Imagine yourself having a clothing brand. Of course, the thought of earning money and achieving success is in every business owner’s mind. But in every action, there is a process, just like a business. How does a business person sell their product or brand? The product isn’t going to sell itself. Everywhere we look, we see advertisements for certain brands. It may be in the form of an image, a video, or just the brand’s tagline. When we are at home, we usually see commercials when we watch television. When we’re outdoors, advertisements are usually seen on billboards, on the windows of a bus, or in a poster inside the mall. We can also hear advertisements on the radio.
“I like your cheek!” This was the response of every wife after kissing their husbands goodbye to work. At work, many co-workers asked your husband, “How did you achieve a soft and clean face all day?” His secret is Colgate’s Rapid-Shave Cream of course!
During the 1860s, ads appeared in nationally distributed monthly magazines (1). The product advertisement from Colgate & Company shown above was seen in magazines in 1933. It was in 1919 that Frank Shield invented the first successful shaving cream (2). The image above appeals to every man who struggles to find the perfect shaving cream after its invention in the 20th century along with the phrase, “Face smooth all day long when you shave in the morning with small bubble lather!” The shaving cream formula was designed to provide a comfortable shave for men with tough beards and sensitive skin, like himself (3). Shaving creams were then provided in spray cans in 1950, but with worries that aerosol spray cans may be toxic when it was first used for insecticides during World War 2, shaving soaps and hand-applied creams became popular (4). The advertisement shown above appeals to a man’s lifestyle, particularly his shaving method, and which brand to buy. Following the ad’s phrase is a testimony of a woman after seeing her husband in a clean-shaven look. A picture of a man and his wife is seen on the ad, to attract men and women who may also introduce the product to their partners.
Today, it is evident that modern technologies and social media platforms are becoming popular. It may either modify, add, or worse, replace the traditional methods used before. In the new generation today, social media advertising has become very important. As a social media user, most of the ads I see are from YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google, in movies, in games, my emails, or in any website. These ads may be in the form of cookies, banner ads, spam emails, pop-ups, or product placement in movies or videos.
The image shown above is Colgate’s Twitter ad campaign called “There’s Something In Your Tweet.” This campaign was to introduce Colgate’s Slim Soft TM/MC toothbrush in Canada (5). Along with the ad for their new product, Colgate created a trend on Twitter where people can tweet anonymously, exposing their friends about their unhealthy oral hygiene.
As Twitter gained more popularity and users after it was launched in 2006 (1), Colgate used that opportunity to advertise its new product. What also made this advertisement appealing is the $1.00 coupon off. This strategy makes it more interesting because aside from people sharing embarrassing moments about their friends on a popular social media platform, Colgate is also offering a dollar off when they buy the Slim Soft TM/MC toothbrush.
Comparing both advertisements, one from the twentieth century and the other from the twenty-first century, the channels where the advertisement was posted were different. The ad from the twentieth century was still in the printing press, and the other is presented in the digital world, specifically social media. The magazine ad included a depiction of a gender role where men are obliged to have a clean shaved face and that they will get their partner’s recognition when they do so. The Twitter ad campaign depicted more of an interactive ad, where they let the public do something and that they will receive a bonus when they follow the rules.
But why is it important that products or brands need to be advertised? Well, a business doesn’t grow if no one buys the products. It is a business’ goal to sell their products to the public through advertising. Most companies have their advertising or marketing department that is in charge of selling their products. Not only in the nineteenth century did the first advertising agency be established. Nowadays, some companies pay advertising agencies to sell their brand. Advertisements can be of any subject; from products like food or clothes, a political campaign, an idea, or a lifestyle. Advertising largely affects society in controlling or persuading the buyers what product to buy, which candidate to vote for, what idea to believe, or which lifestyle is the most effective.
Works Cited:
(1) Pavlik, J. V., & McIntosh, S. (2011). Converging media: A new introduction to mass communication. New York: Oxford University Press.
(2) https://www.differenttruths.com/science-technology/how-was-shaving-cream-invented/
(3) https://barbasol.com/pages/our-history
(4) https://www.bobwelbaum-author.com/the-origin-of-shaving-cream/
(5) https://www.adstasher.com/2013/09/theres-something-in-your-tweet-torontos.html
Home 