International Ad Critique Created by: Amanda Colon

Regent’s University 2014

London, United Kingdom

Coca-Cola

The strategy used in this Ad is “community”. The brand uses creative

merchandising and in my opinion, it is highly effective. The packaging serves as a

promotional tool but also a mobile advert. It appeals to the pathos or emotional

level of consciousness for the buyer. People feel connected to the product when

they find their name on a bottle, personalizing the buying experience. The tagline

also says “share with” and contains other labels like “brother” and “soul mate”

insisting that consumers should share their coke or diet coke beverage with these

people. It serves more than one purpose and gives personality to the classic plastic

bottles.

Product: Diet Coke

Location: Tesco in Slough, England. Placed within a short distance from the alcohol aisle.

Target Audience: 18 to 39. Tourists and "millenials" and local families.

Rowntree’s

This was a packaging Ad for an English candy making company from the 30's. It

was one of the first products to be introduced by the brand that would later merge

with Nestle and produce popular candies like Smarties, Kit Kat and polo

chocolates. This particular ad stuck out to me, not only because it is one of the

only candies that actually kept the original Rowntree title, but because of how it

uses color, art and creative packaging to reach the target audience. The message is

simple but effective. The strategy is flavor. The child in the photo looks as if the

candy in his mouth was an unexpected taste that leaves the consumer in a state of

mystery. This is another great example of effective, creative merchandising.

Product: Rowntree`s Fruit Gums

Agency: J. Walter Thompson

Target audience: children ages 6+

Location: Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising

Fashion Union

This is an out of home poster campaign by a clothing company called Fashion

Union. The strategy is trendy. It shows attractive women in colorful outfits that

seem to fit every genre of style. The two shown here we're posted side by side but

other variations are seen throughout different tube stops and stations near areas like

Piccadilly where shopping is heavy. The target market seems to be middle to

upper class women who want to be ahead on the latest fashion trends. These are

people that will put together an outfit to walk across the street to the grocery store.

The Ad was effective in its outreach. The colors stood out and the message was

simple, a trendy outfit for everything. The price listed on the poster shows the

brand is not priced on the low end so its competition would be considered in

markets with stores like Urban Outfitters or Top Shop. This sets target audience

standard to women with higher income. Overall a simple, this is a creative

campaign that speaks volumes.

Product: Fashion a Union Clothing Line

Agency: Greenlight

Target audience: young fashionistas

Location: The Underground Station

British Airways

This is a print ad for British Airways. It shows a point-of-view shot of a man on a

moped driving out onto an open road. He appears to be looking out over a large

body of water with a grand view. The apparent strategy here is adventure on a

budget. The print reads things like “to explore” and “to feel free” to emphasize the

experience of taking on the road to places unknown but contrasts a simple £39 to

remind of the economic value to the consumer as well.

Product: British Airways travel

Agency: Bargle Bogle Hegarty

Target audience: travelers

Location: Time Out London magazine

Kellogg’s

This familiar logo and brand stuck out to me at my visit to the museum of brands

packaging and advertising. I think it could arguably be analyzed as an advert

because of how universal the brand has become and how its brand has consistently

communicated this message. The strategy is consistency. I think Cornflakes in

particular strives on promising its consumers an authentic reliable taste every

morning. It is a simple cereal and so is the logo for the brand, which has been kept

to look exactly the same for so many years.

Product: Kellogg’s Cornflakes

Agency: JWT

Target audience: cereal buyers

Location: Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising

Honda

This print Ad really stood out to me on many levels. Primarily because I feel like I

was a part of the intended target market. I feel like women who are interested in

buying a new car that is sporty and affordable would take to this ad well especially

because the tagline is empowering. The creative strategy is bold and seems to

inspire an attitude of fierceness and speed. The colors are simple: red black and

white but the message is clear. I also think the use of the black background for a 2

page spread makes the copy and the product stand out more on the page so even

potential car buyers that are slightly out of the intended target audience would not

be able to miss it when flipping through the publication.

