A "Good" Ad

Reviewing back on the ads that were previously collected, a "good" ad would be the Coca-Cola 'Happiness Machine' ad.

Strategy:

One of the main reasons why this ad is a "good" ad is because of Coca-Cola's strategy. The brand's ad, the 'Happiness Machine' blurs the line between commercial and non-commercial content. This was probably done on purpose, as a study conducted by Taylor, Lewin and Strutton (2011) found that entertaining ads were four times more likely to generate favourable consumer attitude than informative social-networking ads. Hence, the entertaining video depicting unscripted responses of everyday students was successful in receiving favourable responses from viewers.

At the same time, the video can potentially spark conversations between peers, resulting in the generation of free publicity for the video through word-of-mouth. This, in turn, enables multiple benefits to form such as reaching a larger amount of audience, increasing consumers' trust towards the product(s), creating brand loyalty and motivate repeated purchases (Palmer, 2009).

"Social-networking advertisements may enhance the maintenance or enrichment of interpersonal relationships." (Peters, Amato & Hollenbeck, 2007)

Furthermore, Coca-Cola brilliantly planned the ad's placement. By using the Internet as the ad's media channel, the ad reached out to consumers on a worldwide scale at a low cost.

Coca-Cola also possessed knowledge regarding the behaviours of social networking sites' users, where advertising-related content was warmly welcomed and at times, promoted (Taylor, Lewin and Strutton, 2011). Having uploaded the video on YouTube, the 'unintended' viral marketing by viewers helped the brand to spread the message conveyed in the ad, resulting in the video's website achieving a current total of 3,479,158 visits.

Execution:
Unlike the American Red Cross advertisement, the combination of slice of life and mood or image executional techniques used by Coca-Cola in the advertisement created a large amount of excitement (emotional response) within viewers, resulting in a positive attitude toward the brand while potentially increasing purchase intent (Stout & Leckenby, 1986)

Creativity:
In this evaluation, the findings of Ang, Lee and Leong (2007) is used to define and measure creativity.

In the authors words, a creative ad is "perceived by its audience to be novel and different, and whose central message is interpreted meaningfully by, and connects with, its audience." (Ang, Lee & Leong, 2007, p. 222)

In short, creativity contains three important elements; novelty, meaningful and able to connect with its audience. Similar to that in the previous post, the three deciding factors of a creative ad is rated on a 1-5 scale, with 1 being the weakest point and 5, the strongest.

Elements	Rating
Novelty	5
Meaningful	3
Connectedness	5

The ad's balance between novelty, meaning and its ability to connect with consumers enables it to break through ad clutter, while at the same time, communicate meaning and information to its target audience (Ang, Lee & Leong, 2007). This point is further supported by Smith, Chen and Yang (2008), who mentioned that should divergence and relevance be symmetrical, an ad will be able to achieve its maximum effectiveness.

References:

1. Ang, S.H., Lee, Y.H. & Leong, S.M. (2007). The ad creativity cube: conceptualization and initial validation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 35, 220-232. Retrieved from Business Source Premier. doi: 10.1007/s11747-007-0042-4
2. Palmer, I. (2009). WOM is about empowering consumers in shaping your brand. Admap. Retrieved from WARC.
3. Peters, C., Amato, C. H. & Hollenbeck,C. R. (2007). An Exploratory Investigation of Consumers’ Perceptions of Wireless Advertising. Journal of Advertising, 36(4), 129–145.
4. Smith, R.E., Chen, J. & Yang, X. (2008). The Impact of Advertising Creativity on the Hierarchy of Effects. Journal of Advertising, 37(4), 47-61. Retrieved from Business Source Premier. doi: 10.2753/JOA0091-3367370404
5. Stout, P.A. & Leckenby, J.D. (1986). Measuring Emotional Response to Advertising. Journal of Advertising, 15(4). Retrieved from Business Source Premier.
6. Taylor, D.G., Lewin, J.E. & Strutton, D. (2011). Friends, Fans and Followers: Do Ads Work on Social Networks? How Gender and Age Shape Receptivity. Journal of Advertising Research, 51(1). Retrieved from WARC.

A "Bad" Ad

Reviewing back on the ads that were previously collected, a "bad" ad would probably be the American Red Cross' 'Starve A Vampire. Donate Blood.' poster.

Strategy:
According to the article published by the American Red Cross (2009), the organization collaborated with CW Network and Alloy Media + Marketing to create an opportunity to connect with the younger generation (more specifically, students) regarding blood donation activities that were held in participating schools.

This creation of a communication platform is indeed a brilliant idea, but lacked deeper insight on the target market. Agreed by many marketers, insights are important in almost every aspect of branding and advertising (Lury, 2010).

A short survey done using social networking site, Facebook, found that a majority of respondents with positive feedback were females. Therefore, the advertisement is predicted to grab the attention of females students alone, which was the case in this situation, as opposed to the organization's intention of targeting both male and female audiences.

