International Ad Critique Created by: Amanda Colon
Regent’s University 2014
London, United Kingdom
Coca-Cola
The strategy used in this Ad is “community”. The brand uses creative
merchandising and in my opinion, it is highly effective. The packaging serves as a
promotional tool but also a mobile advert. It appeals to the pathos or emotional
level of consciousness for the buyer. People feel connected to the product when
they find their name on a bottle, personalizing the buying experience. The tagline
also says “share with” and contains other labels like “brother” and “soul mate”
insisting that consumers should share their coke or diet coke beverage with these
people. It serves more than one purpose and gives personality to the classic plastic
bottles.
Product: Diet Coke
Location: Tesco in Slough, England. Placed within a short distance from the alcohol aisle.
Target Audience: 18 to 39. Tourists and "millenials" and local families.
Rowntree’s
This was a packaging Ad for an English candy making company from the 30's. It
was one of the first products to be introduced by the brand that would later merge
with Nestle and produce popular candies like Smarties, Kit Kat and polo
chocolates. This particular ad stuck out to me, not only because it is one of the
only candies that actually kept the original Rowntree title, but because of how it
uses color, art and creative packaging to reach the target audience. The message is
simple but effective. The strategy is flavor. The child in the photo looks as if the
candy in his mouth was an unexpected taste that leaves the consumer in a state of
mystery. This is another great example of effective, creative merchandising.
Product: Rowntree`s Fruit Gums
Agency: J. Walter Thompson
Target audience: children ages 6+
Location: Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
Fashion Union
This is an out of home poster campaign by a clothing company called Fashion
Union. The strategy is trendy. It shows attractive women in colorful outfits that
seem to fit every genre of style. The two shown here we're posted side by side but
other variations are seen throughout different tube stops and stations near areas like
Piccadilly where shopping is heavy. The target market seems to be middle to
upper class women who want to be ahead on the latest fashion trends. These are
people that will put together an outfit to walk across the street to the grocery store.
The Ad was effective in its outreach. The colors stood out and the message was
simple, a trendy outfit for everything. The price listed on the poster shows the
brand is not priced on the low end so its competition would be considered in
markets with stores like Urban Outfitters or Top Shop. This sets target audience
standard to women with higher income. Overall a simple, this is a creative
campaign that speaks volumes.
Product: Fashion a Union Clothing Line
Agency: Greenlight
Target audience: young fashionistas
Location: The Underground Station
British Airways
This is a print ad for British Airways. It shows a point-of-view shot of a man on a
moped driving out onto an open road. He appears to be looking out over a large
body of water with a grand view. The apparent strategy here is adventure on a
budget. The print reads things like “to explore” and “to feel free” to emphasize the
experience of taking on the road to places unknown but contrasts a simple £39 to
remind of the economic value to the consumer as well.
Product: British Airways travel
Agency: Bargle Bogle Hegarty
Target audience: travelers
Location: Time Out London magazine
Kellogg’s
This familiar logo and brand stuck out to me at my visit to the museum of brands
packaging and advertising. I think it could arguably be analyzed as an advert
because of how universal the brand has become and how its brand has consistently
communicated this message. The strategy is consistency. I think Cornflakes in
particular strives on promising its consumers an authentic reliable taste every
morning. It is a simple cereal and so is the logo for the brand, which has been kept
to look exactly the same for so many years.
Product: Kellogg’s Cornflakes
Agency: JWT
Target audience: cereal buyers
Location: Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising
Honda
This print Ad really stood out to me on many levels. Primarily because I feel like I
was a part of the intended target market. I feel like women who are interested in
buying a new car that is sporty and affordable would take to this ad well especially
because the tagline is empowering. The creative strategy is bold and seems to
inspire an attitude of fierceness and speed. The colors are simple: red black and
white but the message is clear. I also think the use of the black background for a 2
page spread makes the copy and the product stand out more on the page so even
potential car buyers that are slightly out of the intended target audience would not
be able to miss it when flipping through the publication.
