I was browsing through some blogs and sites featuring clever or interesting advertising to find an image for the paper that's due on Wednesday and I came across a pretty awesome website: http://adsoftheworld.com. See the full size ads here.
I quickly scanned through the thumbnails on the first few pages and landed on these images from a Dr. Scholl's Sandals ad campaign. At a first cursory glance, I really didn't get it at all. My first impulse, when thinking of Dr. Scholl's, is to think of comfort and odor eaters. I kept wondering if the ads meant to say that these shoes were as comfortable as a puddle of water or something - which really doesn't make any sense.
Unsure about whether or not it was just me who wasn't getting the message I went to check out the comments posted on each picture. A lot of them were pretty unhelpful, many, like me, didn't get it - and those who did just said things like "its so obvious!!"
It reminded me of our discussion of whether text is redundant or necessary in advertisement. And in this case, I whole heartedly agree that it is necessary to support the intended message.
Looking at the images after reading that I found it hard to believe I couldn't figure it out before. The message of this image was not to exactly describe a product or associate it with a concept, but rather it was to associate non-product objects with their converse meanings through the viewpoint of a Dr. Scholl's Sandal wearer. I still feel, though, that it could have benefited from a word or two of text to reshape what exactly people associate with Dr. Scholls - that the products go beyond mere shoe comfort.
No comments:
Post a Comment