Execution:
Unfortunately, the only strength found in the ad's execution was the chosen font of the ad, which was large and bold to draw attention to the fact that the ad was promoting a blood donation campaign.

In my opinion, the ad's execution lacked the intensity to create an emotional response. Thus, there is lower or possibly no recall of the ad even in the long-term. The striking of emotional chords, as mentioned by Phillips, is the critical success factor of an advertisement as it influences the ad's efficiency and effectiveness (Phillips & Woods, 2009).

"We have moved to a world where people no longer look to advertising for information but only for emotional engagement." - Stephen Phillips (Phillips & Woods, 2009)

Creativity:
A large amount of attention have long been focused on the term 'creativity', especially in advertising (Verbeke, Franses, Blanc & Ruiten, 2008). As creativity itself can be viewed through multiple perspectives, measuring the creativity of the ad will definitely pose as one of the more difficult tasks in this assignment. Therefore, similar to a study conducted by Haberland and Dacin (1992), the rating of four dimensions - meaningfulness, originality, reformulation and condensation, will assist the evaluation of the ad's creativity at a cognitive and affective level.

Dimensions	Rating
Meaningfulness	2
Originality	3
Reformulation	1
Condensation	2

The four dimensions, rated on a 1-5 scale where 1 being the weakest and 5, the strongest.

Based on rating given in the table above, it can be concluded that the ad performed at moderate originality but had a below average standard of creativity due to the lack of meaning in the ad. Because of that, the ad produced counter-productive consequences; deterring customers rather than to persuade them. (Peracchio & Meyers-Levy, 1997).

References:

1. American Red Cross (2009). Starve a Vampire. Donate Blood. Retrieved May 9, 2011, from http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=1047c823c9253210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD
2. Haberland, G.S. & Dacin, P.A. (1992). The Development of a Measure to Assess Viewers' Judgments of the Creativity of an Advertisement: A Preliminary Study. Advances in Consumer Research, 19, 817-836. Retrieved from Business Source Premier.
3. Lury, G. (2010). Consumer insight: Probe deeper than in-depth. Admap. Retrieved from WARC.
4. Peracchio, L.A. & Meyers-Levy, J. (1997). Explaining How Ad Execution Techniques can Influence Persuasion Using a Resource Matching Framework. The Journal of Consumer Research, 24(2), 178-191. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/209503#abstract
5. Phillips, S. & Woods, O. (2009). Measuring an Ads Strength is an Emotional Task. [Interview], 40, 15-15. Retrieved from Business Source Premier.
6. Verbeke, W., Franses, P.H., Blanc, A.L. & Ruiten, N.V. (2008). Finding The Keys to Creativity In Ad Agency. Journal of Advertising, 37(4), 121-130. Retrieved from Business Source Premier.

Brand Ad 2

Coca-Cola Happiness Machine

Created by:
Definition 6, Atlanta

Launched:
2010

Media used:
Online, Outdoor

Appeal:
Emotional

Analysis:
Based on the video above, it can be derived that the goal of implementing the 'Coca-Cola Happiness Machine' is to demonstrate the joy and excitement that Coca-Cola generates in customers until the present time. This was evident through the use of sound, where the sound effect of a slot machine hitting the jackpot was played right before a festive atmosphere erupted and the line, "Where will happiness strike next?" at the end of the video (Duncan, 2010).

Although the advertising effort above may not produce profitability in monetary terms, the free give-aways, from extra Coke to a six-foot sub, is able to break through the clutter of advertisements found in the marketing world (Wilkinson, 2010).

Through the use of hidden cameras, unscripted responses of university students in their natural surroundings were captured and made as part of the ad. For example, the female student giving the Coca-Cola machine a hug. Because of this natural setting, the video's credibility increased and was reposted in multiple networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. This form of promotion, known as viral marketing, attracted an unexpected 1 million hits on the Internet in the first week at zero cost (Edelstein, 2010).

Overall, the video enabled Coca-Cola to successfully remind their customers of the benefits obtained from the consumption of their products. The video also communicated the good will of Coca-Cola and by going over the extent of merely selling their products, managed to further improve consumers' attitude towards the brand.

References:

1. Duncan (2010). Coca-Cola Happiness Machine. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2010/coca-cola-happiness-machine/
2. Edelstein, M. (2010). How Coca-Cola created its 'Happiness Machine' [Interview]. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://mashable.com/2010/07/21/coke-happiness-machine/
3. Wilkinson, T. (2010). Coca-Cola's Bold Offensive. ANA Magazine. Retrieved from WARC.

Not for Profit Ad 2

Redcross

Created by:
CW Network and Alloy Media + Marketing

Launched:
2009

Media used:
Print

Appeal:
Emotional

Analysis:
In this case, Red Cross is seen to collaborate with the producers of 'The Vampire Diaries' to use the anticipation generated by the soon-released series as an opportunity to promote and increase awareness regarding blood donations among their target market, who are students in schools and colleges around the United States (ABC News ,2009).