Product: Honda Type R

Agency: Widen+Kennedy

Target audience: women car drivers

Location: Time Out London magazine

Giorgio Armani

This print Ad was placed in a magazine for men. The strategy is to be sexy and

classy. The men this Ad is geared toward will feel like wearing this cologne will

make feel classy and look attractive like the model on the page. The product name

is even seductive on its own, alluding that wearing the fragrance will make the

buyer unforgettable. Women would likely remember this Ad as well and turn out

to be consumers for their loved ones or spouses. The product is even painted with

a rich chrome finish that sings “luxury.”

Product: Giorgio Armani Unforgettable Cologne

Agency: Zenith

Target audience: men and women spouses

Location: Shortlist magazine

Apple

This Apple print Ad was very effective in its ability to find a universal truth and

make it relatable to an international audience. The strategy is passion. It uses

color and imagery. It depicts a family in a Mediterranean country eagerly shooting

video of a street dancing performance from their iPad device. Apple strongly

promotes its easy-to-use software like iMovie and garage band to create projects

that allow everyday people to be passionate about the lives they live and share their

moments with the world,

Product: Apple iPad Air

Agency: TBWA Chiat/Day

Target audience: technology users

Location: Time Out London

Icelandair

This was an ad on the top of the inner tube on the London Underground. It stuck

out at first for personal reasons because of my Icelandic heritage. I have not seen

any Ads for Iceland Air or even ads influencing travel to Iceland in the States so

seeing this stood out automatically to me. Through an unbiased advertising

perspective, the Ad's strategy is cultural awareness. It uses a trivia fact about an

Icelandic word to draw attention to the product and then attempts to establish a

connection with its target audience who has interest in travel. In my opinion the ad

stuck out more to me because of my connection to the Icelandic culture but is not

effective in capturing the interest of a UK traveler. Perhaps the agency tried to

steer away from the cliché picture of scenery that many tourist sites have used in

their Ads, but Iceland Air could have taken advantage of the very different sites

there are to see in its advertisements.

Product: Icelandair travel

Agency: Islenska

Target audience: People interested and traveling to different places

Location: The London Underground

Kopparberg

This ad campaign is an extremely creative, quite bizarre, one for this particular

brand's alcoholic cider beverage. At first glance I was confused but also humored

at the man’s beard of flowers. The strategy is being unique in flavor that is seen

both in print, on display in the Underground and an interactive poster. The

interactive poster was head turning but definitely captured my attention, it showed

men and women normal at first until a beard of flowers grows from their faces.

The campaign was meant to raise awareness on the brand of cider and not

necessarily the taste of the product although it does mention the flavor in the ad

copy. It is effective for attracting a younger audience especially a generation that

seems to always look for ways to stand out and be different, so why not think

outside the norm and order a cider instead of a beer next time you go to the bar?

Product: Kopparberg Cider

Agency: Goodstuff Communications

Target audience: Young men and women beer drinkers

Location: Time Out London Magazine

Velcopopvicky Kozel

This was a very effective ad simply because of all of the elements of interactivity

in influences. There is an app, social media interaction and simple copy that give

the audience a sense of being a part of the brand. The strategy here is fun and

friendship as opposed to good tasting beer. It rides off of the idea that drinking this

beer will be a fun experience with friends. I respect the fact that the ad does not

promise the best tasting beer but it successfully manages to gear the attention to the

brand with interactivity.

Product: Kozel draft beer

Agency: Fcb Ma

Target audience: younger generation beer drinkers

Location: Time Out London magazine

Transfewise.com

This was an outdoor display ad for a website that claims to help foreigners easily

exchange money without the headache of transfer fees. The strategy is smart

spending. They use strictly copy and a trigger word “Scammed” to attract the

attention of people who can relate to this experience in their travels. This ad stuck

out to me because I’ve always wondered what the most affordable to way to

exchange currency was, other than the usual tourist trap ATMs and travel plans

through banks with hidden bank fees. I think the ad used a simple color and bold

text with a clever combination of words and symbols to get the message across.

There is debate in the Ad world on whether or not the site actually does what is

promised, but as far as effectiveness, it succeeds in drawing the target audience’s

attention to the site.

