Adidas: Quick ain't fair

The featuring of three outstanding NBA basketball players is using the advertising technique of testimonial.  John Wall, one of the three famous basketball players, was the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft.  He was named MVP for the 2011 NBA Rookie Challenge and is a very well-known player.  Because of this, Adidas purposely includes John Wall in their advertisement due to his popularity.  When consumers see John Wall wearing Adidas gear, they desire to wear it too.  They start to believe that maybe Wall wearing Adidas shoes is the reason why he is so fast and talented.  Along with this, the consumers who admire John Wall want to buy the Adidas shoes due to the fact that John Wall wears them.  They appealing to the fallacy of ad populum, since they only desire to buy the shoe because the popular NBA star wears them.  Therefore, Adidas purposely includes John Wall and two other famous basketball players to endorse their product because they know that it will attract many consumers.

Repetition is evident throughout the entire advertisement.  The Adidas logo and name brand is constantly visible on the people and their surrounding environment.  The 3-on-3 game is taking place in an actual Adidas shoe.  The players in the game are also decked out in Adidas gear.  Their shirts, pants, and shoes and have the Adidas name or logo on it.  In addition, the basketball court that the players are scrimmaging on has the Adidas logo on it (the three stripes) along with the actual brand name at half court.  Almost every camera shot has Adidas in it, which is a sign of repetition.  Adidas purposely does this as an attempt to make consumers remember their brand and make it widely known.  

With the 2010 NBA number one pick draft, rookie of the year, and all-star all on one team, the need to dominate is being fulfilled.  In the 3-on-3 scrimmage, John Wall and the two other famous NBA players are easily wiping out the other team.  They are crossing the other team, dunking, and flying past their defenders.  They hold all the power over the opposing team and can do anything they want, such as cutting are dribbling by their defender.  The rapper who is narrating the commercial says, "But when you crazy quick, man, quick ain't fair." This line subjugates the domination that the three NBA players have over their competitors.  Their "quickness" from the Adidas shoes that they are wearing is unfair to the other people who are being easily defeated.  When consumers see this commercial, they start to believe that if they wear Adidas shirts or shoes, they too can dominate over their competition.  The power that they lack to easily defeat their competitors is shown in the commercial, which makes people want to purchase Adidas gear so that they too can dominate over others. 

The target market for this commercial are boys in their 20's who enjoy playing basketball.  The group of athletes playing in the advertisement appear to be around 20 years old.  Along with this, they are playing against each other in the game of basketball.  The whole commercial is only filming this basketball scrimmage.  The players are also wearing basketball gear, such as shorts and basketball shoes.  Because of this, the target market that the commercial is trying to appeal to are boys around their 20's who like to play basketball.    

Aflac

Watching the Aflac commercial, the first technique that pops into my head is wit and humor.  The Aflac duck is shown working out with a motivational song playing in the background.  Everything about the video is just outrageous and hilarious because of how idiotic the commercial is.  To me, the duck is being portrayed as a professional athlete who is focusing so hard on trying to get back to full recovery.  The music adds to the "intensity in the air" and the trainer is even motivating and pushing the duck to go his hardest.  The commercial is extremely out of the ordinary, which is what Aflac intended to do.  The insurance company wants to divert the audience's attention to the commercial by giving them a reason to laugh.

The second technique that pops into my head as i watch this commercial is gestalt.  What's wrong with this picture? Well, for one thing, there is a duck working out at the gym as if he were a regular human being.  The duck isn't just walking around, not really knowing what he is doing like other ducks would normally do.  Opposed to this, he is actually doing multiple physical therapy activities such as lifting weights or jump roping.  Ducks definitely do not fulfill these activities, nor do we ever see them doing them.  Because the actions of the duck is extremely out of the ordinary, the technique of gestalt is evident to try to get consumers to remember the brand Aflac.

Aflac's display of a duck accomplishing difficult tasks is appealing to people's need to achieve.  The physical therapist in the commercial explains to us about how the duck is recovering from his injury.  The duck is then shown doing various exercises such as swimming and lifting weights.  He does not need to worry about his expenses, and therefore, can focus on overcoming the obstacles on his road to recovery.  Although a duck is being shown as achieving difficult tasks, it still appeals to consumer's need to achieve.  People see themselves being able to get past any obstacles.  They are being informed that they do not need to worry about their expenses when they are recovering from an injury.  Therefore, consumer's need to achieve is fulfilled since they can do anything they want without having to worry about paying off expenses.