Like several advertisements analysed previously, the timing of the vampire-themed advertisement is compliments the recent 'vampire' trend caused by the screening of the 'Twilight' series to provide the ad with a stepping stone in terms of attracting attention.

According to an article published by the American Red Cross (2009), the ad is used to gain attention and connect to the students instead of 'pushing' them to donate blood. This is evident as the ad itself did not provide much information other than the contact details of the American Red Cross.

Instead, the ad is intended to attract students to the blood drive, which will provide refreshments, exclusive TV footage of 'The Vampire Diaries' series and special promotional items to cultivate the participation of students with the campaign (American Red Cross, 2009).

References:

1. ABC News (2009). A Vampire Ad to Encourage Blood Drives. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/08/a-vampire-ad-to-encourage-blood-drives.html
2. American Red Cross (2009). Starve a Vampire. Donate Blood. Retrieved May 8, 2011, from http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.1a019a978f421296e81ec89e43181aa0/?vgnextoid=1047c823c9253210VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

Not for Profit Ad 1

The Salvation Army - Christmas 2009

Created by:
Mike Colling & Company and Watson Phillips Norman

Launched:
2009

Media used:
Television

Appeal:
Emotional

Analysis:
The Salvation Army's 2009 Christmas ad used a very strong level of emotional appeal to convey the message to television viewers.

This is evident in the advertisement's choice of music. In advertisements, music can be generally defined as songs, sound effects or any other form of noise that is found present. One of the main roles of music in ads today is the creation or enhancement of a mood or atmosphere (White, 2003). Therefore, it can be concluded that the mellow tune used as the ad's background music created a feeling of 'emptiness' when the ad was watched by viewers.

Additionally, the right half of the advertisement which portrayed a gloomy atmosphere had less lighting and colour compared to that of the left to further reinforce the feeling of 'emptiness' being projected by the ad.

One of the main contributions of the ads effectiveness to the campaign's success is the ad's attention-grabbing abilities. As advertisements in the Christmas season are normally promoted through the use of a merry and cheerful tone, the existence of an ad that gives out a completely opposite atmosphere enables TSA's Christmas 2009 ad to stand out among all other advertisements. At the same time, level of honesty and compassion towards others depicted in the ad increased consumers' attention and ad viewership (Mike Colling & Company and Watson Phillip Norman, 2010).

In my opinion, the Salvation Army also timed the appearance of the ad very effectively. In many countries, Christmas is a time where people exchange gifts, thus the existence of the Christmas spirit which encourages one to do good for those in need. Because of that, it is highly likely that the organization itself receives an increased amount of donations as compared to other time of the year.

Moreover, non-financial donations were also welcomed, allowing those who have less disposable income participate in the cause as well (The Salvation Army, 2009).

References:

1. Colling, M. & Company and Norman, W.P. (2010). The Salvation Army: Christmas 2009. Direct Marketing Association. Retrieved from WARC.
2. The Salvation Army (2009). Christmas is empty when you have nothing! Retrieved May 7, 2011, from http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/contactus/western-australia/latest-news/2009_media_releases/christmas-2009.html
3. White, R. (2003). Music in Advertising. Warc Best Practice. Retrieved from WARC.

Retail Ad 2

Ikea - Peace, Love and Storage

Created by:
Mother, London, United Kingdom

Launched:
2011

Media used:
Television

Appeal:
Emotional

Analysis:
Recently released to the public, Ikea's new advertising campaign named 'Peace, Love and Storage' begins with four comedians, two males and two females, debating out which gender is messier. This humorous beginning, in fact, is the ad's main method of attracting attention.

From watching the advertisement alone, it can be said that the target audience is the general public. However, once one understand the idea behind the ad, it is evident that the ad campaign is aimed towards married individuals (Kimberly, 2011).

Although the ad's setting showed a variety of Ikea products, there was absolutely no mention of a specific product or its price. This is because unlike most ads, the ad above intends to inform viewers of the existence of a voting system on Facebook, a famous social networking site.

Weird, yes. Effective? Perhaps.

The lack of information in the advertisement itself intends to pique viewers' curiousity, making them surf the Internet to look for more information. From there onwards, the viewers may choose to participate in the campaign itself. Should that be the case, the advertisement can already be deemed as effective.

The participation of the viewer caused by the ad would have a positive effect on the campaign's effectiveness, as customer involvement have the potential to contribute a significant amount of insights to the development of a business (Andersen, 2003). Additionally, this use of relationship marketing can enhance brand loyalty and recall. Ultimately, in the long run, influencing customers to purchase Ikea's products.

