Pantene Pro-V

     I came across this advertisement in Teen Vogue magazine. It is for Pantene Pro-V shampoo and conditioner. Pantene's ads are endorsed by celebrity Zooey Deschanel and promise to make hair healthier, shinier, longer, and stronger.

     Two things immediately stood out to me after seeing this ad. The first was the word "Dare." To me, it seems like a challenge. The ad seems to be implying that daring to take care of your hair shows power, while not doing so reveals weakness. What they're really trying to say is that consumers should display their strength by daring to buy the product. This brings up a couple questions. Why does buying this product constitute completing a dare? Does "daring" to buy this product actually make the consumer more fearless? I doubt Pantene would be able to answer. To me, issuing an empty challenge to the consumer is pretty transparent. It isn't difficult to buy this product. It doesn't show strength or bravery to take it off the shelf. But, to many consumers, Pantene's dare could be compelling.

     The other words that stood out to me were "longer" and "stronger". These also bring up a question: Longer and stronger in comparison to what? The ad provides no answer; it only makes a declaration. The statement could deceived consumers into thinking that the product is better, but with no way to assess the product's relative strength in comparison to others, it has no real power. This is a perfect example of weasel words. Pantene is romancing the product to make it seem superior, yet providing no way to actually test that assertion.

Glade Holiday Candles

     I was at the movies the other day and this advertisement caught my eye. It shows a choir of young children singing, dressed in holiday colors and surrounded by candles. There is snow outside and an overall feeling of Christmas in the red and green color scheme. The ad is for Glade candles, which are scented and have titles like "Ginger Bread Jingle" and "Sparkling Spruce". At the end, the Glade logo is displayed along with the phrase, "Inspired by the best feelings in the world."

     This ad is obviously trying to give Glade candles a meaning that goes beyond the product. The feeling of the holiday season is usually joyful and inspires tender emotions from most people. Glade tries to play to those emotions by showing an ad that represents the essence of the holidays. The choir sings about peace, there is a feeling of community, and, of course, the room is lit up by candles. I think that Glade is trying to imply that their product is essential to the holiday season -- that Christmas would not be the same without a Glade candle. Since Glade is a branch of Johnson & Johnson ("the family company"), it is easy to see that they are trying to inch their way into the celebration of the holidays and all the emotions that surround it. I remembered what we were talking about in class: companies like Johnson & Johnson are attempting to create a place for themselves in the hearts of consumers by "transcending" past traditional advertising. 

    Despite Glade's efforts, it was easy for me to see through this ad. After all, it is only trying to sell candles. A youth choir or the holiday season really has nothing to do with that product, no matter how much emotional value it attempts to create. It will take a lot more than that for me to be convinced that a candle is a crucial part of the holiday experience.

Google India Advertisement

     The other day, I came across what may be the best advertisement I've ever seen. The ad was for Google India and told the story of two Indian men who were reunited through Google. The granddaughter of one man heard about her grandfather's oldest childhood friend, who he had not seen for more than fifty years due in part to Indian partition laws. The girl used Google search to connect with the grandson of the other man, and eventually arranged a meeting for the two friends. The last scene shows the two grandfathers sitting together in the rain, holding their hands up to the sky.

     This ad used Pathos like no other I've seen before -- I actually teared up by the end! Its portrayal of real people being reconnected after so many years was incredibly touching. It made me feel very emotional over an advertisement, something that I would never consider in an emotional sense. I also appreciated the ad's discreet way of showing off Google products. The grandchildren used Google search, weather forecasts, and maps, but the presence of these products throughout the video didn't appear excessive. The real focus was on the heartfelt aspects of the story. The ad also did a great job of remaining honest. I didn't catch any fallacies or common deceptive strategies that many ads use. It just paid attention to the details of the characters and the emotions they felt, while casually displaying their use of Google. It seemed to me that the main goal of the advertisers was simply to tell an amazing story.

     I don't usually find so much praise to dole out when it comes to advertising. This ad was an unexpected and welcome exception. I hope Google will continue to put so much careful thought and emotion into their ads. Who knows? Maybe other advertisers will follow.