This ad above is part of a series of promotional ads to promote the sale of tickets to what appears to be an exhibit, Bodyworks. It incorporates visual balance, eye-catching graphics, and powerful imagery. The series of ads have stopping power that integrate two different generations. Varied ads are place in train stations, lamp posts, city walls, underground displays, etc. The fascinating visual component invites audiences by the captivating visual message that simultaneously targets multiple audiences.
The exhibit displays dissected human bodies in different stages so that you can see all the different systems. This ad shows a popular advertising strategy not commonly seen in the United States. The American culture has an obsession with youth and beauty. Most older family members are placed in retirement homes while the younger family lives separately. However, European culture and much of the Hispanic culture honors and respects the older generation. This cultural trend is represented in the advertisements I analyzed in Germany and Eastern Europe. Specifically, older people are shown in the advertisements for a variety of brands, one of them being Viagra (Berlin). These older people are showcased in various themes, including sexually. The ad below shows two older women provactively posing with an ice cream cone (Prague).
The Czech ad by a bus stop for an ice-cream seemed unusual. Unlike the ads in Berlin for ice-cream desserts incorporating beauty and sexuality, this ad in Prague scattered throughout the city shows the effectiveness of word of mouth among this age group. This is why I selected this, because it is an unusual yet honest way of the dynamics of this age group and reminds me of the elders in my mixed family. The ad below shows a typical graffiti art by a group of mixed cultural inhabitants. In the USA, most acts of graffiti are frowned upon by main stream. Most feature hip-hop artists and mixed names of gangs are associated with graffiti. However, this graffiti is cultural and shows typical facets of their culture. There is even an older gypsy woman painted on the side of a street where other elders are painted on the wall.
As you can see, the older culture is redeemed and honored. They are depicting cultural graffiti and are evident in advertisements for brands and companies. Their placed on a high social ladder and respected in the famiy, social and economic sectors.
Key Points
1. The portrayal of elders in Europe vary from that of the United States.
2. Elders are part of the communication market as well as culture.
3. The importance of consistency on all media platforms.
I think it's fantastic that the elderly are incorporated into marketing promotions. And why shouldn't they be? They play an integral part in society, have substantial expendable wealth, and represent a traditional sense of community.
ReplyDeleteThe ads for BodyWorld are indeed noteworthy. I attended an exhibition in Amsterdam, and can testify that the experience is as sensational and controversial as the advertisements. Interestingly, I have never seen them advertise live people before (I assume they are alive). The bodies in the ads have always been partially dissected. Does this have meaning to the German market?
Carla, you made a great observation of the parallels between how the elderly are portrayed in Europe and America. American culture tends to regard the elderly coldly while a lot of European, Asian and Latin American cultures praise the older generation. They are such a huge market segment, and obviously growing, so many opportunities are being lost by not gearing communication efforts to them.
ReplyDeleteJust like the Viagra ads we saw in class that really humanized the elderly couple as a vibrant, couple still in love that wants the ability to be with each other. Instead of frowning upon that because of the stigma of older people having sex. We should encourage the love and support that is still existent among that generation. Great job and writing Carla!!