References:

1. Andersen, P.H. (2003). Relationship marketing and brand involvement of professionals through web-enhanced brand communities: The case of Coloplast. Industrial Marketing Management, 34, 39-51. Retrieved from ScienceDirect.
2. I Believe in Advertising (March 31, 2011). Ikea: Peace, Love and Storage. Retrieved May 7, 2011 from http://www.ibelieveinadv.com/index.php?s=ikea
3. Kimberly, S. (2011). Ikea rolls out battle of the sexes campaign. Brand Republic News. Retrieved from http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletin/brandrepublicnewsbulletin/article/1063045/ikea-rolls-battle-sexes-campaign/
4. Letipak, S. (2011). Ikea preaches 'Peace, Love and Storage' with new campaign. The Drum. Retrieved from http://www.thedrum.co.uk/news/2011/03/31/20206-ikea-preaches-peace-love-and-storage-with-new-campaign/

Retail Ad 1

ALDI - Food Prices Split Sydney

Launched:
2008

Media used:
Print - Newspaper

Appeal:
Rationale

A short history on the ad:
Aldi's Food Prices Split Sydney was created a week after an article in The Daily Telegraph in 2008 reported that supermarkets discriminate pricing according to suburbs. This event occurred due to the competitive intensity between Aldi, Woolworths and Coles in certain suburbs (Betts, 2009).

Taking responsibility, Aldi quickly responded with this ad, informing the Australian market of its new National Pricing Policy. This policy was in fact, created to provide certainty to Aldi's customers that they were not geographically discriminated against and to guarantee shoppers of the existence of price equality (Aldi Stores, 2008).

Analysis:
The first critical element of the ad is its placement. Having read the history of the ad earlier on, it can be observed that Aldi was brilliant to place the ad in newspapers.
The ad generally targets newspaper readers who are aware of the price difference situation. These readers are highly likely to read ALDI's ad in the paper the following week (assuming they read at a daily basis), thus, the ad already has a guaranteed readership.

Secondly, it was observed that Aldi used a cut-out of the newspaper article's headlines, "Food Prices Split Sydney." A reason for including this cut-out is to grab the readers' attention, before the content of the ad informs consumers of its new National Pricing Policy - the practice of price equality in all stores. Therefore, the ad fulfills two of the necessary aspects of an effective ad, attraction and attention.

Additionally, the level of care and environmental-alertness shown by the ad may produce a positive perception of the brand in the minds of newspaper readers. A side benefit derived from the cut-out would probably be to reduce counter arguments that could arise from its competitors.

Thirdly, the ad not only attracted readers of the "Food Prices Split Sydney" article, but also its current customers. This is evident with the use of the colour blue in the ad, which is found consistent between ALDI's ads, logo and website. Hence, the blue-coloured ad would alert loyal ALDI customers that the ad is from them (ALDI) and prompt them to read the content.

References:

1. ALDI Stores (2008). Another ALDI first with national pricing. Retrieved from http://www.aldi.com.au/au/media/company/04_media/20080402_Another_ALDI_first_with_National_Pricing.pdf
2. ALDI Stores (2011). Fairer prices for ALL Australians. Retrieved from http://aldi.com.au/au/html/service/national_pricing_fairer_prices.htm
3. Betts, M. (2009). Survey finds Geelong has the nation's cheapest groceries. Herald Sun. Retrieved from http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/survey-finds-geelong-has-the-nations-cheapest-groceries/story-e6freuzr-1225804412925.

Direct Response Ad 2

Proactive Solutions

Launched:
2009

Media used:
Television

Appeal:
Rationale & Emotional

Analysis:
The analysis section first begins with identifying the commercial's target market.
In my opinion, the commercial targets men and women of all ages due to the participants used in its advertising. It was also observed that most customers' testimonials talked about being confident after Proactive Solutions solved their skin problem, thus implying that the commercial is aimed towards an extroverted group of consumers.

Secondly, it was noticed that the ad runs more frequently during the night. A possible reason for Proactive Solutions to choose this time slot is because of the customers characteristics. For example, generally speaking, most extroverts would prefer to socialize and thus, is normally out of their homes during the day. However, these segment of the market normally comes home at night, exhausted and just wanting to relax. Therefore, it can be assumed that the advertisement is viewed by a larger number of the intended target market during the night, thus explaining the frequent appearance of the ad on screens during the later hours of the day.

The third topic discussed is the persuasive method used by the ad.
"This commercial markets the brand and its products well." (Jiang, T. personal communication, May 7, 2011)

In further examination, the statement above most likely referred to the use of testimonials by everyday people and celebrity endorsements (in this ad, Jessica Simpson) to persuade sales and increase consumer's awareness of the brand products.

Well-known endorsers are influential due to their attractive and likeable qualities that is already perceived by consumers (Atkin and Block, 1983 as cited in Kamins, Brand, Hoeke & Moe, 1989). Besides that, a research done by Martin, Bhimy and Agee in 2002 reported that the use of celebrities and customer testimonials is an effective technique in both DRTV and long copy direct marketing.

However, like all other infomercials, the advertisement faces a problem with credibility. A survey done by Wirthlin Worldwide reported that 42% of consumers completely distrust infomercials as compared to that of information published in news articles, which had a 5% of non-believers (The Gale Group, 2006). This flaw commonly found in infomercials was covered using persuasive sentences such as "Number 1 best selling acne system in America" and "Over 15 million customers around the world" in the advertisement.


