Advertisement's Big Day

Advertisements are an interesting thing. They can incite sadness, laughter, disgust, anger ... pretty much any emotion or feeling that exists. Their catchy jingles get stuck in our heads (good or bad) to the point where they even make fun of it in the movie "Inside Out." They are an effective way to communicate information about your product to the consumer.
 
One of the things I ask kids in my media classes is to think about how they are targeted as a consumer and what the company is actually trying to sell them. Sure, a burger restaurant talks about and shows their burgers, but is that what is actually being sold? (And I don't mean is it actually meat?) The same thing holds true for drink advertisements, car commercials, laundry detergent, etc. Are they really trying to sell you their physical product, or are they aiming at something else?
 
Those people in the burger commercials seem happy and fun -- I want my life to be like that. The people in those car ads look successful and like they have their life together. Look how people on the street watch them drive by, like they're important. That could be me -- if I only had that car.
 
The point is, there is a reason why companies will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to air their commercial once during the Super Bowl. They know people will be watching, and they know that these people would love to laugh, feel wanted, make their lives easier, etc. Throw a catchy tune or catchphrase in and you own real estate in that consumer's mind forever.
 
Aaron Spencer,
Media Arts/Video Teacher