The color scheme of the commercial is being used as a form of repetition.  The ad is taking place at a gym that has the colors of blue and white.  Every single screen shot has the colors blue and white in it, which are the colors of the Aflac logo.  The color scheme is therefore significant because it is trying to get consumers to remember the two specific colors repeated.  Aflac desires to do this because they want consumers to think of their brand whenever they see the colors of white and blue.  People will then think of Aflac more often and even want to purchase the insurance.    

Burger King Satisfries

Burger King's latest discover, satisfries, is being advertised in this commercial.  Since french fries are food, the need to eat is being used in the ad.  All humans need food in order for them to survive.  However, nowadays, people are trying to change their lifestyles to that of a healthier.  They desire to eat more nutritious foods, but still want to obtain it efficiently.  Burger King's satisfries appeal to consumer's need to eat because it is a food product.  In addition, it values healthiness since the fries are claiming to be healthier than regular fries. 

"A delicious new choice with 40% less fat, 30% less calories..."  The technique of facts and figures is being applied with the commercial's usage of statistics.  Burger King is trying to persuade consumers to purchase their satisfries due to it being healthier than to other french fries.   They want people to choose their fries over the fries of other fast-food places, such as McDonalds or Carl's Jr.  Along with this, Burger King is trying to prove the superiority of their satisfries.  With 40% less fat and 30% less calories, BK's satisfries are put above other french fries.  At the sight of these statistics, consumers are persuaded into purchasing the food product due to it being a healthier french fry.

The commercial shows a slide show of different groups of people.  They display a regular family, firefighters, a couple, a cowboy, and a "cool" guy with his girlfriend.  All of these people live normal, average lives just like everyone else.  With the featuring of different types of people, the commercial is using the technique of plain folks.  Satisfries appeals to any ordinary folks who are craving some french fries.  The food product is not too high-class for only wealthy people, nor is it too low-class for poor people.  It suits any regular person and satisfies their hunger.  

The techniques of wit and humor and and repetition are being applied in the advertisement.  Rather than just calling Burger King fries "fries", it is called satisfries.  The word satisfies and fries are being combined into one word to try to entertain consumers on the cleverness of the combination.  Along with wit and humor, different forms of the word "satifry" is constantly being repeated throughout the commercial.  "Satisfry this cool guy, Satisfy Tammy, Satisfy frecking everybody.  New Satifries from Burger King, are you satifried?"  Burger King is purposely repeating the word "satisfy" to try to get consumers to remember the food product so that they will want to try it.  

Swiffer Dusters

One of my favorite types of commercials are the Swiffer advertisements with the 90 year old couple.  Every time is see the commercials, they always make me feel happier during and after the ad is done.  The grandma and grandpa are so innocent, making the commercial so cute and enjoyable to watch.  Without the old couple, I probably wouldn't really pay attention to Swiffer ads.

Swiffer Commercials are appealing to the need to nurture.  Although there isn't a featuring of a puppy or a little kid, the advertisement is still appealing to our maternal or paternal instincts with the usage of an old couple.  Along with the caring of our children, we also have to care for our own parents when they get too weak and old to care for themselves.  Our grandmas and grandpas usually hold that special place in our hearts.  They are the ones who have cared for us for the longest and because of this, our heart melts whenever we see grandmas or grandpas.  When consumers see this commercial, they think of their own grandparents.  They then feel that they should purchase the Swiffer duster to make their grandparent's lives easier.  Their maternal or paternal instincts are catalyzed because they want to purchase a product to help them care for their grandpa and grandpa.  

The technique of plain folks is being applied in the Swiffer advertisement.  An ordinary old couple is shown included in the advertisement.  The scenery is not that of a large mansion, but of a regular house.  With this, Swiffer is trying to suggest that the duster acts as a good value for ordinary people.  It's simple, yet useful, especially in those "hard to reach" spots.  Anyone could use the product because they do not have to be rich or of a higher-class.  Because of this, consumers are more persuaded into buying the product to the idea that it is suitable and useful for ordinary people.  