References:

1. Kamins, M.A., Brand, M.J., Hoeke, S.A. & Moe, J.C. (1989). Two-Sided versus One-Sided Celebrity Endorsements: The Impact on Advertising Effectiveness and Credibility. Journal of Advertising, 18(2), 4-10. Retrieved from Business Source Premier.
2. Martin, B.A.S., Bhimy, A.C., Agee, T. (2002). Infomercials and Advertising Effectiveness: An Empirical Study. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 19(6), 468-480. Retrieved from Emerald.
3. The Gale Group (2006). Emerging Industry Overview: Infomercials. Gale Emerging Industry Overviews. Retrieved from WARC.

Direct Response Ad 1

Oxi Clean

Launched:
2000

Media used:
Television

Appeal:
Rationale

Analysis:

Based on the ad, it can be said that the ad is targeted at women who has a family. Although it can be argued that the ad may appeal to both men and women (as long as one owns a house), Webster (1994) reported his findings that women dominate purchase decisions when the product is associated to the role of a homemaker.

According to Neff (2001), Oxi Clean's launch of its laundry additive and all-purpose cleaning brand products in 2000 gained an outstanding success using only direct-response TV ads to generate sales. Michael Hoye, the managing partner of consulting firm Hoye & Partners, Stratford, Conn. and a former exec VP at Colgate-Palmolive Co. Orange Glo's estimated that $100 million was generated by direct-response sales alone (Neff, 2001).

Through the ad itself, a few reasons for this level of success is clearly evident.

The first reason being the choice of salesman used to promote the product in the advertisement. The TV pitchman, Billy Mays is recognized for his distinctive selling pitch which allows him to carry the ads message across to the consumers. A quick glance at his history shows that he was a successful salesman before being hired to work for Orange Glo International on the Home Shopping Network, thus already acquiring the necessary persuasion skills required to make sales.

Other factors that may contribute to the effectiveness of this ad is the use of a rationale appeal as well as the visual demonstration of the product's benefits. In the ad, the product's benefits, simple method of use and product affordability was clearly communicated to the viewers. Additionally, the ad offers the consumes special promotions and discounts should they call in the next 20mins after viewing the ad. Therefore, the ad creates a desire in consumers, which is a characteristic of an effective direct-response advertisement (BhaveAdvertisers, n.d.)

At the same time, the evolution and acceptance of infomercials into the advertising society was increasing (Wojtas, 1990; Pollock, 1995). However, infomercials after the 1990s was not as effective as before and was instead used to create brand awareness more than sales. In other words, an integration between DRTV and retail sales was required to fully utilize the benefits gained from direct-response advertising. (Chapman & Beltramini, 2000).

References:

1. BhaveAdvertisers (n.d.). Direct Response Newspaper Advertising. Retrieved 7 May, 2011, from http://www.bhavesads.com/advertisement/direct-response-newspaper-advertising.php
2. Chapman, P.S. & Beltramini, R. (2000). Infomercials Revisited: Perspectives of Advertising Professionals. Journal of Advertising Research, 40(5). Retrieved from WARC.
3. Neff, J. (2001). Oxi Clean Rides Direct to the Top. Advertising Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/news/oxi-clean-rides-direct-top/54180/
4. Pollock, J. (1995). Infomercials Go Main-stream-Growing Credibility Fuels U.S. $4.5 billion Industry. Marketing - MacLean Hunter.
5. Webster, C. (1994). Effects of Hispanic Ethnic Identification on Marital Roles in the Purchase Decision Process. Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 319-332. Retrieved from Business Source Premier.
6. Wojtas, G.W. (1990). The Renaissance of the Infomercial. Direct Marketing.

Business to business Ad 2

Epson - Engineered for Speed

Created by:

Albion, UK

Launched:

2010

Media used:

Television

Appeal:

Rationale

Analysis:
By using the Ariel Atom, a race car, to compete with the printing speed of Epson's latest line of inkjet printers, the ad above will probably generate a good first impression onto its audience. This reason for this is the ad's creativity, suspense and excitement, which in turn invokes attention and interest towards the ad. However, Heath (2010) argued that creative ads does not increase attention, but still facilitates communication through promoting open-mindedness and lowering consumers' guard towards the ad.

The appearance of the ad in televisions is another good choice that Epson made. Although a handful of people view television as a dying form of communication media due to the current shift towards the digital age (more specifically the Internet), a finding by Jones and Baxter (2010) concluded that TV viewing and its effectiveness is increasing.

On the other hand, to much dismay, the ad itself shows absolutely no indication regarding its target market. Only in the description found in Ads of the World, was the target market (small businesses) mentioned.

Analysed further, it was also observed that there was a poor measurement used in the ad, which was an Epson printer could print a map of the track faster than the car could drive it, but did not mention how many sheets of paper was printed in the duration of the lap.

In my opinion, the ad merely supports the brand's claim of producing one of the fastest inkjet printers by comparing the speed of the printer to the Ariel Atom and the statement of "38 pages per minute". Having left out other important aspects of their printers, such as multifunction, price and durability, the ad itself lacks the strength to motivate purchase behaviours from small businesses that have little or zero knowledge on Epson printers.

