Simplicity

How ironic that a makeup company that prides itself on dramatic and over-the-top makeup looks decided to make an ad like this. Unlike the ridiculous pink, blue, green, red, and glitter eye-shadow looks with pounds of foundation and blush that consumers tend to associate with MAC, this ad depicts a woman with no makeup-on, and it seems like there is no photoshop used on her face either. Yes the product they're selling is makeup cleanser, but knowing MAC, they could have photoshopped the model's face to look flawless like they do with their other makeup looks. When i first saw this ad I was thrown off and surprised. I didn't expect an advertisement that was so "to the point" as this one. The background black/brown color doesn't distract the audience from the product, the woman's tan skin coordinates with the color scheme, her lack of hair doesn't add diversion from the product, and the actual bottles are what stand out. The blue and bright white colors pop out of the background so that there is no questioning what brand this product is from. This ad uses the technique of plain folk and weasel words. The woman is by no means glamorous or extravagant as we tend to imagine MAC models to be. This opens up the product to many women; the target audience are busy moms who don't have necessarily youthful skin and need a reliable cleansing product. The weasel word in this ad is 'simplicity'. What is simplicity and how does that apply to this product? It's hard to know what the marketing team's real point is when it comes to addressing simplicity. It also seems that the company is relying on their prestigious name. I mean, what woman doesn't know of MAC and their amazing quality? This ad is sure to attract women looking for simple solutions to their face-wash routine, even if it means paying more for the product.

Let's lose weight with Subway!

If your New Year's resolution was to lose weight, then Subway can help you do that. At least that's what the company claims. In this 30 second video, put out at the beginning of the year, we see different takes of people taking a bite of food and their seat breaking because of their weight. The point is obvious and clear, Subway is targeting overweight or weight-conscious people. It offers the technique of simple solutions. If a person switches to eating healthier, specifically Subway, then their body fat will decrease. The ad uses humor and gestalt because it is unlikely that a person will create such havoc by taking one more bite of food. Anyone with weight problems who watches this commercial will most likely relate to the embarrassment of their "fat problems". The product of this ad, the Subway Club, appeals to the needs of people. The need to achieve is used here because this commercial will resonate with people who have set a goal to lose weight and be healthier for the new year. With this solution, people will be influenced to try a Subway diet and be on their way to achieve their weight-loss goal. The music is also successful at progressing the images of people; these clips however are examples of the Post Hoc fallacy. It is not necessarily because of the extra bite of  fast food that these people are taking that their chairs are breaking, but that's what the commercial portrays. This commercial is short and might not be memorable to most people unless they recall "that one video where the fat people fall off their chairs", which is how I remembered the video.

Ladies should be hair-free...

Oh beauty. There are saying such as "the price of beauty" or "beauty hurts", but by the looks of this Sally Hansen product, "kissably smooth skin has never been faster, easier; more convenient." This product advertises hair removal creme in portable, ready-to-use pods. With all of the different ways to remove unwanted hair, companies need to step their game up. It's not easy to convince women that cremes are superior to waxing, yet companies are still trying to develop more hair removal lotions. This ad displays the lip area of a woman reflected in the mirror, next to that we can see the new revolutionary pods.
The idea is simple: work with society's search for beauty and perfection to be able to sell this product. What woman wants to be hairy and stand out from the rest of the well-groomed ladies? No woman wants to go through the embarrassment of being "less attractive" or in any form, masculine. Although this is really a first world problem that few people notice, companies know how to key in on the insecurities and needs of consumers. They have a print ad with seemingly perfect and hairless skin, plump lips, manicured nails, and a calming background. Sure enough, women who find it hard to fit in hair removal on their schedule will be lured in by the "revolutionary delivery system".
This marketing company used the Avante-Garde and Magic Ingredient techniques. By showing the word "New" in deep blue, they make a point at letting the consumers know that this product is nothing like other products in stores. If women want to be ahead of the hair removal curve, they will be tempted to buy this cool new product and tell all their friends about it. They also seem to have a new formula that could practically work like magic. They call it "revolutionary" and use "-er" words such as faster and easier.
From personal experience with hair removal cremes, I know that this product will not be much different; hair cremes are also not the most effective if a woman is looking for good and lasting hair removal. However, that does not mean that this product is not worth a shot. The advertising techniques don't distract the reader from what is actually being sold, and the message is straightforward. Yes the ad plays in on the yearn for women to be picture-perfect and hairless, but it is a valid position since women of today's world are always on the move and need more options to obtain their desired look.
The ad is by no means fun, in fact it is bland and somewhat boring, but the name Sally Hansen does most of the work. If women like Sally Hansen products, they will like the new insta-smooth pod creme hair remover for face.

We can all find love too!

