Final Project Part 4: Promotion

Above is a sample magazine advertisement for Benefits Bad Gal Lash. These advertisements can be successful because of several aspects. :

• The ad draws upon personal experience the consumer may have. "In advertising, when you draw upon common experiences—funny, sad, bittersweet—people usually relate to them. (Advertising by Design, Landa, 82)
• The visuals and text work well together and do not compete for attention. "If both visuals and words are competing for the consumer's attention, then it may cause confusion or a power overdose. The visuals and the words should work cooperatively, complementing each other (Advertising by Design,Landa, 97)"
• Its sets Bad Gal Lash apart from other brands.
• The magazine advertisement has great visual impact, which is key. "A campaign must have visual impact, whether a visual surprise, graphic interest, visual drama, or a breakthrough appearance. A creative approach in advertising must be appropriate for the product or service, and it must communicate and enhance the client's message—form follows function. (Advertising by Design, Landa, 204)"
• It has the ability of expand into a large, overall campaign. "An advertising campaign is a series of coordinated ads, based on an overarching strategy and closely related ideas and connected by look and feel, voice, tone, style, imagery, and tagline, where each individual ad in the campaign also can stand on its own. (Advertising by Design, Landa, 192)" The combination of the slogan and different graphics or photos can be used to create several ads, partnerships, and even events to create a campaign. 

Although the text ties the advertisement together it is still an image driven composition. "Image-driven compositions emphasize image and de-emphasize type. The image becomes the “hero” (Advertising by Design, Landa,155)" The image is what grabs the viewers attention and sets the tone for the ad. 

Final Part 3: The Big Idea

“A big idea is a solid, creative, on-brand idea that is large enough and flexible enough to be used effectively across media for a period of time.” (Advertising by Design, Landa, 68)

Attitude: Rebellious
Colorful/exciting/vibrant
Feminine font

The advertisements for Bad Gal Lash will utilize connections. “Connections connect ideas and images to make a point or to express a function or emotion.”(Advertising by Design, Landa,77 ) The ads will also contain a form of visual analogy. “Let's say you are advertising personal computers, and the brand and advertising strategy positions your brand as the fastest in a price category. What type of argument would most effectively convince someone that your computer brand is the fastest? If you simply stated your argument, the consumer would have to take your word for it. (Saying something outright usually isn't a very interesting approach.)” (Advertising by Design, Landa, 77) Instead of saying outfit “Our mascara works the best,” the ads will illustrate something else that is “bad” having more fun/being more enjoyable/etc.

The advertisements will attract customers by creating excitement and conveying the brand idea. The ads may even give the message that our mascara is so good, that we don’t feel the need to cheese pictures of a models photoshopped eye lashes. 

"In any media, visuals and words together communicate a whole message that is greater than the sum of the parts (Advertising by Design, Landa, 97)" Since it is so important for visuals and type to work well together in advertisements, the Bad Gal Lash magazine ads will have a perfect balance of visual and complementary script. Without the slogan the photo won't make sense, and vice versa.

"Very few products, services, or groups are unique; most are parity products, that is, they offer qualities and functions similar or identical to those of their competitors. Branding and advertising differentiates these parity products, services, and groups in a crowded marketplace." (Advertising by Design, Landa, 50) Mascara is definitely a parity product, and Bad Gal Lash is not exception. This is why it is so important that the big idea of the advertisements are unique and offer something new and exciting to customers.

The concept of “Bad is Better” will not have to change constantly because it is so versatile. Many different visually interesting magazine, billboard, or online advertisements cans be created using the same concept and style. 

Competitive Analysis

Before more work is done on the Bad Gal Lash advertising campaign, there needs to be a general understanding of the business. “Learning about your client's business (general industry or sector and particular business, product, service, or organization) is paramount. Being a creative professional in advertising necessitates learning about each product, service, or cause under assignment. (Advertising by Design, Landa, 16)”

Part of what we will do as advertisers, to better understand the market, is a competitive analysis. In this case, I will be analyzing the beauty brands Maybelline and Lancome, specifically their mascara advertising campaigns. 

An analysis will be done on the two fore mentioned companies by answering the following questions:

· How do they draw customers and clients?

Maybelline draws in customers by highlighting the features of their mascaras, and consistently releasing new and improved products. Lancome draws in customers by depicting a sense of luxury and beauty in their advertisements. Both brands also draw customers in by creating products that work well.

· What amenities or facilities are offered that you don't have?

As brands, both Maybelline and Lancome may be more familiar to customers than Benefit. Additionally, Maybelline offers products at significantly lower prices. 

· What challenges are they facing?

These two brands are both facing challenges when it comes to innovation in their advertising. Maybelline and Lancome both run mascara advertisements that are easily ignored because they are just like every other mascara advertisement consumers have seen. There is nothing really unique to grab the attention of the viewer. 

· How do they plan on improving?

These brands plan on improving by continuing to create new and innovative beauty products. 

What can make the Benefit Bad Gal Lash advertising campaign better than those of Maybelline and Lancome, is the brands differentiation. “Differentiation is what differentiates a brand is how it is characterized, its visual and verbal identity as expressed in each media unit and through every point of contact. Simply stated, differentiation is what distinguishes one brand from the rest. (Advertising by Design, Landa, 52)”  Benefit will be distinguished from the rest, by having a mascara ad campaign that sells a story and a lifestyle, not just make up. These ads will be exciting and difficult for consumers to ignore.  "In an overcrowded, competitive marketplace, relevant and engaging branding can ensure efficacy for a quality product, service, group, individual, or commodity. Not only does branding identify and distinguish, it builds equity (the value of the brand or group). "(Advertising by Design,Landa, 49)

Bad Gal Lash: Slogan

Slogan for Bad Gal Lash: "Bad is Better."