Product: Honda Type R
Agency: Widen+Kennedy
Target audience: women car drivers
Location: Time Out London magazine
Giorgio Armani
This print Ad was placed in a magazine for men. The strategy is to be sexy and
classy. The men this Ad is geared toward will feel like wearing this cologne will
make feel classy and look attractive like the model on the page. The product name
is even seductive on its own, alluding that wearing the fragrance will make the
buyer unforgettable. Women would likely remember this Ad as well and turn out
to be consumers for their loved ones or spouses. The product is even painted with
a rich chrome finish that sings “luxury.”
Product: Giorgio Armani Unforgettable Cologne
Agency: Zenith
Target audience: men and women spouses
Location: Shortlist magazine
Apple
This Apple print Ad was very effective in its ability to find a universal truth and
make it relatable to an international audience. The strategy is passion. It uses
color and imagery. It depicts a family in a Mediterranean country eagerly shooting
video of a street dancing performance from their iPad device. Apple strongly
promotes its easy-to-use software like iMovie and garage band to create projects
that allow everyday people to be passionate about the lives they live and share their
moments with the world,
Product: Apple iPad Air
Agency: TBWA Chiat/Day
Target audience: technology users
Location: Time Out London
Icelandair
This was an ad on the top of the inner tube on the London Underground. It stuck
out at first for personal reasons because of my Icelandic heritage. I have not seen
any Ads for Iceland Air or even ads influencing travel to Iceland in the States so
seeing this stood out automatically to me. Through an unbiased advertising
perspective, the Ad's strategy is cultural awareness. It uses a trivia fact about an
Icelandic word to draw attention to the product and then attempts to establish a
connection with its target audience who has interest in travel. In my opinion the ad
stuck out more to me because of my connection to the Icelandic culture but is not
effective in capturing the interest of a UK traveler. Perhaps the agency tried to
steer away from the cliché picture of scenery that many tourist sites have used in
their Ads, but Iceland Air could have taken advantage of the very different sites
there are to see in its advertisements.
Product: Icelandair travel
Agency: Islenska
Target audience: People interested and traveling to different places
Location: The London Underground
Kopparberg
This ad campaign is an extremely creative, quite bizarre, one for this particular
brand's alcoholic cider beverage. At first glance I was confused but also humored
at the man’s beard of flowers. The strategy is being unique in flavor that is seen
both in print, on display in the Underground and an interactive poster. The
interactive poster was head turning but definitely captured my attention, it showed
men and women normal at first until a beard of flowers grows from their faces.
The campaign was meant to raise awareness on the brand of cider and not
necessarily the taste of the product although it does mention the flavor in the ad
copy. It is effective for attracting a younger audience especially a generation that
seems to always look for ways to stand out and be different, so why not think
outside the norm and order a cider instead of a beer next time you go to the bar?
Product: Kopparberg Cider
Agency: Goodstuff Communications
Target audience: Young men and women beer drinkers
Location: Time Out London Magazine
Velcopopvicky Kozel
This was a very effective ad simply because of all of the elements of interactivity
in influences. There is an app, social media interaction and simple copy that give
the audience a sense of being a part of the brand. The strategy here is fun and
friendship as opposed to good tasting beer. It rides off of the idea that drinking this
beer will be a fun experience with friends. I respect the fact that the ad does not
promise the best tasting beer but it successfully manages to gear the attention to the
brand with interactivity.
Product: Kozel draft beer
Agency: Fcb Ma
Target audience: younger generation beer drinkers
Location: Time Out London magazine
Transfewise.com
This was an outdoor display ad for a website that claims to help foreigners easily
exchange money without the headache of transfer fees. The strategy is smart
spending. They use strictly copy and a trigger word “Scammed” to attract the
attention of people who can relate to this experience in their travels. This ad stuck
out to me because I’ve always wondered what the most affordable to way to
exchange currency was, other than the usual tourist trap ATMs and travel plans
through banks with hidden bank fees. I think the ad used a simple color and bold
text with a clever combination of words and symbols to get the message across.
There is debate in the Ad world on whether or not the site actually does what is
promised, but as far as effectiveness, it succeeds in drawing the target audience’s
attention to the site.
