New Technologies and Advertising

As the world becomes more technologically advance, advertiser’s ability to produce more complex and innovative ads will increase. The dawning of digital billboards was an incredible leap for what advertisers could do. So the big question is… “What’s the next big thing for advertisers?”

In other countries, outdoor light shows have become a big deal. Places like Disneyland’s California Adventure and other theme parks are making use of the new technology surrounding light shows. In Australia, there was a light show of Doctor Who on the side of Circular Quay. This was a big deal. Fans of the show and other pedestrians were able to see highlights of the British TV show while enjoying a captivating performance.

Light show ads at night can be useful in really captivating the attention of the public, those interested in the brand and other pedestrians. This form of advertising would draw crowds of interested people. They would also gain a lot of media advertising by people using social media. People would take photos and videos and send them to their friends using Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, YouTube, and other forms of social media. Though this ad would only be shown during the evening, it would give people something to look forward to or create Facebook events around to go see. But this does have to be done right. Light shows cannot simply be an ad, but it can be incorporated into a campaign in a creative way. This would make advertisers to think outside of the box and push past the boundaries of what is normal advertising.

I would be very excited to watch an outdoor light show. Personally, I wouldn’t care what the brand was that was producing the light show; but, the show has to be exciting and well done. If it was well advertised online, I would be inclined to make an event for me and my friends to attend. It would be even more amazing if the light show could also involve water. People love these things and would try to get their friends to attend with them.

In all honesty, I’m not sure what will happen next, but I can’t wait to see what will come in the future.

Brand Launching

A product that was very successfully launched was the iPhone by Apple. If you look around the room, a large majority of smartphone users are using iPhones rather than Androids. Why is the iPhone so popular? This success of this product was the result of creative marketing and improvements of past technology.

The iPhone was not a brand new idea. There were smartphones already on the market before the introduction of the iPhone. But what made this product better than their competitors was that the technology they were using was improved. Apple perfected the glitches and issues users were having with other competitive smartphones.

The biggest success in my eyes is their marketing and advertising campaign. The motivation of “Go big or go home” is evident in all of their marketing campaigns. But the very first iPhone was he most compelling. The way they marketed the iPhone was telling people how amazing it is and how it’s better than their competitors, but there is a catch. Apple decided to only release a certain number of iPhones per store. They also campaigned that only the best of the best will have this phone first. These commercials made people feel that they are exclusively getting a product that most of the world will not have. They created a desire because of the limited number of phones.

When the first iPhone came out, there was a huge craze of people who were standing in line for days trying to get their hands on this new product. Apple was able to create brand loyalty with customers because of the improvement of their product and a desire to own Apple products because of the feeling of exclusivity. Apple was successful in the launch of the iPhone.

Harley-Davidson Case Study

Harley-Davidson is a motorcycle company that created a group called Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.). This group is meant for Harley-Davidson owners to come together, connect, and share their experiences with their motorcycles.

Brand communities are a great place for fans of the product or service to come together as one group. It is an effective way to connect people with similar interests together. Brand communities bring people together and give them an identity with the brand. They begin to feel a sense of belonging and purpose with the brand. This connection is important to ensure brand loyalty. My dad is part of a brand community. He enjoys going to special events and privileges that only members of this specific community can access. He also says that all owners of this brand have this connection that he wouldn’t have if they were not part of this group. Brand communities are important to people in feeling like they belong.

The Posse Ride was created to enhance the meaning of the brand for riders. They were successful in doing so because of their rallies and rally tours. Through both of these events, Harley was able to bring people together. The stationary events brought enthusiasts to the same place both in Wisconsin and in other towns. People from all over are able to go to these rallies and meet other riders. The rally tour was created to connect people not just on a social level, but also on a more physical level. The rally tours made it possible for people to socialize, ride together, and meet other riders from other towns. Harley-Davidson has done a great job with creating these events for their fans. I don’t think they need to do too much more. The fans are able to connect really well with how things are now. The only thing I could see Harley-Davidson do to improve is create unique events to compliment what they are already doing.

Semiotics

I saw this ad in class the other day and decided to analyze it using semiotics. This ad is by Axe deodorant.

The denotations of this ad are as follows:  There is a man with spark plugs, and a woman with a gasoline pump. The ad was taken around dusk and is printed in color. The woman is driving a new looking car. The man is driving an older car.

The Connotations of this ad are as follows: The two people are turned on which can be seen with the things they are holding in their hands. Based on their clothing and the cars they are driving, the man seems to be rougher and rugged while the woman seems to be a high maintenance, city, party, girl. They way they’re staring at each other suggests that they’re interested in each other. When fire and gasoline hit, they cause a fire. This hints at the idea of intense passion that you could have together.

The overarching suggestion that Axe is trying to tell the viewer is that Axe can help you find an attractive person to possibly have an intimate encounter with. If you buy Axe, this girl/guy could be yours.

The denotations of this ad are as follows:  There is a white woman cleaning. She’s putting her old duster in the attic. The duster and another attic object notice each other. The woman cleans her home with the Swiffer 360 Duster Extender.

The Connotations of this ad are as follows: I saw a similar commercial in my high school psychology class and it changed the way I see cleaning commercials. The way the Swiffer 360 Duster Extender is shown and is moved through out the ad is in a subconsciously sexual way. Without going into too much detail, the shape, motion, and positioning of the duster has a sexual connotation that most people will not notice until told. The woman seems to be satisfied after using the new product. The ad hints that the woman will never use any other product to clean her home. The fact that it’s a woman using the product sets a gender stereotype of a woman being the one to clean and take care of the home while the man is not there.

The overarching suggestion that Axe is trying to tell the viewer is that this product will make you more efficient with you house work. You should make Swiffer 360 Duster Extender part of your ever day life.

The denotations of this ad are as follows:  There is a man with coming out of a body of water, possibly a pool. The man has a lot of muscles. The man is tan. The text on the billboard says “Live healthy, sports nutrition and wellness to fuel your life.” This ad belongs to GNC. The ad was shot during the day.

The Connotations of this ad are as follows: A person is healthy if they’re muscular and are always exercising. This particular man probably just finished swimming laps in a pool; if you do the same, you can look like him. GNC can help you become this man if you buy their products. The highlights and shadows on the man emphasizes his muscles in his chest, arms, and stomach. There’s still time before your next event to change the way you look.

The overarching suggestion that Axe is trying to tell the viewer is that to be healthy and fit you must buy GNC products. Girls love a man who looks like this. Become someone desirable like this man.