If you were a participant of “Discovery” Club at Vinnytsia Information Center “Window on America”, you could discuss the topic “Advertisement. Best Practice of American Ad Companies” on 7, May 2011.
The members of the Club were proposed to discuss some questions on this topic. The leader of the Club made a Pecha Kukha presentation “Controversial Advertisement of the 21st century. American Practice in Ads” that was interesting, presenting some facts on marketing of the USA. Among the participants there were teachers, students, and the retired who expressed their thoughts on the following topic actively (7).
MTV safety commercial
This controversial public safety campaign commercial has been regularly shown on British television, aimed at warning teens about road safety. The poor video quality was intentional, as the advert was shot entirely on a mobile (cell) phone.The campaign was very important because it highlighted the need for teenagers to pay attention when walking on the road. The shocking advert was filmed with a mobile phone camera, giving the feel of a home-made film. Teenagers muck around on the pavement. One of them goes to cross the road. He looks one way but not the other – a fatal mistake.
The idea of make such a controversial advert was very successful because the real situation in the advert makes people think, especially teenagers that playing with cell phones or iPods could be very dangerous, especially when not taking attention in the cities where heavy traffic occur very often. Such accidents occur every day and therefore it was important to make an advert which looks real and controversial because teenagers will remember it easily and probably will take more attention when crossing the street. MTV is worldwide television channel, very popular amongst young people and so putting such advertising campaign called THINK! on MTV was very wise.
Another controversial advert, again distributed by MTV is commercial warning young people of sexual transmitted disease AIDS. The big issue of AIDS is being discussed for very long time and sadly, percentage of people being HIV positive is growing. This is why MTV made this TV commercial warning young people what can happen and why they should use protection. Such advert relate to the problem of sexual transmmited diseases such as AIDS, showing how stupidily a person can die.
Controversial advertising in the 21st century
Aim: to show people how adverts can be interesting, shocking and sometimes offensive. Usually, people take adverts as something boring and annoying because adverts are everywhere. In metro, on the bus and train stations, on the motorways, restaurants, cinemas, schools and on television. Adverts are aimed to persuade people to buy a specific product. But they can also alert people of diseases, protections and other catastrophes such as terrorism or racism. MTV and United Colors of Benetton are famous of doing controversial adverts which tries to address people of particular problem. MTV is doing adverts alerting young people of AIDS and crossing the streets safely and United Colors of Benetton address to problem of racism. Other advertisement campaigns, mainly in the clothing industry and cosmetics are also contoversial, very often with sexual undertone.
Activity 1. Using your notes and any additional ideas, prepare a two-minute talk with your partner. Then present your talk to the rest of us:
- What do you consider makes a good advertisement? (Make notes of your ideas)
* concept
* medium
* approach
- How far do you agree that TV advertisements are better than the actual programmes? What is the difference between television programmes and good advertisements?
- originality and creativity
- words and music
- setting and locations
3. How do you perceive advertisers and advertisements? Are your attitude towards ads is generally positive or negative? What evidence can you give for your own attitude?
- Scrupulous, meticulous, exacting, professional, stimulating to ccaptivate viewers, outrageous (very shocking)?
4. What constraints do advertisers have to take into account when making advertisements?
5. Do you have your favourite advertisement? Why do you choose it from other ones?
6. Coca Cola ad is very popular in all the world. It is asked more than 524 million times a day in more than 80 languages. What do you think about its global presence?
7. Have you ever seen controversial advertising? Do you think that this campaign is successful?
ACTIVITY 2. Imagine you are asked to make an ad. What product or service can you choose? What about a slogan?
ACTIVITY 3. RXV, a major electronics company, has decided to advertise its latest digital camera. It has asked several advertising agencies to submit proposals for a campaign. What are your proposals?
Controvercial Ad
The advertising philosophy of United Colors of Benetton
Benetton became a global force in just a few years—the United Colors concept spread from encompassing the different races to the ideas of tolerance, peace and respect for diversity.
Many ads from the period were an expression of this process. One represented religious and political conflict (the Palestinian and the Israeli). Another depicted religious and sexual conflict (a priest kissing a nun), and yet another portrayed moral conflict (the stereotypes of good and evil, symbolized by an angel and evil.
All of these conflicts were based on taboos, on the impossibility of co-existence, on a difference that separates rather than unites. By acknowledging these differences and prohibitions, the brand appeared more involved. It took sides, rather than presenting a simple “objective” portrayal of the world; it made a commitment to foster the cohabitation of opposites, to break down barriers and ensure dialogue. Benetton had a plan: to integrate opposites, to unite differences under a single flag, the flag of its own logo. In this phase, the “product” gradually disappeared from the advertisements. Traditional advertising messages made the product their obvious focus, so that the campaign would have a measurable commercial impact. Benetton took another path, wagering that once the brand’s identity had been established, the product would become one of its attributes. The company was now taking hold on all the continents. Paradoxically, the growing popularity and availability of tangible Benetton merchandise—the goods people could buy in more than 5,000 stores worldwide—translated into the disappearance of those goods from its ads.
Oliviero Toscani (b. 1942 is an Italian photographer, best-known worldwide for designing controversial advertising campaigns for Italian brand Benetton, from 1982 to 2000. Most of these advertising campaigns were actually institutionals for the brand, always composed of rather controversial photography, usually with only the company logo “United Colors of Benetton” as caption.
MTV safety commercial
This controversial public safety campaign commercial has been regularly shown on British television, aimed at warning teens about road safety. The poor video quality was intentional, as the advert was shot entirely on a mobile (cell) phone.The campaign was very important because it highlighted the need for teenagers to pay attention when walking on the road. The shocking advert was filmed with a mobile phone camera, giving the feel of a home-made film. Teenagers muck around on the pavement. One of them goes to cross the road. He looks one way but not the other – a fatal mistake.
The idea of make such a controversial advert was very successful because the real situation in the advert makes people think, especially teenagers that playing with cell phones or iPods could be very dangerous, especially when not taking attention in the cities where heavy traffic occur very often. Such accidents occur every day and therefore it was important to make an advert which looks real and controversial because teenagers will remember it easily and probably will take more attention when crossing the street. MTV is worldwide television channel, very popular amongst young people and so putting such advertising campaign called THINK! on MTV was very wise.
Another controversial advert, again distributed by MTV is commercial warning young people of sexual transmitted disease AIDS. The big issue of AIDS is being discussed for very long time and sadly, percentage of people being HIV positive is growing. This is why MTV made this TV commercial warning young people what can happen and why they should use protection. Such advert relate to the problem of sexual transmmited diseases such as AIDS, showing how stupidily a person can die.
Read More: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/south-wales-ews/merthyr/2011/04/14/animal-rights-group-s-history-of-controversial-advertising-campaigns-91466-28514577/#ixzz1KXlVtu89
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