "How nice" and then kept flipping or would of thought nothing at all. Because I spent a few minutes examining this and really thinking about it, I noticed that they were both white, I noticed that they we smiling at a hat, and I noticed that the words said "made of America." These are all things that helped me come to my conclusion that this advertisement is too stereotypical, and will not appeal to very many people.

Media #1: Billboard

            My immediate reaction to this billboard advertisement was laughter. This is mostly because it really does not apply to me as I am not a paunch middle-aged man who seems to be heavy enough to tip over a billboard, and if I was I'm not sure if I'd be laughing at this. However, I think that humor is the best way to connect with a large pool of possible clients because who doesn't like to laugh? Also, I along with most other consumers tend to remember humorous advertisements more consistently than we remember ads that simply say, "Come to Siberman's Fitness Center".

          

    I also noticed that besides the man, and the words and numbers, the billboard appears fairly empty, which I think is a good thing. When I drive by billboards and other advertisements that are packed with color, words, and images, I often don't get a clear message out of them like I do with this image.I can clearly see that I am supposed to call Siberman's Fitness Center at the given phone number, which really is all I need to know. 

    

   This ad may offend obese people, however I do not think that obese people are really the target audience, so while the advertisement may offend people, it will not offend the target audience. I think that most gym-goers are people who are already conscious about their health and fitness. Moreover, the problem with this ad is the fact that it in no way attracts these type of people who might consider going to a gym or switching gyms if they already go to one. These types of people are looking for quality facilities, good deals, and good programs.

   Even though I admittedly appreciate the simplicity of this advertisement, I think it would be nice to maybe be able to visualize Siberman's Fitness Center, or have some small amount of information about it besides the phone number. There are a lot of places that I could go if I was in the same boat as the man on the poster, so why on earth would I go the Siberman's? I mean, they obviously employ people with a good sense of humor, and that counts for something, but is it affortable? Do they have good facilities? I do not know based off of this, which is a problem.