The second advertising technique being used is simple solutions.  Everyone comes face to face with those "hard to reach" spots, whether its in the house or somewhere else.  These spots causes people to have to go get a chair or ladder to stand on if the dirty area is too high up.  However, if the area is between, behind, or underneath and can only be reached through a small opening, normal dusters are not able to clean up the spot.  Swiffer attacks these multiple issues with the simple solution of their duster.  It has an extension handle that allows people to reach the spots that were too high to get and it's also thin and light enough to reach in between the small cracks.  The duster pleases many consumers with its simple solution, causing them to want to purchase it because it makes cleaning that much easier.  

The target market that the commercial is trying to reach are senior citizens with a simple lifestyle.  As we get older, we naturally get weaker and become more reliant on others.  We no longer have the ability to do specific things that we did in the past, such as stepping up on a chair to clean off the dust on a cabinet.  It's scarier for senior citizens to do this because they might fall off and break multiple bones or possibly even die.  Swiffer is therefore, trying to reach senior citizens with a simple lifestyle because they know that old people desire products that will help them fulfill tasks that their age no longer allows them to do.  Along with this, the simple lifestyle is being targeted because the product is very useful for ordinary citizens.  It isn't overly complicated to prevent plain old folks from knowing how to use it.  Senior citizens are looking for products like the Swiffer Duster, and because of this, the target market for this commercial are simple-living senior citizens.  

Call of Duty

Pop culture media's reality assumption is that teens crave action and violence, which it why they provide them with it.  Call of Duty is a video game packed with guns, shooting, bombs, and other dangers.  It is filled with nonstop action, making the game seem irresistible to teens.  When teens become connected to the game however, they are influenced by it.  They may become more violent themselves, reflecting what pop culture media's reality assumption of them was in the first place.

Call of Duty is fulfilling consumers' need to dominate.  The video games allows people to have the control over what's going on in the game.  They are the ones with the gun in their hands who has the power to shoot anyone and anytime they choose to.  They could decide what weapon they want to choose, what mission to accomplish, and how they are going to accomplish that mission.  Unlike reality in the battle fields where soldiers only have one life to defeat their enemies, the game provides consumers with a feeling of invincibility.  Although people can die in the game, they could just restart and try the level again.  The game never ends for them until they actually beat it.  They have the ability to dominate all of the levels in the game, which attracts many consumers.

The need to escape is also being addressed in the advertisement.  People can escape from their boring, quiet lives to one that is filled with nonstop action and violence.  The game is an adventure that makes people feel excitement and powerful when playing it.  The escape sounds extremely fun due to it being an easy outlet from a boring life.  Although the game isn't an escape to a relaxing paradise, it still is desirable by consumers who are seeking an escape to action.  In our world, multiple peoples' lives are filled with homework, school, and studying.  There is no action nor excitement present, which is not pleasurable for many consumers.  Because of this, Call of Duty provides the perfect escape of action and violence.

The advertising technique of testimonial is being used to persuade consumers to purchase the video game.  The popular NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant is featured in the commercial to endorse the product.  Kobe has an extremely busy life of nonstop basketball and work outs.  However, in this commercial, the famous basketball player still has time to play Call of Duty.  Along with this, consumers are more persuaded into purchasing the product just because Kobe plays it.  He is looked up to by thousands due to his great basketball skills, determination, and focus on the court.  A lot of consumers want to do the things that he does so that they could become like him, and because of this, Bryant is featured in the commercial.  Consumers are persuaded into believing that since Kobe plays Call of Duty, they should too.

    

Cover Girl: Silk Foundation

The advertising technique of Testimonial is being applied in this Cover Girl commercial.  Taylor Swift is purposely featured in the commercial to endorse the products being advertised.  Taylor is a popular singer who is admired widely for her songs, personality, and beauty.  She has millions of fans and by including her in the advertisement, Cover Girl is attracting that much more attention by having Taylor Swift endorse the products of the cosmetic company.  

The appearance of Taylor Swift in this commercial is also appealing to the need for affiliation.  Taylor is an extremely popular singer with millions of fans worldwide.  Many people look up to her and want to gain the popularity that she possess.  Cover Girl is trying to persuade consumers that if they use the foundation or lip balm that they are selling in this ad, people will gain more friends.  They are persuaded that they can be more like the celebrity by using the make-up being advertised, which will attract them with more friends.  Due to the popular Taylor Swift endorsing the products, consumers see themselves as becoming more popular with the usage of the cosmetics.  

