Ads

It's a Fast Pace World

Advertising in the United States is a 150 billion dollar industry a year. We see ads constantly throughout our day everywhere we look. Furthermore, it has become a major part of mass media. The purpose of most ads is to make a sale, but for an ad to work, it must appeal to the consumer. Consumers are not going to buy something they obviously do not need or want, so to sell, they must be swayed a little. Producers and advertisers look at how the society behaves and link the product to the behavior to make an effective advertisement and a successful sale.

There are two particular advertisements that emphasize and focus on society's obsession with time. Americans are especially crazy about saving time, making every second count. We say phrases like "Don't waste time," "Be on time," "Time is of the essence," "Time is money," "I got no time," all too often. Since time remains limited to us mortals, we try to salvage as much of it as possible so it doesn't go to waste; rather, we want to apply it to good use. The more we humans have to do, the less time we have to rest and relax. Thus resulting in us getting creative and efficient in almost everything we do. We are busy always having to keep up with our schedules, and making sure we arrive early and, G-d forbid, leave late. If we become more efficient, we will save time, which we all want but seem to have no control over.

The American Express credit card company uses 'time' as society's attitudinal trend to promote its cards. The advertisement shows a woman crossing a street in New York City, which can be derived from the background. The picture is taken in mid-step to show that she is leaping to quickly cross the street and get to her destination. Judging by the woman's grip on her handbag, she is off to work or other matters that busy New Yorkers have to keep up with. The ad centers its view on the woman's pink boots. The text beside the boots says; running shoes, in: nyc, which are also in pink.

The meaning behind the boots is that she must quickly think and move on her feet to keep up. The text implies that the woman is not a professional athlete and instead a businesswoman. Consequently, the woman can't wear 'running shoes' to her meeting so the boots will have to suffice. New York City is known to set the fashion trends and looks; the decisions on what's hot and what's not are made here. The ad uses pink boots, which are obviously stylish and chichi. The pink color of the boots, and the stylish boots themselves, catch the eye two folds.

The credit card is especially made for New Yorkers, because they are so busy. It seems like New York is the busiest place on earth because everyone has so much to do, and justifiably named the city that never sleeps. Because New Yorkers are pre-occupied, the credit card allows them to save time and do things more efficiently. Writing checks and counting money takes more time than a single swipe, which allows people to get things done more quickly. As the saying goes, time is money. Getting tasks done fast is essential in a city like New York. Clearly, the name of the credit card company says something about the way society behaves and lives their lives.

The LG Company also uses 'time' to sell its product. The ad shows a man on the phone while watching a soccer game on his LG TV. The room in which the man sits looks very empty and the