Ads Then and Now

 

Gabrielle Benzie

Ads then and now

            Advertising has existed since the beginning of time. Darwin called it “survival of the fittest.” Today advertising single-handedly controls the world’s media and it’s viewers. However, there was a time when advertising wasn’t the main venue for persuading audiences. Before the industrial revolution and even the more recent technological revolution, advertising wasn’t easy to produce. Before computers were invented ads were drawn by hand and text was created with a printing press.

            There have been many companies that have been around long enough to see these technological changes, and they have their ads to prove it. Lysol, Gillette and Coca-cola are three internationally recognized companies. They have been in existence for more than half a century. These companies are so well known that they have kept their original logos. This is something that is only seen when successful advertising was introduced. Most companies update their logos so that they adapt their look to social changes. But, if a company is successful without a change, than they known that they have succeeded in promoting themselves. They know that people are buying into their brand.

            Lysol is a brand that people have learned to “trust.” In this case, Lysol’s long lifetime is their biggest selling point. They have been the #1 household cleaner for generations. People grew up with it, their moms used it and their grandmothers used it. It has become a family owned product.

The old Lysol ad is hand drawn in color. Shown below.

The logo is big and bold. This catches people’s eye, especially if they are familiar with the products branding image. There is a large focus on text and body content. Images are used to illustrate the products many uses. They also use the line “kills germs in dark corners.” This line is almost a little frightening, especially to woman of this time period. The line is used to convince housewives that there are those dark places in the house where you need more than just soap and water. The target audience for this ad is housewives, which during this time period was about 95% of adult woman.

The new Lysol ad is computer generated. Shown below.

This ad came out when the H1N1 virus was scaring people around the country. Unlike the older ad, this ad focuses on images to portray the message. The image is of a young girl about to contaminate herself with harmful germs. This image and the ad is tailored specifically to mothers. Lysol is the brand that mothers trust, and people have a natural tendency to trust their mothers. After all, mothers have their best interest at heart, especially when it comes to protecting their house from harmful germs. This is an advertising strategy that Lysol has consistently used. They know that if they can convince mother’s to buy the product, everyone will buy it. The ad also uses facts to support their message. They use facts in the header and also at the footer, when they state their 99.9% cleaning power. Facts are another thing that people trust. “Trust” seems to be Lysol’s consistent advertising strategy.

        Gillette is another brand that has withstood the test of time. It is a brand of choice for many men. Below this an old Gillette ad.

This ad is very different from the Gillette ads seen today. The ad focuses on the safety and comfort of the razor. The ad highlights imagery rather than text, which is successful. The concept behind the ad is simple. It is so safe that a baby can use it. Razors seem to be one of those things that parents would keep away from their baby. This ad contradicts that and makes it funny. Humor is one of the best modes for advertising, everyone likes to laugh. The target audience for this ad is primarily men, because of the product being advertised, but woman are also attracted to the ad because of the baby. This would persuade woman to buy this razor for her husband.

  There are two new Gillette ads shown below. They take a different approach.

            The first ad is funny, much like the old ad. However, it is very simplistic and clever. The text above the pineapple reads, “Gillette fusion: we love a challenge.” This ad is eye catching because if the imagery used, and the end result is funny and smart. It is easy to understand and that is what makes it successful.

            The second ad is of a very masculine, attractive man. The header in this ad reads, “All men are not equal. Neither are their razors.” This ad takes a bit of a different approach. In this case humor is replaced with sex appeal. This ad is simple and sexy. Most men want to look like the man in this ad and most women want to date the man in this ad. The purpose of the ad is to convince men that they will be a “real man” if they use a Gillette razor. Gillette ads have clearly changed over time. They are now focused on quality and masculinity rather than safety, because real men don’t care about being safe that care about being a “man.”  

            Coca-cola is one of the most recognizable companies in the world. Below is an old Coca-cola ad.

This ad is focused on selling a feeling, happiness. A young woman and her boyfriend are at the fair and are just about to enjoy a delicious ‘coke.’ The ad is colorful and eye catching and the woman and people depicted are happy. The target for this ad are adolescent to adult woman and men. People who view this ad will want to drink a coke because they want to be as happy as the girl in the ad. This ad is also interesting because it was made after ‘coke’ has been around for a while. People gave coca-cola it’s nickname, ‘coke.’ This a states at the bottom, “call it coke or coca-cola, it’s the same delicious drink.” 

Below is a new coke ad.

This ad is also selling a feeling, but a very different one. This ad is selling risk, or adventure. The image is of a female solo rock climber at the top of a cliff. The header states, “here’s to those with their own idea of living on the edge.” The target audience for the ad are woman, and athletes. The company has changed their ads to fit the change in society. Today it is not uncommon to see a woman rock climbing. Risk, danger and adventure has become socially accepted, and are viewed as being impressive and exciting. Coke wants their viewers to relate these emotions and feelings to drinking a coke. Coke is the drink for the risk takers. This concept is very different from the old ad. There is no risk, or adventure in the old ad, rather joy and happiness are used. They are both successful, because each is tailored to fit the norms of society at the time.