With the featuring of Taylor Swift, the fallacy of "ad populum" is being used.  Consumers are persuaded into believing that they too should use Cover Girl's silk foundation since the popular celebrity uses it.  Millions of her fans are then mesmerized into buying the cosmetic since they want to be just like their favorite celebrity.  They do not actually know if the foundation really is lighter on the skin.  All they know is that Taylor uses it and because of this, consumers want to purchase it.  Due to the celebrity accepting the usage of the foundation, people are persuaded that they should too.  

Another technique that is being applied in the advertisement is Simple Solutions.  Millions of people want a foundation that isn't heavy on their skin, easy to apply, and makes them look beautiful.  They don't want a foundation that makes their skin appear "cakey" nor unnatural.  Consumers are looking for a simple solution to all of these problems, which this commercial fulfills.  Cover Girl is subjugating how their foundation is very light and makes the skin appear flawless.  They attack the problems of heaviness and the skin appearing "cakey" with one solution; their  silk foundation.  

The target market of this commercial is females.  Women are the ones who are interested in make-up and beautifying themselves up.  They want to purchase cosmetics for their personal usage, such as making themselves prettier.  Females are the majority or are all of Cover Girl's customers.  Males do not generally purchase make-up nor are they interested in it at all.  Females, on the other hand, are highly interested in cosmetics and compare different make-up brands as to which one works or looks the best.  Therefore, Cover Girl's main marketing target is definitely females since they are the ones who desire purchasing cosmetics and are interested in it.

Identity Guard Insurance Company

The need to nurture is evident in this Identity Guard advertisement by using an image of two girls playing with their mom.  Mother's want to care for their child and protect them from any dangers that come to them.  It is their baby, the tangible thing that mother's hold dearest to their heart.  At the same time, mother's also want to be able to play with their kids.  Mother-daughter time is something mother's do not want to miss out on if their child gets hurt or something bad happens to them.  Identity Guard knows how mother's are protective of their children.  They purposely use a picture of a mom playing with her daughters to try to persuade consumers that if they choose Identity Guard, they will be protecting their children, appealing to maternal instincts.

"Don't leave yourself - or your kids - exposed".  The need to feel safe is also being emphasized in this advertisement.  Identity Guard is trying to make us feel scared by warning us to not leave both our self and our kids exposed.  They are causing consumers to think that they are vulnerable to the multiple dangers in this world.  Although this is true, the advertisement makes the idea seem much more worse than it really is.  They are creating a picture of a very unsafe and chaotic environment where dangers are constantly around us.  Consumers are then more persuaded into choosing the Identity Guard insurance company because of the ad scaring them into believing that something terrible may happen to them and their children if they do not buy it.

Identity Guard is using the advertising techniques of Bribery and Time Pressure/Exigency.  The fine print at the bottom of the ad reads, "Get Identity Guard for less than $1 a day!  Act now and we'll provide coverage for your kids for free - a value of over $100 per year!"  Identity Guard it offering the desirable cheap cost of purchasing the insurance for less than $1 a day.  This discount attracts many consumers' attention, especially those who are looking for a low costing insurance company.  Along with this, the advertisement is attempting to make people choose their insurance company quickly by including another desirable offer if consumers act now.  The insurance company is saying that they will provide coverage for people's kids if they purchase the insurance now.  With this technique, it is causing consumers to make very little consideration towards the product, along with rapid sales.

The target market of this advertisement are mothers.  They are focusing their marketing on mothers who value the protection of their children.  Identity Guard want to persuade moms into believing that with the purchase of the insurance company, their job of providing protection for their kids will be fulfilled.  The ad also writes in bold, "Being a mom is part of your identity."  The insurance company is focusing all of their attention on the persuasion of mothers who value the safety of their children.

Subway commercials

Subway is a submarine sandwich restaurant where people can choose what sandwich they want and what condaments to put on their sandwich.  Whether it's lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, or vinegar; we have the power to choose.  Along with Subway being a sandwich store, it makes it a healthier choice over a fast-food place with hamburgers.  Domination and healthiness are both enhanced in this commercial to try to persuade consumers to go to Subway.

