This paper aims to provide personal and technical reasons why I like the discussed advertisements, as well as analyze them from various important perspectives about effective advertisements and campaigns. The first advertisement under analysis is the TV spot of the Wonder Woman 1984 movie that is premiering this year on the big screen (Warner Bros. Pictures, 2020). I loved the first part of the movie released in 2017 and was impressed by the well-made, intriguing advertisement for the upcoming film. The creative visual component of the movie attracts the audience’s attention from the first seconds of the advert. Such an effect is supported by the famous song “Blue Mondays” which renders the vibe of risky, heroic, and even tense nature. Thus, the outstanding graphics, along with the grand background music, set the tone for the advertisement’s effect on the audience.
The advertisement possesses strong rhetoric that persuades the target audience to watch the movie and find out how the story unfolds at the end. The rhetorical triangle consists of three appeals that make up the core of a successful advertisement (Afsheen & Eijaz, 2019). The logical appeal of the advertisement lies in conveying the central message of the movie: love, justice, and a significant purpose can save the world. Moreover, the ethical approach present in the advertisement appeals to the audience’s love and appreciation of Marvel studios. Such a strong message, combined with the credibility of the Marvell universe, is especially attractive to comic fans, who appreciate the rival between good and evil. Thus, it will make them want to watch the new movie even more. Finally, the emotional appeal to the audience works by showing a strong, independent woman that can suffer great losses, fight villains, and save the world with her outstanding abilities. In addition, the advertisement touches upon the romantic feelings of the main character to a man, which always attracts the undivided attention of viewers.
To continue with the comic-book theme in advertising and commercials, I chose the advertisement for the sales in a Panorama shopping mall in Los Angeles for analysis. When I first saw it, the girl in the center of the poster immediately caught my eye by her resemblance to Margot Robbie, the actress that played the role of Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. Thus, the ethical appeal is fulfilled in this advertisement, as many people know and love the DC universe. Moreover, comic book fans, especially young women who like Margot and want to look like her, will be attracted to go shopping at the advertised mall. They would be subconsciously convinced that they will find the items that will make them as strong, beautiful, and charismatic as Margot’s character in the movie. Thus, emotional appeal is successfully achieved.
Moreover, I like this poster for its intense, deep colors and minimalistic background. It makes the audience concentrate their attention on its main character and the message it conveys. The logical appeal lies in the advertisement’s promise of sales up to fifty percent, which makes the people already attracted by the visual design and the character’s image visit Panorama even more. In addition, the image of the girl shows physical strength and attractive stamina. This would appeal to the female part of the audience that seeks to be strong and independent, as well as recognized for their power and resilience. Thus, the two commercials under analysis depict how the combination of rhetoric constituents, strong graphical design, and well-thought promotional purpose work together to create a good advertisement. As a big fan of comic books and superhero stories, I can state that the mentioned strategies do constitute a convincing and intriguing effect on the audience.
References
Afsheen, S., & Eijaz, A. (2019). What makes an educational advertisement campaign successful: A case study of Zara Sochiye. Journal of Media Studies, 32(2).
Warner Bros. Pictures. (2020). Wonder Woman 1984 [Video]. YouTube. Web.