The Influence of Advertising

After watching the video Art & Copy what really caught my attention was how people purchase a product based off of the connotations affiliated with a brand. In an advertisement for beer we can see a nearly naked woman covered in beer caps. This advertisement is obviously for men. It says to the viewer’s subconscious “Hey if I drink this beer then I could have women that look like this hangout with me.”  

In the advertisement Size Sassy in Special K's "more than just a number" campaign a woman goes to a store searching for jeans, but upon arrival she notices none of the jeans have numbered sizes. The Special K speaker states “Focus less on the number and more one how the fit makes us feel.” This advertisement speaks to women because it has an attractive, but not over sexualized woman in the commercial that many women can aspire to look like. It also addresses an issue every woman can relate to: finding the right jean size to purchase. Sure the size 11 fits the best and allows you to be comfortable, but if you can fit into those size 7 jeans then you have validated that you haven’t gained weight since your boyfriend left you. Who cares if there is a slight muffin top? You’ll just pull up the pants a bit higher so it’s less noticeable.

People buy what they wish their lives could be. If a brand can successfully create an advertisement that associates their product with a feeling customers are missing in their lives or are seeking for then people will be driven to loyally purchase that product.  

Another thing that interests me from Art & Copy was the genesis of some brands and how they have made an impact of on our everyday lives. For example, Google has been around for many years and almost instantly it became a huge hit. Now Google owns two-thirds of the U.S.’s search engine market. How did Google get so popular? It became a verb with the phrase “Google it.” Don’t know something? Google it. Need to spell a word? Google it!

Another brand that has become popular and have made and an

unforgettable impression on consumers is Nike's “Just do it" campaign. Although you may not be a pro athlete this does not mean the slogan is unrelatable. Nike stated after they released their “Just do it” campaign that they received many emails from people of all different backgrounds how Nike’s slogan has influenced their personal lives. One man wrote it that it helped him to kick his smoking addiction. A woman said it gave her the power to leave her boyfriend. A young boy was able to gain the courage to ask a girl out after being empowered by “Just do it.”

Something as simple as a feeling or a phrase empowers brands to not only sell their product but to change a person’s life. Whether this is something small like purchasing Special K to get into a smaller pants size or something as large being empowered to quit a lifelong addiction through a simple slogan, advertisements have the power to influence our lives.