Analysis Of Advertisements For Two Different Things

Essay, Research Paper

Analysis of Advertisements for Two Different Things

In order for advertisements to succesfully portray a product, they must

be directed to the appropriate intended audience. Magazines, in general, are

usually geared towards a specific audience with distinct interests. Therefore,

the `ads’ need to be carefully designed to attract the attentions of the

magazine reader. This very concept is well displayed in the two selected, yet

very different, magazine ads from the software magnate Microsoft Corporation.

The first ad is taken from Computer Games Strategy Plus – a gaming

magazine, as one might infer from the title. The product `Monster Truck

Madness’ is a computer video game designed, quite obviously, for entertainment

purposes. The second ad is from PC World, which is of a much more technical

nature than its previous counterpart. The product in this ad is `Microsoft

Project for Windows 95′, a software used for businesses and project development

teams.

The `Monster Truck Madness’ ad encaptivates the casual browser with its

bright yellow background with a large purple type set across the top of the

page accompanied by the words: `Size Matters”. This leads the reader to ponder

the meaning of this rather unusual phrase and to further read the smaller

print. Here, the reader encounters an irregular font of different sizes to

accentuate certain words. While this may be annoying to many, its overall

purpose is to create a lively playful environment through the usage of fonts.

This, of course, is an attempt to appeal to a younger gaming audience. On the

other hand, the `Microsoft Project’ ad does not envoke any visual desire read

further into the text. The sections are divided into fine print paragraphs

with a slightly larger heading above. Everything is set plainly and

unassumingly. This can be justified to mirror an American professional’s

lifestyle: simple, neat, and organized.

The first four lines in the `Monster Truck’ ad: “bigger tires, bigger

competition, bigger thrills, bigger mud-splitting” uses repetition to

accentuate the fact that this game is bigger and better than all the other

racing car games. Microsoft then introduces the product in a rather blunt

manner but just stating the title of the game. The reader is then asked to

“strap yourself into a 1,500 horsepower tower of American pig iron, punch it

when the light turns green, and you’re in for the biggest race of your life.”

Having read this far, the reader should be overwhelmed by the forceful way the

ad delivers its message. From this, one can derive the intent to parallel the

`brute force and run over everything attitude’ that only a monster truck can

possess, in the text.

The `Project’ ad explains very straight-forwardly what the software is

capable of doing for the readers and their businesses. What this lacks in

excitement is made up for through a very complete description of the product.

This is appropriate for the intended audience: no-nonsense, no-hassle

businessmen. Strangely enough, the `Monster Truck’ ad, in sharp contrast,

discusses absolutely nothing about the actual game itself. Instead it

elaborates on other parts of the ad more important to persuading the intended

group of people.

The pictures and images are, of course, `everything’ to an advertisement.

They retrieve preconceptions from each individual without using words at all.

Consequently, these pictures must express a meaning related to its intended

purpose – in this case, to sell the product. In the `Monster Truck’ ad, the

first image the reader should notice is the massive blue and yellow monster

truck. Certainly because it is the largest picture, but also because it is

seemingly `standing’ on its back tires. My first impression of this picture

was one of pure awe. I imagine hearing the powerful revving of the engine and

the massive tires rumbling through the grass. However, if the reader has no

preconception of what a monster truck is or how large it is, this picture may

be nothing more impressive than a Micro Machine. Nextly, two additional

pictures are taken from the computer game itself. Both, in an attempt to

impress the viewer, are taken at an inspiring frame deserving of a highlight

reel. The viewer can see the rich color and high resolution details of each

individual screenshot. The purple monster truck in mid-air flying off a ramp is

strategically positioned in the exact middle of the photo, bringing all

attention to the truck. The picture on the lower left shows the interior of

the vehicle, the speedometer and tachometer; everything a real-life monster

truck would have. Lastly, the last corner of the rectangle holds the picture

of the box of the software. This is most likely intended to allow the reader

to recognize the box when they head over to the store. The quote in

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