Product: Transferwise.com website

Agency: none

Target audience: young to middle aged foreign travelers

Location: The London Underground

MNDA

This Ad attempts to use emotional appeal in its copy to raise awareness of its cause

and alternately drive traffic to a charity website. I think the Ad was too wordy for

the location, specifically because it was placed where the train runs. I found

myself squinting to read the copy only to find myself distracted by the next

incoming train before I could decipher the message. It is difficult to gain empathy

for a cause that suggests donating money and I think this organization should have

planned more of a strategic approach. The strategy here, if any, would be hope and

I think there are many other ways to attract attention to a cause then this Ad

displayed.

Product: mndassociation.org/Charlie supporting the cause

Agency: none

Target audience: people in support of charities and causes

Location: Train terminal at the London Underground

Sportlobster

This is an Ad for a social network for sports lovers. The slogan is “The sports

social network.” The creative strategy is sports love. I think the Ad is effective

because it appeals to different types of people from businessmen to sports lovers. I

think the idea and product sells itself. I do think however, the Ad team should

have considered women in its target audience and lacks this diversity in its print

Ads.

Product: Sport lobster social network

Agency: none

Target audience: sports lovers, mostly men of all career types

Location: The London Underground

First Great Western

The strategy of this Ad is limitless opportunity. It encourages its target audience

to take the road unknown and uses simple imagery to achieve its message. I think

it is effective and simple and works towards the goal of driving traffic to the

website

Product: First Great Western Travel Booking site

Agency: unknown

Target audience: travelers

Location: The London Underground

Phones 4 U

This is a print Ad for Phones 4 U, a phone company around London. It uses the

popular windows software in this particular version of the campaign listing off

reasons why having a smartphone will come in handy in many scenarios. I

personally did not like this Ad. I chose to critique it because its message is

confusing and the copy does not read fluidly. I was unsure at first whether the Ad

was for Microsoft or Nokia at first glance, but it is actually for the company that

sells those phones. While the product placement worked to stand out visually in

the magazine, I passed through it with no real association to the brand and was not

sure who they were targeting exactly. The strategy hear was most likely

convenience but it was not properly conveyed, in my opinion.

Product: Phones 4 U retail store

Agency: unknown

Target audience: smartphone users

Location: Time Out |London magazine

ArtFund

This is a print Ad for an art pass that is marketed as a way to purchase tickets to

view art events in bulk and in advance while supporting a cause to support art

altogether. I think it is creative and visually pleasing and the product itself is

innovative and useful. The strategy is supporting the arts and uses artistic imagery

even in the advert itself. I think the placement was perfect and the package was

effective on both informing and raising awareness of the product and the

associated cause.

Product: ArtFund

Agency: 101

Target audience: art goers and progressives

Location: Time Out London magazine

Southernrailway.com

The strategy here is fun and youth. It seems the advert is attempting to convey a

message of simplicity and youth in the idea of travel. While the art is creative I

think the overall message is lost in the imagery and there is too blurred of a line

between the target markets. Are they targeting young people, families with

children or adults with a young spirit? I don’t think it successfully reaches all three

but does not define one specific target either.

Product: Rowntree`s Fruit Gums

Agency: JC Decaux

Target audience: travelers

Location: Time Out London magazine

Estrella

This is a print Ad for a Spanish beer placed as the back page of an issue of Time

Out London. The strategy is living life to the fullest. This Ad successfully uses

color and youthful art to capture the idea of a free spirit while accentuating the

exotic city of Barcelona to stay true to its promise of an authentic foreign beer

drinking experience. It is different and unique.

Product: Estrella

Agency: Arena Media

Target audience: Younger and middle aged generations, young at heart beer drinkers, travelers and

explorers

Location: Time Out London magazine

MasterCard

This print Ad was placed in the theater section of Time Out magazine. This is a

perfect example of how a large global company like MasterCard can get down to a

micro level and use placement as an effective advertising technique. The strategy

is showbiz and it is effective because it is placed in a section where the target

audience is likely interested in viewing musicals in the west End. How perfect it is

that product placement is used in scenario where consumers may very well be in a

position right before purchasing theater tickets. I think it was effective and a

simple way to broaden a large brand to cater to niche target markets.

Product: MasterCard

Agency: McCann Erickson

Target audience: travelers, credit card owners and fans of musical theater

Location: Time Out London magazine