Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Pigeons on the Half Shell

The ad that I chose definitely falls under the category of unique and creative. The advertiser of the ad is a German based razor blade company called Martor Solingen. In the chosen ad Martor Solingen is very effective in the way that they make their ad look as real and lifelike as possible. The ad depicts a billboard in the shape of a hobby razor blade that the German based company produces. The advertisers also littered the ground below the ad with sliced in half rubber pigeons. By doing so the advertisers capture the essence of showing the public just how sharp they're hobby razor blades really are. The add shows a gentleman in the background of the ad rubbernecking the visual billboard as he strolls by. In one of the few close up photos it shows someone picking up one of the birds, perhaps checking to see if they were real or not. We all know that pigeons do have a reputation of perching atop of outdoor signs of all shapes and sizes. In another photo the ad shows a gentleman reaching up and touching the texture of the sign. To me this was the most dominate feature of the ad. It shows that a passerby was convinced enough by the sign and the pigeons lying below to feel the urge to reach up and touch the ad and see just how sharp it really was. I believe that the need or desire that this ad is trying to convey is that whatever project or endeavor an individual is working on, Martor Soligen can cut through the heart of any issue efficiently, sharply and effectively. Thus ultimately getting the job done. The intended audience for this ad is anyone who needs something cut or sliced. Perhaps a construction worker, a model wood worker, or even just the average homemaker. Intended uses for razor blades are so vast that just about anyone could be considered the targeted audience for this ad. The ad clearly claims that hobby razor blades produced by Martor Soligen are extremely sharp. In a later ad the German based company placed rocks cut in half among the debris of sliced pigeons to claim that their blades could cut through flesh as well as stone. The cultural assumptions that I personally picked up from this ad is that the country of Germany must be industrial to the extreme of creating such a billboard. Also their may be competition in the market for razor blade companies so they felt the need to distinguish themselves from the rest. Also the freak factor of the sign shows little sympathy towards animals. I cant help but feel that if the sign were to be displayed in the United States animal rights activists would have a field day, possibly claiming that the sign is cruel in nature towards pigeons. Non-the less in todays world advertisements of all kinds bombard the world we live in to the extent that most people have become numb to them. With the hustle and bustle that most human beings endure day in and day out, advertisers need to become creative and effective in capturing their targeted audiences attention. I think a giant razor blade with sliced birds lying below guarantees some curious onlookers.


The classmates blog which I commented on was Kelsey's...

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