Wash Your Balls!! Axe commercial

I saw a short version of this commercial on television a couple of weeks ago and then I never saw it again.  I'm pretty sure it was banned for obvious reasons.  I remember being surprised it was aired in the first place.  While I think it's absolutely hilarious, it probably does push the boundaries a little too far for general audience viewing.  Axe has the right idea though.  This commercial appeals to a generation that is unabashed by sexual innuendo.  We are the "that's what she said" generation, after all.  No one wants to see a boring commercial.  We love controversy, and even if you were offended by this commercial, you would probably still rather watch it than a Bob Rohrman commercial.  I know I would.  Advertising is all about getting the attention of viewers, readers, etc., and this commercial does just that.  Shock value is just one method of attention-grabbing and when done well it can be advertising gold.  This commercial though, as I said, probably went a little too far with the shock value and crossed the line into a bit vulgar.  Vulgarity has its place in our culture and it's in TV and movies intended for mature audiences only.  Having a commercial that flirts with that line between edgy and vulgar on the air where anyone can see it is probably not a good idea.

I love it when ads use a negative situation to advertise their product.  It's such a backwards way of promoting something.  Directly this ad is saying, use our headphones and you'll die because you won't hear the waterfall you're about fly off of.  Obviously Bose doesn't literally want people to die becasue they won't hear something dangerous coming.  However, the point of the ad is to demonstrate in an unexpected way that these are great noise-cancelling headphones.  It would be obvious, boring and expected to show someone wearing the headphones and smiling serenely while an obnoxious person is trying to talk to them, or if they were in a crowded, noisy waiting room.  Bose is giving the audience a break from the expected, and letting them enjoy the ad rather than just seeing it.  As I said, I just really enjoy ads when they come up with an outside-of-the-box way to demonstrate the benefits of a product.  This ad is actually showcasing the main benefit of the product as a bad thing--a dangerous thing even.  It's a more intelligent way to approach showcasing a benefit and I appreciate it because most ads are not so considerate to the bored audience that is the American consumer.

Artengo Tennis Shoes

This ad reminds me of a reading we did in class about coming up with clever concepts for ads.  The example was Kentucky Bourbon.  They decided the main selling point would be that aged whiskey is the best, and this particular brand is very very aged or slow.  So rather than just saying, this bourbon is slow, the author tried to think of other things that are slow and turn the concept into something clever and interesting.  The same sort of thing is going on in this ad.  The main selling point of the shoe is its shock absorbency.  So the author probably thought, "okay, when is it important to have shock absorbency...what else is shock absorbent?"  Packaging for expensive, fragile things has to absorb all kinds of shock in order to protect its contents.  So the advertiser cleverly placed the shoes around the Ming vase in place of traditional packaging to send a message to the consumer that these shoes will protect your joints the way packaging protects expensive vases.  I like this ad because I like when ads are sort of unexpected and put objects together that seem very strange and contradictory and make them make sense.

Personalized M&Ms

I really enjoy ads that take something ordinary and position it in a way that is unique and interesting.  This ad for personalized M&M's does just that.  There's subtle symbolism in the ad as well as a clever visual image.  You can send a message literally using a keyboard, and now you can send a message just as literally with M&M's.  It's not particularly deep symbolism, but it's still there.  The ad doesn't necessarily make me want to buy personalized M&M's, but I think it's clever.  So in some regards this isn't a particularly effective ad because it doesn't make me want to buy the product.  I like it when ads are sort of unexpected, and I think this ad is unexpected in a great way.

The Beetles

I love Volkswagon print ads.  What I like about this one in particular is that it takes an iconic image, well known and beloved by the public, and turns it into something different.  As I recently read in "Hey Whipple, Squeeze This," great advertising takes a cliche, and turns it on it's head.  It takes something we all know, and looks at it from a different perspective.  With this sort of clever imagery, there's no big flashy headline or body copy necessary.  That would just take away from the overall aesthetic and ultimately what makes the ad great.  Volkswagon has always understood simplicity and how it will always appeal to the public more than an overly busy ad with too much going on.  The message needs to be clear, without insulting the consumer.  The Beatles were cool...the Beetles are cool.  Obviously the above ad is a much more appealing way to portray that idea. 

Bob Rohrman Bloopers TV Commercial

I dislike this entire advertisement campaign.  It is this sort of crass, annoying advertising that gives the entire industry a bad name, in my opinion.  Tricking consumers into remembering your product through sheer irritation is not a desirable approach to marketing.  My favorite commercials are the ones that I actually turn up the volume on because I think they are funny or clever.  I change the channel when a Bob Rohrman commercial comes on.  I can't stand them.  They are the "Mr. Whipple" ads of my generation, and I wish they would just stop airing.
 

Michael Kors Print Ad for Nordstroms

What I love about fashion ads is that they tell a story, as most good advertising does.  I like trying to get to know the woman in the picture, and trying to find out if there's anything of myself in her that I can identify with.  A good fashion ad balances whimsy with reality.  When I look at a fashion ad, I want to be taken to a place that is more glamorous than my everyday life, but not so glamorous that when I look at it, roll my eyes and say "Oh yeah right."  I think this Michael Kors ad is a great balance.  This woman is traveling.  She looks like she's getting off of a private jet.  So I don't have a private jet...but hey, I travel.  I could be like her.  She's comfortable but sophisticated.  I could update my travel gear of sweatpants and a grubby t-shirt to some skinny jeans and a cardigan if I wanted!  This ad makes me think, I may not ever be a rich supermodel, but I can travel in style...maybe even in some clothes designed by Michael Kors.  It's unobtrusive, not too whimsical, it's classic and effortless.  It has all the makings of what to me, makes a great fashion print ad.