ADPR 4300 — Ads That Get My Attention
Advertisements are all over the place and we are exposed to countless amounts of them each day without even realizing it. Highways are lined with billboard after billboard. Buses and bus stops are filled with advertisements. Radio commercials that play any time we are driving in the car and listening to music. Ads are everywhere, but it is only a good ad if it gets the audience’s attention. Advertisements that grab my attention are typically about products I like, sports team that I cheer for, or organizations that I support. An ad always has to be relatable to me in order for my attention to be gained. If I cannot relate to the ad, then it means nothing to me.
When I first read the prompt for this week, the first ad that came to my mind was the Unsung Hero commercial about Thai Life Insurance. This advertisement is not about a product that I can necessarily relate to or even set in the country that I live in, but it is emotional. It is something that I can relate to and connect with, which is the most important thing for me. The music, the small amount of words, the coloring, and the storyline all contribute to grabbing and keeping my attention. It is a whole story told in just 3 minutes.
Another type of advertisement that grabs my attention are ones about sports teams that I keep up with. I am a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan and always am intrigued when I see something about them. Usually I see billboards with the start time and who they are playing on game days. These will especially grab my attention if I did not know they had a game that day or forgot who their opponent was. Additionally, ads like the ones below gain my attention because I can relate to them and create a connection.
Different types of ads grab the attention of different people. When an agency is creating a campaign and establishing a target audience they are communicating one clear, concise idea to one mindset. I just happen to be that mindset for both of the examples I provided that grabbed my attention.