References:

1. Ads of the World (n.d.). Epson: Epson Printer vs Race Car. Retrieved from http://adsoftheworld.com/media/tv/epson_epson_printer_vs_race_car
2. Jones, T. & Baxter, T. (2010). A serious examination of the myth of TV viewing. Market Leader. Retrieved from WARC.
3. Robert, H. (2010). Creativity in TV ads does not increase attention. Admap. Retrieved from WARC.

Business to business Ad 1

FedEx Delivers to a Changing World

Created by:
BBDO

Launched:
2009

Media used:
Print

Appeal:
Rationale

Analysis:
The ads above are two examples of print ad that appeared from FedEx's global campaign, "FedEx delivers to a changing world."

It is well known that FedEx, being in delivery services boasts of getting their customers' parcels/packages at faster than their competitors. This is reflected in the first ad, where the large amount of FedEx employees are present, showing the company's speed and reliability in delivering. Although this point is consistent with that of the company's brand strength, the ad demonstrated little to no relevance with that of the campaign.

On the other hand, the second ad demonstrated a better link to their campaign. More specifically, the campaign's slogan, "FedEx delivers to a changing world" by showing a crowded, hectic and more business-appropriate environment.

In both the first and second ad shown here, there was a brief mention regarding growing markets in the text at the bottom of the ads. Similarly, the campaign is said to highlight how FedEx can help provide access to global markets (FedEx Global Newsroom, 2011). Therefore, it can assumed that the ads are targeted at a businesses with the promise of a quick, simple and reliable method for transporting.

Both ads also included a standard purple uniform for the employees to give out a professional appeal and thus increase the perceived quality of their services towards their target audience.

However, other than the text at the bottom of each ad, there was a lack of a global factor due to the choice of background unlike this ad below, which was created by BBD, Brazil.

This last ad which was not included in the recent, "FedEx delivers to a changing world" campaign deserves a round of applause. The brilliant idea of using a section of the world map as its background clearly portrays the availability of FedEx globally, while the brand strength of 'a quick and simple delivery' can be derived from the main focus which is the passing of the parcel from the male to the female.

References:

1. FedEx (2011). FedEx International Campaign. Retrieved from http://about.fedex.designcdt.com/our_company/advertising/international
2. FedEx Global Newsroom (2011). "FedEx Delivers to a Changing World." Retrieved from http://news.van.fedex.com/HALO09
3. Ads of the World (n.d.). Fedex: USA-Brazil. Retrieved 1 May, 2011, from http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/fedex_usabrazil

Global Ad 2

Absolut Glimmer

Created by:

Team Family Business, Sweden

Launched:

2010

Media used:

Print

Appeal:

Emotional

Analysis:
From the design of the ad, it can be assumed that the ad intends to target young, modern people in the upper class segment of the market. This is due to the existence of the disco ball and speakers, which demonstrates energy and youth while the clean white theme abstractly states modern and an above average wealth.

At the same time, the crystal-patterned packaging of the product (aesthetics) and the line "Now available in selected stores around the world", enables the product to create a standard of exclusiveness. This leads to an increase in the product's value, creating a 'must-have' need in consumers who are socially conscious. Hence, it can also be derived that the ad additionally targets consumers who are more socially aware than others.

Although Absolut took a brave leap by repackaging their product, there are still several weaknesses found within the ad itself.

For one, the ad may fail to communicate its idea to its target market. Based on the ad alone, most consumers would assume 'present' in the tagline to be a gift, seeing how exclusive the product's aesthetics are. However, the word 'present' carries two meanings, a gift or the concept of a current time. According to Absolut's vice president in global marketing, Anna Malmhake, the idea of the ad was to bring inspiration and excitement to a current time or situation (Absolut Press, 2010). Therefore, the tagline, "Make the present exceptional", can be easily misunderstood by the intended audience.

In line with that, there is also a vague identification on how the ad supposedly, "encourages people to celebrate and pursue their secret passions." (Harris, 2010).

Moreover, in my opinion, this 2010 print ad by Absolut Vodka lacked an important amount of colour contrast between the product and its background, thus, resulting in a decrease of the ad's ability to attract attention.


References:

1. Ads of the World (n.d.). Absolute Vodka: Glimmer. Retrieved 28 April, 2011, from http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/absolut_vodka_glimmer
2. Absolut Press (2010). Absolut Debuts Absolut Glimmer - A limited edition bottle with a crystal shape. Retrieved from http://press.absolut.com/templates/PressPage____8362.aspx
3. HabitusLiving.com (n.d.). Glimmer from Absolut Vodka. Retrieved 28 April, 2011, from http://www.habitusliving.com/play/glimmer-from-absolut-vodka
4. Harris, R. (2010, September 6).  Absolut Glimmers for Summer. TheShout. Retrieved from http://www.theshout.com.au/2010/09/06/article/Absolut-Glimmers-for-Summer/DFSBLEYTUD.html

Global Ad 1

1000 Cranes for Japan

Created by:

BBDO/Proximity in Tokyo, Canada and Singapore

Launched:

March 2011

Media used:

Online

Appeal:
Emotional & Rationale

Analysis:

The 1000 Cranes for Japan ad is targeted to everyone all over the world with the objective of enabling others to show their support for Japan who went through a huge amount of loss due to a devastating earthquake and subsequent Pacific tsunami on March 11th, 2011.

