Name
English: Fall 2014
Due date: Essay 2
Advertizing Design and Functionality
Product ads use many different designs styles, colors, appeals, and weasel words to set viewers to believe the products will change or better the viewer’s life.
An example of such advertizing is the Graco 4ever 4-in-1 car seat magazine advertisement. The layout starts with four pictures of girls at different ages using three quarters of the page. The pictures are laid out in a progressive manner from a baby to young child. The pictures are separated with white lines. The pictures start from a baby to young child as if the pictures were taken over time. In all the pictures the girls are laughing or have a large grin on their face. On the top left picture above the youngest girl there is a statement saying “from YOUR BABY”. In the bottom right corner picture with the oldest girl, a statement reads “to STILL YOUR BABY”. Below the pictures of the girls is a light blue section including the company name and product model with a stamen below the model “the ONLY CAR SEAT YOU”LL EVER NEED. Below the company and model is a set of pictures of the seat in different configurations. There is text next to each picture stating the child’s weight for of each configuration of the seat shown.
The Graco advertisement uses the appeals of nurturing and safety of the children. They do this by showing how happy the child in the advertisement is over the years. Use of the statements and their locations were planned well. The advertisers uses “from YOUR BABY” above the baby and “to STILL YOUR BABY” over the oldest picture, uses the primary appeal of nurturing by the use of smiling child and bold letter statements. They capture the readers desire to have a safe and happy family.
Another example of advertizing is the Children’s Zyrteck magazine advertisement. The layout for this ad shows a backyard with an out of focus boy wearing a reptile costume in the background along with a girl in attack mode in front also wearing a reptile costume. There is bold lettering at an angle in colored boxes across the top. The lettering states “LESS TIME MUDDLING THROUGH ALLERGIES MORE TIME AS FEROCIOUS REPTILES” The backyard scene takes up four fifths of the page with lettering showing the product package and a few statements. One of the statements in bold letters is “NEW FORM”. The other is a statement describing how the product relieves children’s allergies for 24 hrs.
The Zytec advertisement is uses the appeal of nurturing and guidance in this magazine ad. Nurturing is the main appeal in this advertisement; Mothers want their children to be healthy and happy and they are good Mothers. The advertisement shows how one girl who has taken their product is happy and clear. The boy, who may not have taken their product seams fuzzy and out of sorts. The advertiser backs up the visual clue with the using the statement in bold letters across the top. The use of the weasel words “NEW FORM” in bold letters leads viewers to believe it is better than before and will work faster. Also used is the clinical statement as the guidance appeal towards the parents “clinically proven to relieve kids’ allergy symptoms for a full 24 hrs”. By stating this they want the parents to believe it will work for their children and keep them happy and healthy.
A third example of advertizing is the Hidden Valley Ranch dressing advertisement. This magazine advertisement is set as a veggie van instead of an ice cream van as the main focus. The van it has bold lettering across the top stating” Hey kids it’s VEGGIES!” There is a menu on the left of the van with an opening in the center. Below the center are pictures of vegetables shaped like ice cream cones and