This slogan can be taken as a double meaning. Saying both that life is better when you live it bad, and simply that Bad Gal Lash is better. 

So many mascara ads push the products special components that make it different, but what makes Bad Gal Lash so special is the fantasy lifestyle it creates. Bad Gal Lash can give any woman the ability to feel rebellious and in tough with their “bad” side. It is perfect when through a product the consumer can become more of themselves. And Bad Gal Lash helps their customers become more in touch with their inner (or not so inner) wild child. 

Creating a slogan or tag line is a huge part of branding a product. "Before advertising comes a core branding idea—the idea that imbues a brand or group with character that differentiates it and builds a relationship with the audience. Branding is the creation of a comprehensive, strategic, and unique program for a brand or group, with an eye toward building a relationship with people based on how they experience—interact and use—the brand or group." (Advertising by Design,Landa,50)

Another positive aspect of the slogan, “Bad is Better,” is that is simple and easy to remember. Not to mention the alliteration that makes it even more catchy. 

Through the slogan that states, “Bad is Better.”, Bad Gal Lash can portray the message that their mascara is better, as well as the product’s rebellious brand personality. From mascara, to a girls gone wild-esque party, Bad is Better. 

"The tagline is the catchphrase that conveys the brand or group's benefit or spirit and expresses an umbrella theme or strategy for a campaign or a series of campaigns" (Landa. Advertising by Design, 102) The tagline, "Bad is Better," conveys the brands spirit; and evens conveys the benefit, that is is simply a better mascara!

Week 6 EOC: Vintage Ads

This week we explored vintage advertisements. A key element that I noticed was that vintage ads often highlight a products specific components or ingredients.

The first example that I have found, is an advertisement for Certs mints. The commercial highlights the fact that Certs contain  "Retsyn," a trademarked name for a mixture of copper gluconate, hydrogenated cottonseed oil, and flavoring. It is the copper gluconate in Retsyn which gives Certs its signature green flecks.

In the 1950s and 1960s, Crest toothpaste emphasized their fluoristan content. At first it used stannous fluoride, marketed as "Fluoristan" (this was also the original brand name it was sold under—it was later changed from "Fluoristan" to "Crest with Fluoristan").

(http://bvikkivintage.blogspot.com/2009/10/vintage-crest-ads-from-196-1964.html)

I also noticed the advertisement of specific fabric contents. I see ads in the present day for things like cotton and Lycra, but these don't seem as popular as vintage fabric ads. The following in a vintage ad for Orlon. The Dupont Corporation created the first acrylic fibers in 1941 and trademarked them under the name Orlon.

(http://www.what-the-frock.com/2011_12_01_archive.html)

Week 5 EOC-Superbowl Ad

A Superbowl commercial that did an excellent job of resonating with the audience and conveying their brand idea, was Busweiser and the The Clydesdales: "Brotherhood" advertisement. 

If you missed it, watch the commercial below:

The commercial can be broken down by looking at the following six factors. 

• The nature of the brand or group
• The nature of Budweiser is all American. The "Brotherhood" ad conveys this by showing a man raising something he loves to achieve greatness, kind of like the American dream.
•  The goals of differentiation and distinction
• Budweiser did a perfect job of differentiating themselves in this advertisement. They used emotion to gain viewers attention, and made them remember the commercial. According to  an article on Mashable, the Brotherhood ad was the number three most shares Superbowl commercial of all time. (http://mashable.com/2013/02/04/budweisers-clydesdale-no-3-most-shared/)
•  A strategic brand personality
• Everyone associates Budweiser with the iconic Clydesdales. That is exactly why views not only remember this ad, they more importantly remember what the ad was for. 
• The target audience
• The target audience of this particular ad was very wide, since such a wide variety of American people watch the Superbowl. Yet, Budweiser did a fabulous job of appealing to the diverse audience. The "Brotherhood" story can appeal to and strike a cord almost anyone. 
• What is important to the target audience
• Yet again, a broad audience means many different things are important to them. The Brotherhood commercial zeroed in on something that is important to any normal American: friendship.
•  Positioning
• The Superbowl was the perfect place for Budweiser to bring back an emotional ad featuring the iconic Clydesdales. People will be talking about the ad for months to come. As Slate.com called the ad, it was "powerful and memorable." (http://www.slate.com/articles/business/ad_report_card/2013/02/_2013_super_bowl_ads_godaddy_budweiser_mercedes_blackberry_samsung_and_the.3.html)

One more thing I think I should mention: I sat down and watched the entire Superbowl this year, and the only think I bothered to tweet about was the Budweiser "Brotherhood" commercial.

Week 4 EOC: Women in Advertising

The two above ads very well illustrate the difference between women's roles in advertising in the passed, compared to modern times. The vintage advertisement, and modern ad are distinctly different because the older ad is in a way derogatory towards women, while the modern Nike ad is meant to be empowering. 

In passed decades, a women's role in advertisements was often in the kitchen, taking care of the home etc., while today women can be seen in all places and in all sorts of advertising. Although, while a was researched women in modern advertisements, I did come across quite a few that were derogatory and objectified women.

What is different now, is that it is normal for women to be seen in powerful positions. Most people are not surprised when an advertisement features women in charge. The particular modern Nike ad pictures above encourages women to be better than men, and challenges them in a way. In vintage ads, it was normal for women to be complacent and perfectly happy making sure dinner is ready for their husband every night. Obviously, this is no longer the case.