BBDO/Proximity based this ad on the ancient Japanese legend that promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish. Because of this, the ad clearly demonstrates a relationship with the Japanese culture and belief which strongly communicates the ad's intended message.

Besides that, the use of various colours in the ad is to increase its attention-grabbing ability, attractiveness and sets a cheerful and supportive mood for people to get involved and support/donate for a good cause.

The ad was promoted through the Internet as media channel provides a broad reach with its availability and accessibility in most areas of the world. In fact, the growth of the Internet as a form of advertising media is so intense that the total expenditure invested by advertising companies on the Internet has shown a significant increase across all continents (Grande & James, 2008).

"By 2005, the Internet was available to 1 billion people worldwide, and approximately 845 million people used it regularly." (Emarketer, 2006, as cited in Rosenkrans, 2009)

Additionally, BBDO/Proximity used social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and so forth to further promote the ad, creating an electronic Word-Of-Mouth (WOM) effect. A basic definition of WOM is the sharing of information between everyday people on brands, companies, products in both digital and non-digital world (Carl, 2009). This is not only an effective method in today's advertisement-heavy world (Hogan, Lemon & Libai, 2004), but also proved to provide various cost-benefit advantages such overcoming barriers, reaching new customers, create loyalty and sustain and/or increase total sales (Palmer, 2009; Carl, 2009).

References:

1. 1000Cranes4Japan. Retrieved from http://www.1000cranes4japan.org/
2. Ads of the World (2011). Help Japan: 1000cranes4japan. Retrieved from http://adsoftheworld.com/media/online/help_japan_1000cranes4japanorg
3. Campaign Brief (2011). BBDO aims for 1000 Cranes for Japan. Retrieved from http://www.campaignbrief.com/2011/03/1000-cranes-for-japan.html
4. Digital Lab (2011). Send a Message of Support to Japan. Retrieved from http://www.digitallabblogasia.com/
5. Rosenkrans, G. (2009). The Creativeness and Effectiveness of Online Interactive Rich Media Advertising. The Journal of Interactive Advertising, 9(2), 1-18. Retrieved from WARC.
6. Grande, C. & James, L. (2008). Global Advertising at a Turning Point? Warc Exclusive. Retrieved from WARC.
7. Hogan, J.E., Lemon, K.N., Libai, B. (2004). Quantifying the Ripple: Word-Of-Mouth and Advertising Effectiveness. Journal of Advertising Research, 271-282. Retrieved from BusEco database. doi: 10.1017/S0021849904040243
8. Carl, W. (2009). Is talking getting you anywhere? Measuring WOM Marketing. Admap, 504, 1-8. Retrieved from WARC.
9. Palmer, I. (2009). WOM is about empowering consumers in shaping your brand. Admap, 504, 1-7. Retrieved from WARC.

Brand Ad 1

Armani Exchange - Spring/Summer Campaigns

Launched:
2007, 2010, 2011

Media used:
Print

Appeal:
Emotional

Armani Exchange's ad (2007)

Armani Exchange's ad (2010)

Armani Exchange's ad (2011)

Analysis:
Derived from the A|X (Armani Exchange) ads above, it can be seen that the ads promote the brand and its products (seasonal clothing line) and is targeted at extroverts, energetic, fashionable young adults.

Comparing previous ad campaigns such as the Spring/Summer Campaign back in 2007 and that of 2011, it can be observed that the brand's Spring/Summer Campaign has had a slight change in environment, from a beach to a park while still maintaining the outdoor setting. Besides that, the fun-loving, vibrant energy between the two campaign ads are kept consistent, while the sexual appeal found in 2007's ads have toned down. 

One of the most probable reasons for this is because ads with explicit nudity/strong sexual appeals tend to generate less favorable attitudes than those consisting of mild sexual appeal (Peterson & Kerin, 1977, as cited in Garcia & Young, 2006; LaTour & Henthorne, 1994).
At the same time, sexual appeal in the ads are not removed completely as these ads is proven to be able to easily grab an individual's attention and is common amongst companies involved in the fashion industry (LaTour & Henthorne, 1994).

Based on an article written by Seckler (2010), the effectiveness of A|X ads are increasing as A|X's marketing department is constantly improving their understanding on the public's (and customers') attitudes and values.

