Advertising has developed a great deal since it first began. Originally ads were were informative and focused on the product. There wasn't competition, strategy or big agencies hired to create campaigns. It was just a paper with what was being sold. Then advertisements began to be more emotional. The product had an emotional benefit and companies and agencies strove to sell that emotion to the consumer. As communication channels developed, advertising developed. Advertising began to be more focused on the brand and the brand voice. It became more about what the company represents and what they stand for. People choose brands that align with their values because it's a way of identifying yourself. Good branding means you are consistent in what you stay you stand for. People can identify your brand and they know what it means to buy something from Nike versus Adidas, and believe it or not there are political implications based on what kind of basketball shoes you buy. A couple of my favorite campaigns that have focused on social issues that have gone viral are:
Always 'Fight Like A Girl'
Dove 'True Beauty'
Both of these campaigns are similar in the studio setting and the setup, female empowerment and social expectations. Both of these campaigns are very powerful because the brands are aligning themselves with values shared by their viewers. In both ads there is no talk about soaps or face wash or tampons. But knowing that the brands both stand for female empowerment shot sales and google searches through the roof. It's an interesting concept that the most effective form of advertising, isn't really even advertising at all.
This kind of stuff is really interesting to me. It's interesting that good advertising works, and it's interesting what constitutes good advertising. For me, the more clever the campaign is, the more I identify with the product and the more likely I am to purchase. I wish i could say that I care about the actual quality of the product, but the pathos and ethos of a brand matter so much.
ReplyDeleteDuring what time period were these changes most evident? I can see reflections of humanism ideas and even romanticism in the shift from informative advertisements to ones that connect with and pull in the customers--more of an emphasis on pathos than logos.
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