Advertisement Analysis

I found an advertisement that I really liked in the April 11-13, 2008 edition of USA Weekend. It was an advertisement for the television show, Desperate Housewives. I like this advertisement because it got my attention and was very simple and to the point. This advertisement gets the attention of the reader with the bright colors. Next, the reader’s interest is held with the statement “start fresh” in bold letters across the top of the page. The advertisement then uses the provocative poses of the shows female co-stars to arouse the desire of the reader. The advertisement then tries to obtain action by letting the reader know when and where the new episode of the show can be seen. Since Desperate Housewives is watched mostly by women, the target audience for this advertisement was probably women. The basic promotion objective of this advertisement is to inform the viewers of this television show that a new episode is coming. The product in this advertisement fills a personal need for the viewer by giving them something fun to watch.

I found another that I did not like in the same edition of USA Weekend. It was an advertisement for auto insurance from Geico. I didn’t like this advertisement because it did not grab my attention. The advertisement tries to get the reader’s attention with the bright green box contrasting with the black and white photograph. Next, the attention of the reader is held with the phrase, “Survive the вЂ?70s?” printed inside the bright green box. The advertisement then attempts to arouse desire in the reader by listing the personal services Geico offers. The advertisement then tries to obtain action by listing the companies phone and website. The target audience for this advertisement is male and female drivers over 50 years old. The product in this advertisement fills a safety need for the consumer.