References:

1. Garcia, E. & Yang, K.C.C. (2006). Consumer Responses to Sexual Appeals in Cross-Cultural Advertisements. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 19(2), 29-52. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.
2. LaTour, M.S. & Henthorne, T.L. (1994). Ethical Judgments of Sexual Appeals in Print Advertising. Journal of Advertising, 23(3), 81-92. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.
3. Seckler, V. (2010). A|X Armani Launching ‘Utopia’ Campaign. WWD: Women's Wear Daily, 199(38), 14. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.
4. Alek & Steph - OhlalaMag (2010). Armani Exchange Spring Summer 2010 Campaign. Retrieved 17 April, 2011, from http://www.ohlalamag.com/en/2010/01/armani-exchange-spring-summer-2010-campaign.html
5. Armani Exchange - Lifestyle (2011). Spring Campaign 2011.  Retrieved 17 April, 2011, from http://www.armaniexchange.com/category/lifestyle.do

Controversial Ad 3

Napcan - Children See, Children Do.

Created by:
DDB Sydney

Launched:
September 2006

Objectives:
The main purpose for the creation and launch of this television ad is to create public awareness regarding how adults should manage their behaviour, feelings and actions, especially if they have children.

Nature of controversy:
The first controversial issue regarding the ad is the various bad habits or actions depicted by both parent and child.

As televisions can strongly influence a child's mind and behaviour, many viewers especially parents' fear that their children will follow the actions portrayed in the ad. In fact, even a large number of adult viewers labelled the ad as "disturbing". Thus, the large amount of negative feedback from viewers towards the ad.

Personal opinion:
Although the content of the ad was effective in terms of creating public awareness (due to the emotional values), it is better to have that ad withdrawn from screens. The reason for this is because extra sensitivity and care is required when dealing with children.


Reference:

1. Coloribus (n.d.). "CHILDREN SEE, CHILDREN DO" TV Commercial. Retrieved 17 April, 2011, from http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/tv-commercials/child-friendly-australia-children-see-children-do-8810305/

Controversial Ad 2

News Group Newspapers Ltd - The Sun

Launched:
2007

Objective:
The Sun's "ten pence bikinis" campaign emerged on the side of buses to promote the price drop of papers to 20 pence.

Nature of controversy:
According to BBC News and WARC database, there were three types of complaints that came from viewers of this ad. These complaints are:

• Women being portrayed as sexual objects
• Inappropriate placement of ads (children could see them)
• Image was deemed "pornographic"

However, the Australian Standard of Advertising Bureau (ASA) did not withhold the advertisement itself due to the following arguments:

• It is not "overly sexual in nature"
• Amount of flesh revealed is no different to that of a bikini ad

Thus, "not seen as pornographic" nor will it "cause serious or widespread offence."

Personal opinion:
In general, the ads are appropriate to the public (especially in this modern generation). The complaints made by viewers towards the ads are unquestionably exaggerated and should not be taken into account.
After all, sex appeal in advertisements is becoming a norm due to its attention-grabbing capability. Therefore, I am in full support of the ASA's decision to continue with the publication of the ad.

References:

1. BBC NEWS UK - Top 10 most controversial ads. Retrieved 17 April, 2011, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7373667.stm
2. Whiteside, S. (2008). Top ten most controversial ads of 2007. Retrieved from WARC database.

Controversial Ad 1

NRMA Insurance - Mumbrella.

Created by:

Human ad agency

Time of launch:

Beginning of May, 2010

Objectives:

The message intended to be communicated to viewers in this advertisement is the insurance company's (NRMA Insurance) promise to beat their competitors' price by 10%. According to NRMA Insurance, the commercial intended to use humour to promote their lowest price car insurance/beat it by 10% campaign.

Nature of controversy:

However, this ad received complaints from several viewers who pointed out that star player, Sam Thaiday, was stealing chocolate bars from a vending machine found in the office.

"Why would they show stealing using so called children’ role models such a Thiaday,” said one vending machine owner who complained to the Advertising Standards Board. - The Daily Telegraph (2010)

Personal opinion:

In my opinion, this specific advertisement did not cross the boundaries of advertising and should not be banned. In fact, the ad was a brilliant one, portraying humour while at the same time, communicated a clear message from the insurance company.

The ad being withdrawn from television screens came as a shock, as the act of "stealing" went unnoticed, even to many of my friends. With that, it can be concluded that the "stealing of chocolates from the vending machine" would have probably gone unnoticed by children instead of producing a negative influence on their behaviour/actions.

References:

1. mUmbrella (2010). Brisbane Broncos front up for latest NRMA ad. Retrieved 17 April, 2011, from http://mumbrella.com.au/brisbane-broncos-star-in-latest-nrma-tv-ad-24014
2. mUmbrella (2010). Brisbane Broncos ad banned for showing Sam Thaiday stealing chocolate. Retrieved 17 April, 2011, from http://mumbrella.com.au/brisbane-broncos-ad-banned-for-showing-sam-thaiday-stealing-chocolate-29589
3. The Daily Telegraph (2010). NRMA television advertisement banned after showing star player Sam Thaiday stealing chocolate. Retrieved 17 April, 2011, from http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/nrma-television-advertisement-banned-after-showing-star-player-sam-thaiday-stealing-chocolate/story-e6frep5x-1225890759163