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[gtimmons]

I chose this advertisement for its simplicity. I’ve noticed that a vast majority of the ads that I see in passing are targeted at beautifying women or perfecting imperfections that are not truly imperfections at all. The simplicity of this ad is present not only in the image of the woman wearing a black dress and a perfectly slicked and twisted ponytail, but also in the bold black text on a white background. The advertisers used policy of fact to sell this product by posing the question, “who says ultherapy boosts your collagen?” And following up with the response, “Oh, right. Science.” The idea here is that you can’t argue with science. However, this statement leaves room for so many questions such as how much does this product boost your collagen, how many experiments were performed to prove this fact, and are there side effects? This ad also supports the idea that communication is multi-motivated because it shows the audience a model and patient who has allegedly used Ultherapy. The model exudes perfection while also attempting to connect with the audience as “one of us” to say “you could be just like me if you use Ultherapy.” An idea that may or may not be proven to be true.

[gtimmons]

I chose this advertisement because it made me stop as I was flipping through a magazine. Honestly, most ads concerning birth control or feminine products give me pause. This is mainly because the ads for both tend to attempt to paint this beautifully unrealistic scene of the product it is attempting to sell. For example, this is an advertisement for a hormone-free birth control option, which in this case is an IUD. Part of the process of choosing this option includes inserting a foreign object into a woman's uterus, which we can imagine may be uncomfortable for various reasons. However, this is not a reality that is depicted in the ad. Instead, we are given an image of a cheerfully happy woman, smiling ear to ear as she saunters down a brick path smelling the flowers. These elements of the ad seem like a way of the advertiser to gain compliance in buying this product or choosing this option for birth control. More specifically, the presentation of the woman in the ad, the bright colors and the overall joyfulness is used as a weapon of influence. This ad most closely uses “liking” as a weapon of influence. We may not personally know the woman in the ad. However, there are many women who may stop and see themselves or what could potentially be them in this woman. They may feel like their birth control literally does not make them happy and that maybe using a hormone free birth control option could allow them to be like this woman who is so effortlessly happy. In that regard, the target audience likes her and want to be her.

[gtimmons]

This is an ad for Carol’s Daughter Coco Crème. It includes a mother and daughter who each have curly, healthy, shiny curls. The women in this ad are both African-American, which means that the ad is most likely targeting an African-American audience, but more specifically African-American women. The top portion of the add reads, “Carol’s Daughter: True To Your Roots.” Slightly below this text is more text that reads, “Teach her how to love her hair.” I think the advertiser is attempting to sell this product by appealing to the recently popular “natural” trend that became popular in the Black community within the past 10 years. Additionally, by having the mother kiss her daughter’s forehead, the advertiser is also appealing to the security and sense of belonging that one typically feels when with their mother. This ad may even make you think of the torture that you may have previously endured when getting a relaxer or a hot comb treatment. The ad implies that now you don’t have to endure torture, but rather love your hair. The various shades of brown in the ad were intentional as they appeal not only to women of color, but brown also represents earth and all that comes from the earth. One can infer from this color scheme and from the placement of ingredients that this product is all natural and chemical free. While I think this ad is nice, there are two things that troubled me. The first thing I noticed from this ad was the women in the ad have a very specific type of hair that is not the dominant hair type in the black community. This is significant because while attempting to target an African-American female audience, the advertiser excluded a large portion of that audience with a lack of proper representation. Secondly, this ad is found in this month’s Essence magazine. The ad itself is not necessarily what troubled me, but throughout the entire magazine, the majority of the advertisements are hair products. This bothers me because this says to me that my natural hair is less than, that I need products to tame it, and that it is necessary so that my hair is appropriate for others. Perhaps I am reading too much into the ads overall, but these were my thoughts as I skimmed through the magazine.

[gtimmons]

This is an ad for Essie’s new Flying Solo collection. I think that the advertiser is targeting single women and hinting that it is completely normal to travel solo. Additionally, when wearing this nail polish you will feel ready to conquer the world. The color scheme is very posh and classy, which may make you feel similarly when wearing this nail polish. I also noticed the product placement. First, this ad is from this month’s Cosmopolitan where the primary audience is female. Second, I do not think that it is a coincidence that this advertisement is placed next to an article titled, “I went on Meghan Markle’s vacation.” Meghan Markle has become a dream role model for a lot of women in that she became royalty and was able to actually get the happily ever after that so many little girls read about in their youth. Honestly, upon viewing this ad, I immediately thought to myself, I could really use a mani/pedi. My second thought was, where is my passport because I really need to get more stamps in there. For a brief moment, I felt empowered. I am single and sometimes fear traveling alone, especially abroad, but after seeing this ad I felt the need to book my next solo trip. I even researched the safest countries for single women to travel. I think this ad did an excellent job of advertising this product. I do not see any room for misinterpretation especially since the product is front and center.