Reptilian is being used in this Subway commercial  as a form of persuasion.  The primal instinct that the ad is trying to reach is domination.  They achieve this by subjugating a boy being able to get exactly what he asks for.  He is able to pick out specifically which toppings he desires on his sandwich, which makes him go from depressed to happy.  It is part of our human nature to want domination over everything because when we are able to achieve our desires, it makes us happy.  Since the ability of having total control over decisions please people, Subway commercials show this domination as a way of persuading consumers to go there. 

"Subway, eat fresh!"  The value of healthiness is being emphasized in Subway commercials to try to get consumers to buy their sandwiches.  Many people are trying to change their unhealthy lifestyle by having a more nutritious diet and being more active.  Subway knows that people are trying to get healthier, so they enhance how they provide healthier meal options to attract these consumers.  The emphasis on the value of healthiness then attracts a lot of peoples' attention because they can now grab something nutritious to eat very easily and quickly.  This efficiency pleases consumers, similar to how people like fast-food places due to how quickly food is given to them.  However, Subway provides healthy meals and is efficient, which attracts many consumers.  

   

In this Subway commercial, the fallacy "ad populum" is evident here.  Blake Griffin is a popular NBA basketball player who conveys his strength through his dunks.  A lot of people admirer Griffin and also want to have the muscular body that he has.  Due to this, Subway purposely includes Blake in their commercials to try to get consumers to go to Subway just because the popular basketball player eats there.  Consumers who admirer and want to be like Blake Griffin are then persuaded to go to Subway because their idol goes there.  

The picture of people becoming like Blake Griffin is also created into consumers minds.  They believe that since he eats at Subway and is so fit and strong, that if they too eat at Subway, they could become as buff as Blake.  Consumers who also admirer the popular athlete are also persuaded to go to Subway because they want to be like him.  Wherever and whatever Blake eats, his devoted fans want to follow his decisions.  Subway therefore paints this picture of consumers being like Blake Griffin when they go to Subway because they know that it will attract many of his fans.       

Toms: What makes them so special?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2oY2yyUOb4

Toms are just ordinary pairs of shoes, but with these commercials, they appear to be much more than just your average shoe.  However, what makes Toms so special? Is it more comfortable than other shoes? Lighter? Better durability? All of these questions are being omitted from Toms advertisements purposely.

Toms is relying totally on an emotional appeal rather than how good or attractive the product is itself.  "High concept v.s. tangible ad" is being used by the Toms company.  They are relying on their "high concept" of helping out children in need to persuade people to feel sorry for the poor children who do not have shoes.  They create a guilty and pity appeal that attracts consumers to buy Toms so that they will feel as if they are making a huge change to the unfortunates in this world.  On the other hand, they are totally ignoring their "tangible ad" of enhancing what makes Toms so special that consumers should purchase it.  The shoes' feel, density, look, and durability are all omitted from the commercial because of Toms reliance on the emotional appeal of their shoes.

"One for One."  Toms enhancement of its brand name rather than the product itself is an example of its "love mark".  Toms shoes possess a much deeper meaning, as we can clearly see from this commercial.  They are not only a new pair of shoes for ourselves, but they are also a new pair of shoes for those in need.  This creates an emotional connection between people and the brand name of Toms.  People get that satisfying feeling when they buy a new pair of Toms because they believe that they are making a difference in someone else's unfortunate life.  They no longer are interested in buying the shoes because it is good or comfortable.  The only thing going on in their mind is that they will be making a difference to those in need of it.

Toms value assumption is that helping the less fortunate is how the world ought to be.  It is instilling in our brains that by buying a pair of Toms, we will be the catalyze to making the world a better place. It is painting the picture of a world filled with happy children with Toms on their feet.  A beautiful world where poverty no longer exists and kids running around with shoes on protecting their feet.  This is how Toms views the world as how it ought to be and can only be this way with consumers buying their pairs of shoes.  With this, Toms is using their value assumption to try to persuade people to purchase their shoes so the world can be filled with happiness and love.

