ADVERTISING What makes an advertisement effective?
What was your initial response to the iPod ad? What did you like about it? What didn’t you like?
Answer: Who is the intended audience for the iPod ad? (gender, age, economic status, ethnicity, peer group, sexual orientation) How does the iPod ad appeal to them? (masculine/feminine images, desire for possessions, luxury and elegance, adventure, privilege, emotions, sound)
IMAGES THAT SELL Most ads are designed to make an impact at a glance. Therefore, the visual appeal of an ad is very important. There are a number of visual elements that make up an ad.
Visual Elements in an Ad General Mood: the overall feeling that is conveyed by the ad (joy, fun or satisfaction).
Visual Elements in an Ad Typeface: the size, shape, and style of the print used in the ad.
Visual Elements in an Ad Logo: the sign, symbol or lettering that stands for the company or the product.
Visual Elements in an Ad Color Scheme: the colors used in the ad and how they relate to each other.
Visual Elements in an Ad Light: the brightness of the ad, the contrast between light and dark, and the relationship between them.
Visual Elements in an Ad Shapes: the shape of the product, the shapes of the other components of the ad, the relationship between them and what thoughts/feelings are conveyed by them.
Visual Elements in an Ad Overall Composition: the combined effect of the General Mood, Typeface, Logo, Colour Scheme, Light and Shapes in the ad.
STORIES THAT SELL: If an advertiser has managed to get your attention visually, chances are good that you will look more closely at the content of the ad. Many ads have components that are similar to stories.
Story Components in Ads CHARACTER(S): the “people” in the ad and the personalities they seem to have.
Story Components in Ads PLOT: the event that is shown in the ad itself and the events that you imagine have occurred before, or will occur after that moment.
Story Components in Ads SETTING: where and when the scene shown in the ad takes place.
Story Components in Ads SYMBOLS: an object that stands for something more than itself.
Story Components in Ads SUB-TEXT: a meaning that goes beyond the surface meaning suggested in the ad.
With a partner, identify the Visual Elements and Story Components in this ad. Record your findings on the chart provided.
Class Discussion / Share Your Findings
NEEDS THAT SELL: Another way that advertisers convince us to buy their products is by appealing to basic human needs.
THE NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY HEALTHY.
THE NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY ATTRACTIVE.
THE NEED TO BE FREE FROM FEAR AND ANXIETIES.
THE NEED TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES.
THE NEED TO BELONG TO A GROUP.
THE NEED TO HAVE STATUS.
THE NEED TO BE INFORMED.
THE NEED TO IDENTIFY WITH PEOPLE WE ADMIRE.