The Persuaders

In the Frontline story entitled, "The Persuaders" the big topic was concerning the issues of product advertising and its effects on our country and culturally and socially.

Watching the presentation on this issue really invoked some thoughts and issues I would have never come across if I never watched this segment.

The Most Eyeopening Topics discussed:

1) The Sudo-Spiritual Approach
2) Product Placement
3) Narrow Casting

The Sudo-Spiritual Approach

In the segment it discusses how advertisements were first constructed in the earlier days of advertisement and the thought process behind the construction. They discussed how advertisements in the beginning were more focused on eye-catching words that clearly demonstrated how well the product functioned.

What I never realized with advertisements like those were the simplicity in them because during this age of advertisements major companies didn't really have to worry about competition and could just sell the item based on its efficiency.

However, as the advertisement buisness began to grow, this then prompted an ongoing battle between products for the consumers full attention. This movement completely changed the industry and forced companies move to a sudo-spiritual/emotional approach on targeting the audience. This campbell's advertisement is a perfect example of this new approach:

With this commercial the company tugs on the heartstrings of the viewer. With the family approach they took with the advertisement and the loaded words they used such as "warm" and "hugs" it allows the viewer to associate those feelings with the product. Thereby reaching the viewer on a more emotional level ruling out other soup brands at the same time.

Product Placement

This was an issue I read about before but never realized how prominant it had become in the marketing industry today. The media now is completely filled with product placement from the Coke cups on American Idol to the Heineken displayed in the Bond movies.

What makes product placement a success however, is when the audience goes through the whole program without even realizing that they are subtly being advertised too through the use of their favorite program. Poor product placement can also really break a program if the viewer realizes the underlying advertisement behind the program.

With my eyes now opened to this new age advertising of product placement I am now fully aware and very sensitive of when companies are using product placement in a show or movie.

Narrow Casting

When I search for things on the Internet now it makes complete sense as to why advertisements begin to pop up everywhere of exactly what I was just searching for. When I watched this segment I was skeptical as to their reasons behind narrowcasting but after their discussion on narrowing casting it made me become fully aware of just how linked everything I do online can become.

Out of all of the lessons taught throughout this segment on advertising the biggest emphasis that seemed to be so strongly pushed was the idea that advertising will reach its highest peak when the consumer doesn't even realize they are being advertised to.

This segment opened my eyes to how we as people consume media and specifically how we take in advertisements. In watching this segment I have now become more sensitive to the advertisement world and are more alert when being exposed to advertisements.