Product: Transferwise.com website
Agency: none
Target audience: young to middle aged foreign travelers
Location: The London Underground
MNDA
This Ad attempts to use emotional appeal in its copy to raise awareness of its cause
and alternately drive traffic to a charity website. I think the Ad was too wordy for
the location, specifically because it was placed where the train runs. I found
myself squinting to read the copy only to find myself distracted by the next
incoming train before I could decipher the message. It is difficult to gain empathy
for a cause that suggests donating money and I think this organization should have
planned more of a strategic approach. The strategy here, if any, would be hope and
I think there are many other ways to attract attention to a cause then this Ad
displayed.
Product: mndassociation.org/Charlie supporting the cause
Agency: none
Target audience: people in support of charities and causes
Location: Train terminal at the London Underground
Sportlobster
This is an Ad for a social network for sports lovers. The slogan is “The sports
social network.” The creative strategy is sports love. I think the Ad is effective
because it appeals to different types of people from businessmen to sports lovers. I
think the idea and product sells itself. I do think however, the Ad team should
have considered women in its target audience and lacks this diversity in its print
Ads.
Product: Sport lobster social network
Agency: none
Target audience: sports lovers, mostly men of all career types
Location: The London Underground
First Great Western
The strategy of this Ad is limitless opportunity. It encourages its target audience
to take the road unknown and uses simple imagery to achieve its message. I think
it is effective and simple and works towards the goal of driving traffic to the
website
Product: First Great Western Travel Booking site
Agency: unknown
Target audience: travelers
Location: The London Underground
Phones 4 U
This is a print Ad for Phones 4 U, a phone company around London. It uses the
popular windows software in this particular version of the campaign listing off
reasons why having a smartphone will come in handy in many scenarios. I
personally did not like this Ad. I chose to critique it because its message is
confusing and the copy does not read fluidly. I was unsure at first whether the Ad
was for Microsoft or Nokia at first glance, but it is actually for the company that
sells those phones. While the product placement worked to stand out visually in
the magazine, I passed through it with no real association to the brand and was not
sure who they were targeting exactly. The strategy hear was most likely
convenience but it was not properly conveyed, in my opinion.
Product: Phones 4 U retail store
Agency: unknown
Target audience: smartphone users
Location: Time Out |London magazine
ArtFund
This is a print Ad for an art pass that is marketed as a way to purchase tickets to
view art events in bulk and in advance while supporting a cause to support art
altogether. I think it is creative and visually pleasing and the product itself is
innovative and useful. The strategy is supporting the arts and uses artistic imagery
even in the advert itself. I think the placement was perfect and the package was
effective on both informing and raising awareness of the product and the
associated cause.
Product: ArtFund
Agency: 101
Target audience: art goers and progressives
Location: Time Out London magazine
Southernrailway.com
The strategy here is fun and youth. It seems the advert is attempting to convey a
message of simplicity and youth in the idea of travel. While the art is creative I
think the overall message is lost in the imagery and there is too blurred of a line
between the target markets. Are they targeting young people, families with
children or adults with a young spirit? I don’t think it successfully reaches all three
but does not define one specific target either.
Product: Rowntree`s Fruit Gums
Agency: JC Decaux
Target audience: travelers
Location: Time Out London magazine
Estrella
This is a print Ad for a Spanish beer placed as the back page of an issue of Time
Out London. The strategy is living life to the fullest. This Ad successfully uses
color and youthful art to capture the idea of a free spirit while accentuating the
exotic city of Barcelona to stay true to its promise of an authentic foreign beer
drinking experience. It is different and unique.
Product: Estrella
Agency: Arena Media
Target audience: Younger and middle aged generations, young at heart beer drinkers, travelers and
explorers
Location: Time Out London magazine
MasterCard
This print Ad was placed in the theater section of Time Out magazine. This is a
perfect example of how a large global company like MasterCard can get down to a
micro level and use placement as an effective advertising technique. The strategy
is showbiz and it is effective because it is placed in a section where the target
audience is likely interested in viewing musicals in the west End. How perfect it is
that product placement is used in scenario where consumers may very well be in a
position right before purchasing theater tickets. I think it was effective and a
simple way to broaden a large brand to cater to niche target markets.
Product: MasterCard
Agency: McCann Erickson
Target audience: travelers, credit card owners and fans of musical theater
Location: Time Out London magazine