Stauer Ring

       I found this advertisement for Stauer's Tanzanite Ring in SkyMall magazine. It is particularly eye catching because of the huge picture of the product. With a closer look, however, this ad has other more interesting aspects.

     One thing that stands out right away was the ad's main way of grabbing the consumer's attention (besides the picture). Surrounding the ring are several snippets of compliments that the ad promises will be given to whomever wears the ring. For example, "'I LOVE your ring!' - Bank teller." This suggests that if you go to the bank while wearing the ring, the bank teller will admire and pay you a compliment. I found two things upsetting about this form of advertising. The first is that there is no way of guaranteeing that wearing the ring will garner complements from anyone, but the ad still suggests that this will definitely happen. Secondly, this ad encourages people to base purchases on the idea that they will then receive instant gratification in the form of a compliment. Buying something only for the quick ego-boost they might provide is not a smart way to go. A consumer could buy the ring, but in reality be searching for something to help with their self-esteem on a very shallow level. We should make purchases because we like the product, not because it comes with "random compliments" (even if they are "absolutely free").

     I also caught an example of jargon in this advertisement. It says the product is "87% less than the independently appraised value of $590." Whether this statement is true or not, the phrase "independently appraised" isn't as clear as it could be. Instead, it could say "original" or "previously set" to describe the first value on the ring in order to eliminate any deception from the ad.

     The only redeeming quality of this advertisement is the large, color picture of the ring that takes center on the page. At least consumers can evaluate the quality of the product with their own eyes before they buy it -- or think twice about the ideas behind the purchase.