Arguably, everything around us is an advertisement. A sofa could be considered an ad for its manufacturer, the company it was made in and its designer. It may also advertise something more meaningful to the consumer such as comfort and rest, etc. That is one of my opinions about advertising. Another lady with something to say about this important subject is Robin Landa in her book "Advertising." Landa claims that advertising is "a specific message constructed to inform, persuade, promote, provoke, or motivate people on behalf of a brand or group." With all of this juicy information Landa provides to her readers, she shares some ad examples of what she sees fit to explaining how advertising works.
In the first chapter, an ad that catches my eye is the one created by DDB back in 1960. This is an extremely classic ad and one I have learned about a number of times before. It is so great because of its simplicity and incredible use of its grid structure. This ad continues to be successful through people attempting to mock it for its style.
Chapter 2 shows an ad campaign targeting an audience just like me. "I Know This Stuff" is successful in showing a sarcastic and humorous take on how the average Midwestern-American who would most likely be intimidated by speaking to a lawyer. I would buy into this ad if need be because it seems like they are trying to speak to me in a familiar way, not filled with unnecessary content that would confuse me. The ad does what it needs to do and that is why it is successful.
Chapter 3 is about thinking creatively. I do not think Landa thought creatively enough in writing this chapter because she neglected to ad a variety of ads to chose from, at least for me to talk about. However, she included plenty of diagrams to show how to brainstorm. One of the most fun things to do in steps like this is storyboarding. I had to storyboard a number of times for different animation projects. I think it is the best way to prepare working on a project like this, at least ones with movement.
Last, the fourth chapter is all about the idea of branding and how important it is to brand a product or service. The Michelin Guide has been around since 1900 and continues to be used to show restaurants around New York. It is a branded utility and has had a fairly consistent style and goal since its inception. I heard about the guide prior to reading this chapter in the book. The name has some form of impact on me even without having seen it. Oh, the power of branding!
An ad I found that goes along with this reading is for Burger King. The BK Super Seven Incher connotes different meanings that are all clever tricks of advertising. The woman in the picture is shown with her mouth open ready to enjoy the oversized fast food sandwich. "It'll Blow Your Mind Away" has few different meanings, perhaps about how the burger could be a threat or how it could be sexual. This is appealing to readers because they like violence and sex. It is different from the images I chose in the book because of its content and meaning.
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