There is nothing special about an actual pair of Tom shoes.  They aren't any more comfortable than regular shoes nor cheaper.  The shoe itself is no better than any other regular shoe.  However, through Toms usage of "high concept v.s. tangible object", "love mark", and value assumption, it persuades consumers into believing that Toms are better than other shoes.  The only difference between Toms and other shoe companies is the emotional connection of satisfaction between the brand and people.

Sad ASPCA Commercials

ASPCA commercials are filled with depressing music, neglected animals with pittiful eyes, and terrible stories of abuse.  It immediately catches our eyes when the ad plays on T.V. and makes an emotional connection that persaudes us to want to join the ASPCA.  It causes us to feel horrible for the neglected animals, and conveys a much deeper meaning that the ASPCA possesses.

"Love Marks" is being used in this commerical to try to persuade people to join the ASPCA or donate money to help the organization.  It is making an emotional connection with viewers by making them feel pitty and heart-broken for the animals.  They create this emotional connection by displaying abused, shaking animals with sadness in their eyes and also a depressing song playing in the background.  ASPCA is using this emotional connection because it cannot be copied by other animal shelter organizations.  The connection formed with multiple people through the advertisement is what makes ASPCA different from other animal shelters, trying to attract people to donate or join their organization over the others present in the world. 

The idea of "high concept v.s. tangible ads" is also evident in this commercial.  Rather than going into depth about what the organization does, it relies on an emotional appeal formed from the advertisement.  For example, the commercial does say that people can provide food, shelter, and love if they join or donate to the organization, but that's basically all it states.  It doesn't say anything about what people will be doing to help if they join or what the money will specifically buy to assist the neglected animals.  What the ASPCA actually will fulfill goes unsaid and is very vague in the commercial.  However, it is then replaced with an emotional appeal of pittiness, which is what the ASPCA is relying on to attract people to donate and join the animal shelter.

In the commercial, the weasel words of "can rescue" is stated to be used as a form of persuasion.  The advertisement is trying to convey that if people join or donate to the ASPCA, it can rescue neglected animals and provide them with food, shelter, and love.  However, there is no guarantee that the money donated will help ensure the safety of all abused animals.  On the other hand, it doesn't guarantee that joining the ASPCA will save the innocent lives of neglected animals on the streets.  This uncertainty goes unstated purposely, however, to make people think that they will actually be helping abandoned animals out by doing what the commercial pleads for, even though there really is no promise that they will. 

Honey Nut Cheerios

Almost every Honey Nut Cheerios box has the red heart on it stating, "Can help lower Cholesterol*".  The words "can help" are weasel words that are being used to try to persuade people that if they eat Honey Nut Cheerios, it could help lower their cholesterol.  However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it does help the heart.  In the fine print on the bottom of the cerial box, it also says, "may reduce the risk of heart disease".  The weasel words of "may reduce" are again being used to try to persuade people that if they consume this cereal, it can lower their risk of getting heart disease.  Yet, there is no guarantee that Honey Nut Cheerios will actually lower cholestorol nor lower the risk of heart disease, but weasel words are used to trick customers into thinking that they will.

Honey Nut Cheerios's value assumptions are that health and naturality are what make the cereal so good.  Due to the idea that it can help make our hearts healthier, people should buy the cereal.  While consumers are enjoying Honey Nut Cheerios, they will also be improving their health, since the cereal can help with the healthiness of our hearts.  "Naturally flavored" is also written on the cereal, conveying the value assumption that since the cereal is not artificially flavored, consumers should purchase it.  It is connecting with our value of naturality and how we prefer things that are pure and real, rather than fake.  Honey Nut Cheerios uses their value assumptions of health and naturality to try to persuade shoppers to buy the healthy and naturally flavored cereal.

General Mills, the owner of Honey Nut Cheerios, is trying to paint the picture of happy people living longer due to them eating the cereal in shoppers' minds.  When people see the phrase of "can help lower cholesterol", they believe that since the cereal will help their heart's healthiness, it will therefore make them live longer.  Pathos is being used here because we humans want to live a long and healthy life style.  We care about living for a long time and being healthy, which is why General Mills is emphasizing the idea of Honey Nut Cheerios helping us to achieve these desires.  Along with this, General Mills omits the idea of how Honey Nut Cheerios doens't guarantee the prevention of heart disease, it only helps it.  Consumers are then attracted to the cereal because they only see themselves living a longer and healthier life.