Comparative analysis and contrasting perspectives

¶ … Print Advertisements in Magazines

Comparative Analysis of TAG Heuer and Omega Watch Brands on Print Advertisements

Two important print advertisements that can be found in mass-produced magazines today are the ads of Tiger Woods for TAG Heuer and Pierce Brosnan for Omega, two brands of watches that offers distinctly different qualities of one similar kind of product, which is that of watches as time pieces. Also, these watch products are endorsed by two of the most popular and respected personalities in their fields, with Tiger Woods being the champion of numerous golf tournament championships, and Pierce Brosnan receiving acclaimed international success as the portrayer of the character James Bond in the 007 Series of movies. This paper will both compare each ad from different watch companies, and analyze and prove that the TAG Heuer print advertisement is a more effective ad for the purpose of advertising watches than Omega's ad with Pierce Brosnan in it.

One of the most important aspects of the TAG Heuer ad is that it illustrates a more effective visual than the Omega ad. The TAG Heuer ad shows Tiger Woods' full image (showing him dynamically posing towards the audience) at the left side of the page, while the page's rights side contains the line and body copy of the ad. The visual image of Tiger Woods shot in a dynamic pose gives the ad an impression of reality, while Omega's close host of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond does not influence its audience to experience the air of superiority that Brosnan projects in the Omega ad's visual. Because Tiger Woods is projected dynamically and at a full figure stance, TAG Heuer's ad becomes more effective visually than the stationary image of the Omega ad. Another important element in the visuals of the TAG Heuer ad is that the watch illustrated in the ad matches the fluidity of movement of Woods, whereas Omega's product seems to be outdated and stiff, just like the portrayal of Brosnan in the visual as James Bond.

The line of the two ads affects the audience's perception of the whole ad and how effective the ads will be. TAG Heuer's line, "Tiger Woods and TAG Heuer: What are you made of?" is more complex yet interesting than Omega's "James Bond's Choice." The TAG Heuer ad line is more convincing to the audience because the line provides a direct link between Woods' credibility with that of the watch, TAG Heuer. The TAG Heuer ad line is an example of a play of words, wherein the elements 'woods' and 'TAG Heuer' are used to depict materiality, and prestige itself just by possessing the qualities possessed by these two important elements of the ad (that is, Tiger Woods and the TAG Heuer brand and watch). Omega's line is somewhat ineffective because the line in itself is considered a cliche already, thus, making the ad seem outdated and unappealing as the visual image of James Bond / Pierce Brosnan and the Omega watch as well.