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| Posted by mleishear By using the Frith method, we can break this advertisement down into three categories. Surface Meaning: A solid black background is broken up by a racially ambiguous hand with multiple wristbands holding an order of McDonald's french fries. The words "Open All Night" are written in white to the right of the hand Advertiser's Meaning: No matter what hour of the night or whatever you might be getting into (let's say, club-hopping, for example), McDonald's is open all night to feed that late night hunger. Cultural Meaning: We as Americans live in a society that has events such as clubs and raves going on all hours of the night. Because of this many young adults who fit this scene may want something to eat late at night. McDonald's has already advertised for years that they are one of the only fast food restaurants that i open all night, so they switched their emphasis to an audience that is also up all night. Assuming they have enough business during the day, McDonald's has made a billboard that is 100% targeted towards the club scene which dominates our youth and the radio today. In other countries that have similar economies to the U.S. this billboard would speak universally, as the audience is bounded more by age than race. The hand shown does not give off any particular sign of race, and I assume to advertise this billboard in another country, the only thing McDonald's would need to change is the language of the text. This is an excellent example of advertising by utilizing what is popular in the media and the youth. As the club scene becomes more popular, so will stopping by McDonald's on the way home from Baltimore or D.C. at 3 AM. I'm not the biggest fan of McDonald's, but like with the Axe advertisement, some of the best ads are ones that don't necessarily please every single viewer, but have a strong idea of their target audience. This ad is right on schedule as far as following the "trends" of high school and early college students, and I'm sure that McDonald's will be ready for the next big thing. |
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Loud Music, Bright Lights... French Fries?
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Even Angels Will Fall
When I think of an example of effective advertising, what comes into mind for me first is not a product that is necessarily amazing, but one that does the absolute best job of building up its target audience. Axe, the male hygiene products commonly known for their scandalous advertisements, has some of the best ads because they have perfected their pitch to their audience: Don't just get clean, "get some" too.
Their famous slogan, "How Dirty Boys get Clean" is a perfect example of how they plan to get their message out. In all of the Axe advertisements that I have watched (and feel free to let me know if I am wrong), I have never seen or heard any evidence that would let me know how clean I would actually become if I were to use any of Axe's products. Women might fall from the sky, I might get into some crazy themed parties four nights in a row, and I might leave some sexy prints in my shower. How clean will I be through all of this? Who knows - but what I do know is that according to Axe, if I am a male between the ages of 15 and 25, I'm going to need to buy these products if I want to stay on my A-game (in both smell and popularity).
It may sound like I am bashing Axe, but in reality my frustration with their campaign is exactly why I can respect them so much. Other products designed for men aren't as forward as Axe is, but that is exactly what makes their approach so effective. Use this product and bask in the glory of a carefree, party lifestyle (and maybe be clean too). What else would a young American male want more than being attractive to the opposite sex? Axe takes a normal hygiene product and advertises it as an item to boost your overall self-esteem and confidence as a male. As long as you have Axe, you are always want spray away from the party. Although I don't necessarily agree with that statement, I don't doubt that this is an answered prayer for all of the fist-pumping citizens of America.
Their famous slogan, "How Dirty Boys get Clean" is a perfect example of how they plan to get their message out. In all of the Axe advertisements that I have watched (and feel free to let me know if I am wrong), I have never seen or heard any evidence that would let me know how clean I would actually become if I were to use any of Axe's products. Women might fall from the sky, I might get into some crazy themed parties four nights in a row, and I might leave some sexy prints in my shower. How clean will I be through all of this? Who knows - but what I do know is that according to Axe, if I am a male between the ages of 15 and 25, I'm going to need to buy these products if I want to stay on my A-game (in both smell and popularity).
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| "Beat Ben? At what contest? Scoring with the opposite sex? That's exactly what will happen with a simple spray of the 'Clix' fragrance by Axe." Photo credit goes to JoshC. |
It may sound like I am bashing Axe, but in reality my frustration with their campaign is exactly why I can respect them so much. Other products designed for men aren't as forward as Axe is, but that is exactly what makes their approach so effective. Use this product and bask in the glory of a carefree, party lifestyle (and maybe be clean too). What else would a young American male want more than being attractive to the opposite sex? Axe takes a normal hygiene product and advertises it as an item to boost your overall self-esteem and confidence as a male. As long as you have Axe, you are always want spray away from the party. Although I don't necessarily agree with that statement, I don't doubt that this is an answered prayer for all of the fist-pumping citizens of America.
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