Religion, politics, and money: the ultimate trifecta of taboo subjects in many social settings. Because these are such controversial issues, ads concerning these topics often run the risk of offending or alienating groups of viewers. A March 2012 ad by a nontheistic group called Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) tackled the topic of religion and struck a blow against Catholics. Appearing in The New York Times, this ad called for “liberal” and “nominal” Catholics to “quit the Roman Catholic Church” due to its position on birth control and related issues such as abortion, marriage equality, and stem-cell research. The New York Times added to this offense by refusing to run a similar anti-Islamic ad later that month. As a member of the Catholic Church, I was offended by this ad. The copy of the ad includes offensive wording that not only attacks the practices of the Church but also insults those the ad is trying to reach. It accuses viewers of “deluding” themselves by having confidence in their abilities to create change, and it criticizes viewers for mindlessly following the Church’s policies. This ad’s attack on religion presents an ethical issue because it concerns morals and values. It also threatens to cross the line of being a legal issue as well, however. The Bill of Rights ensures freedom of religion to American citizens. Many Catholics view this as an attack on this freedom. One can’t help but wonder why the FFRF would create an ad that offends its target audience. Sometimes, companies create ads that unintentionally offend groups of people they had not considered. However, this ad presents the case of a company directly attacking those to which it speaks. Personally, I have to question this strategy as I see little chance of the ad becoming successful with this tactic. I think there are a variety of opportunities to remedy this offense. The New York Times could have refused to run the ad like they refused to run the anti-Islamic ad. Because they did not make this choice, however, they could respond to it by printing a retraction or including a disclaimer that the newspaper does not support the content of the ad. As for the FFRF, I doubt the members have much remorse for their offense. I would not suggest they try to reconcile with the offended Catholics, as that is not really their goal. However, I would suggest the organization employ better consideration for its target audience of future ads if it wishes to achieve success and generate support.
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As an aspiring creative advertiser, I could talk about design all day long. Line weight, negative space, font leading…yeah, that’s the good stuff. Adobe Illustrator and InDesign make the perfect best friends, and Photoshop is – of course – always welcome to the party. To be effective, an advertisement must follow a few basic principles of design. By doing this, the ad will unite the visuals with the copy and attract the attention of viewers. When properly executed, the design can convey messages and emotions all by itself. Appearing in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of Seventeen Magazine, this ad for UGG® Australia succeeds in fulfilling the basic design principles of repetition, contrast, and alignment. Despite every shoe being unique, the repetition of boots, moccasins, and slippers creates an intriguing rhythm that draws the viewer through the ad and unifies the overall message. The contrast of the dark shoes and the light background really highlights the product and puts an emphasis upon what the ad is trying to sell. Although the center alignment of the visual and the type may seem boring at first, its actual strength becomes apparent upon extended viewing. Because the Christmas tree lacks a definite outline, it must appear in its entirety on the page for the viewer to understand; the “tree” may not be moved to the side and extend beyond the page border. This then requires the text to be center aligned so as to create a balanced piece. As a typography nerd that has had dreams (both good and bad) about fonts, I cannot discuss this ad without addressing the issue of its text design. The thin, sans-serif font of the headline struggles to stand out from the background. If the goal was to keep from overshadowing the visual, the designer could almost get away with it; however, the bold, thick strokes of “Nordstrom” ruin this. Not only does it compete with the boots, but it also competes with the headline. I believe the overall design would be improved if “Nordstrom” was presented in the same font as the headline and at a smaller size. It takes quite a bit for an ad to really succeed in every aspect, but a recent ad by Origins in the October 2013 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine does exactly that. From its headline right down to its signature, every word strategically reaches its target audience. While many ads receive praise for appealing designs, some of the greatest features lie in the work of the copywriter. With small space in the design and a limited amount of time to catch the viewer’s attention, an ad’s body copy must be informative yet inspirational, persuasive yet pretty. It must be directed towards the individual rather than the masses, and it must highlight both the features and benefits of the product. Origins ad for its skin complexion corrector meets all this criteria and more. It describes the features of the product (such as color correction, antioxidant formula, and hydrating formulas) while informing viewers how these features benefit them (creates radiant looks, neutralizes skin damaging effects of pollution, and preserving youthful looks). In-text sub-headings are used to draw attention and pull viewers into the text. Additionally, it makes use of alliteration (high-tech hero) and rhyme (color corrects and visibly perfects) to spice up the body copy. The text features parallel construction in the sense that each sentence begins with “our” + adjective + noun. Finally, the headline sub-heads involve clever plays on words to entice readers. To me, this ad’s greatest accomplishment is its relevance to the target audience. By reading the text, one can clearly determine exactly whom the ad is trying to reach. This ad and product appeals to a busy working woman in her mid-20s with an active lifestyle that allows limited time for perfecting her image. She is quite intelligent and values hard work, both in a business and a personal setting. This woman is concerned about protecting the environment and leaving a positive impact on those around her. She is critical of claims made by advertising and requires evidence to be persuaded. Her fast-paced, urban lifestyle can be quite stressful, and she worries about the toll it takes on her appearance. By realizing these qualities of members of the target audience, Origins created an ad to appeal directly to such individuals. And to think, it accomplishes all of that in just three sentences of body copy. This is certainly one ad that needs no revisions. |
Kristin KreherMy happiness comes from meaningful interactions, the outdoors, thrift shops, and saying "thank you." Archives
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