The purpose of advertising is to familiarise the public with a certain brand or product. Companies spend millions of pounds a year on advertising so that when the public are searching for a product or service a certain brand is recognised and, as a result, their product or service is chosen. Companies need to ensure that their money is spent wisely. They do this by completing extensive market and physcological research. Members of the public from a company’s target group or audience are chosen to express their views about the advertisment before it is published or aired.
Media can include television, cinema and radio. This is the communications aspect of advertising. The other area for advertisments are the press. This contains the national and regional press (newspapers, magazines), posters and specialist publications that are aimed at a narrower market for people with certain interests (hobbies etc.) Collectively, this is called the media and each calls for a different way of promoting a company’s message. Television and magazine/newspaper advertisments are the most popular for companies to promote their products currently.
A press advert has to be informative, long lasting and eye-catching. A television advert has to be short and more to the point but the same amount of information has to be recieved by the potential customers. The approach to advertising may differ between established products and newer ones. Companies with a long history may choose the type of advertising that has been succesful for them in the past. However, new companies or brands need to put emphasis on the product’s selling points more than an established item or service. These may only need reminder advertising which is where the company only has to help the public remember the selling points in their promotion.
This is illustrated in the first advertisment, for Chanel No.5 perfume. The classic, sophisticated design immediately sets the tone for the advert and for the type of audience it has been aimed at. Chanel is an icon of the 21st century and its image needs to be preserved by attracting new customers. The modern, yet timeless layout of the promotion emphasises on this, but the advert is traditional enough to appeal to older audiences. This shows that although Chanel wish to attract a newer audience, they also desire to keep their traditional customers loyal to the marque, hence the non-controversial advertisment.
The advert itself has remained almost unchanged for the last forty years, as Chanel wish to preserve their image. However, to appeal to successive generations the visual treatment has recieved subtle changes, such as the inclusion of a more modern looking colour scheme. The advert instantly grabs the reader with its striking, simplistic design. The contrast between the two main colours adds to the classic meets modern feel that Chanel were aiming for. Chanel is a name dating back to the 1930’s. Over the years, it has been associated with the world of fashion, style and elegent living throughout the world.
Chanel do a fantastic job of creating an awe of respectability in the advert. The overall impact of it screams upper/middle class chic and this is, ideally, who Chanel wish to target with their latest commercial offering. I feel that the Chanel No.5 advertising fulfilled its criteria perfectly as it instantly made its intentions clear. Also, the lack of text means that it makes an impact immediately and that everything can be comprehended whilst turning a page in a magazine. The purpose of Chanel’s campaign was never really about advertising Chanel’s product but to restore interest in the marque and to maintain their presence in the mind’s of the readers as potential customers. The second magazine advert to be reviewed is taken from a men’s specific magazine.