If they can find love, then I can find love. Right? That's what we're expected to believe at least. Remember back when romance consisted of two people who met by total work of faith and fortune and over time fell in love on their own terms? Well, I kind of don't. Yes we have all heard the love stories that make us tear up and want to cuddle on a rainy afternoon. The thing is, however, that it's rare to witness love like this in person. After generations of heartbreak, disappointment, and changes in society, love has been reduced to cheap emotions. When before people had a hard time defining 'love', they now have resources to define and find it. How amazing that a simple computer screen could unlock a life-long romantic connection, right? This Match.com commercial plays with the emotions and insecurities of the audience.
The target audience for this commercial are women; in specific, lonely and loveless women who dream of a sweet and romantic guy .This ad in particular uses transfer/association, and plain folks. They make the association that by giving Match.com a try, they will find a sensitive man who likes to play the ukulele and sing his girl some songs. The marketing company did a good job of basing the commercial in a train station, with normal-looking people: plain folk. This woman can be anybody and this dream man could be any simple guy on the street. Single women in their late twenties, like the girl in the commercial, can relate to her situation and will feel understood and not as scared to give this dating site a try. Also, the whole idea of the ad is "cute". Who wouldn't want to be serenaded? I would. Everyone knows that the age-old way of winning the girl is by singing a sweet song to her.
Overall, the commercial would be classified as "adorable". The Match.com company put together a minute long clip of a guy singing a song to a lady of interest, and at the end added the company logo. However, it is pretty unrealistic. They advertise an online-dating/match finding program, yet show a sporadic occurrence in a train station. The clip states "We make these moments happen every day", so they might want to convey they idea that moments like this can be bottled up and deposited as easily as signing up for Match.com. Pop culture oftentimes ridicules the whole online-dating lifestyle, but whether we're aware or not, we remember sites like this. We might or might not remember this specific clip, but we won't forget the company.

POWER

This compilation of different Old Spice commercials featuring Terry Crews have been seen by many; Old Spice has always been a preference amongst men. The whole point of this ad is to make the American audience go out and buy Old Spice because of its Power. The word 'power' was beyond over-used in these ads. By using a toned and shirtless renowned character, the Old Spice products gain more credibility. Any scrawny boy or man who doesn't feel like he's attractive, appealing, or even powerful, can soon find empowerment in the little cylinder containers of Old Spice. The marketing team played in on people's insecurities, attention grabbing tactics, and the power of redundancy and repetition. The company uses a common man who claims to "actually feel more powerful" after being sprayed. There is no denying these commercials are humorous, but they can reach the point of being obnoxious. There's only so many times a person can listen to Terry Crews yell about strength, masculinity, and power.Aside from that, most people would recognized that a spray cannot instantly make a man feel powerful and like a god, but it does leave a mark. The ridiculousness of the entire commercial is the success of it; We don't believe me will all of a sudden become buff and powerful, but we are intrigued by this product.

France and UK L'oreal Commercials

These two videos are different versions of the same commercial. One was aired in France, and the other in the UK. The goal of both ads are the same thing: to wish a 'Happy New Year' in style. The question is, why would the L'oreal company go out of their way to make two different commercials for different countries? Aside from the language difference, which could have been an easy thing to change, the appeal of the commercials seems to differ. The first video, in French, shows different shots of the renowned faces of L'oreal spokeswomen such as Jennifer Lopez. Other than Lopez, however, all of the women in the video are light-skinned women of European heritage. If it weren't for the fact that Lopez was the "feature" of the video and one of the most recent spokeswomen of L'oreal, the whole ad would lack diversity. This minute and a half video exudes glamour, class, sophistication, and beauty. The shots of the glittery words, precise makeup, perfect silhouetted outfits, and clean background seem to be geared towards a certain type of women. Although I have never been to France, by the looks of this commercial, it seems as if the audience will be classy women looking for a way to look beautiful, and to some extent perfectly refined, with products that will be at arm's length. The L'oreal products are much more cheap than department store cosmetics such as MAC or Laura Mercier, but with this chic and clip, the products appear to be as tasteful as expensive ones. The point is, that the France clip seems to be trying to appeal to a more cultured demographic, and prove that L'oreal Cosmetics are quality products that can make a woman look intelligent, sexy, beautiful, mature, and glamorous.
The second video was aired in the United Kingdom. It gives off a completely different feeling from the France one. To begin with, the music is upbeat and goes well with the "Holiday" theme. The France clip played slow calming music, while the UK clip played a melody with winter bells. This video is colorful, fast-paced, upbeat, and electric. In fact, the slogan of the video is "Electric". It claims that this new year, 2012, will be electric and gets the point across with neon lights. Not only is this video literally shorter, but it's message seems more simple than the French video. The first video promised to live up to all the "glamorous" expectations of a new makeup year, while the UK commercial promised to bring a happy new electric year. The commercial seems to be geared towards a broader audience of diversity and varying tastes. The models are recognizable faces of the company, but they are not exclusive in terms of race. There are European, Asian, and models with racial ambiguity. Also, at the end, we see the slogan of the company "Because You're Worth It" in a lot of different languages. The overall feel of this commercial is much more open and general than the French commercial. This lets the women of the UK know that no matter which race they are, or what their background is, they can look beautiful and electric in the upcoming 2012 year with L'oreal's inexpensive products.
Both video clips are eye-catching and do a good job at getting their point across; that is, their own individual point. One is more uptight and aiming towards 'class and sophistication', while the other is trying to appeal to a fun and expressive audience. The reason for the different commercials might not be a straight answer. The cultures of the two countries might vary tremendously, the cosmetology taste of the women might not correlate with each other, or the L'oreal marketing company might have been having too much fun coming up with all these amazing commercial ideas. Either way, both videos stand out and might even win over more followers of the L'oreal movement.