Offensive advertisements in American print media over 18 months

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Comparison of advertising: The sublime and the offensive

One of the most popular and most-forwarded advertisements in recent memory is the Volkswagen advertisement that features a young boy dressed in a Darth Vader costume apparently controlling the car. People watched the advertisement over and over again on YouTube, as if were a short film, in an era where 'skipping' past advertisements thanks to recorded technology has become increasingly common. This begs us to ask: what makes one ad memorable enough for an individual to watch it without being compelled to do so, while another ad is almost painful to watch?

Print advertisements that appear in magazines do not have many of the advantages of televised advertisements: they cannot move, or use extensive narrative to tell a story. But many effective fashion advertisements create a sense of ambiance that is very compelling. The 2011 campaign for the fashion line Chanel depicts a young woman and a young man wearing black and white clothing against a safari background. They may be lovers, but they stare coolly into the distance. Chanel has a slightly matronly, upscale image but the youth of the girl and the boy give a freshness and added zest to the photographic depiction of the clothing.

The young woman wears short boots that seem at odds with her fashionable, formal suit. She wears heavy, clunky jewelry that is typical of the Chanel style and holds a bag, swinging in her hand. Her feet are propped up, even though she is wearing a skirt and the young man wears a white flower on his suit, and sits in a submissive posture at her feet. The woman's skirt is an animal print, rather the traditional Chanel plaid. The advertisement breathes new life and excitement into an old brand, and gives Chanel some of the fashion-forward attitude it once had, before it became eclipsed by more trendy upscale brands like Betsy Johnson and Tommy Hilfiger.

Promoting a product that is supposed to be functional as well as provide pleasure or style is more difficult, however, and very often advertisements can fall afoul of the viewer's common sense and exaggerated claims for a product. FRS is a new 'energy drink' that is promoted by Lance Armstrong. The advertisement for FRS depicts Armstrong holding his bike, with the slogan "Don't crash" emblazoned beneath him (presumably meaning not to have your 'energy crash' while riding long and hard, as well as crashing while riding a bike). Armstrong's arms extend out, spanning the entire width of his entire bike.

However, there is no clear suggestion of what FRS contains as a nutritional supplement in this image. Is it high in carbohydrates? Protein? Sugar? Armstrong's presence alone is supposed to inspire the viewer to buy the product. It is hard to accept the premise that a consumer can be transformed into one of the most talented bikers in the history of cycling simply by drinking a sports beverage. The slogan simply says "Drink FRS: Healthy energy." In fine print, the advertisement says that FRS contains a substance commonly found in fruits and vegetables that is an antioxidant. But it is not even stated that Lance Armstrong actually drinks FRS, or why this chemical is so special, other than it helps the body become more energized.