Print Advertising - Essay Example

 Print Advertising In the Philips light bulb advertisement depicted in Time Magazine, the imagery of the ad works in many ways to make a connection between their light bulb and an earth-friendly approach to energy usage. The room is filled with a nice, light sky blue color with the walls displaying soft, fuzzy areas suggesting light clouds and the furniture in blue and white stripes that remind people of every beach scene ever found. Reinforcing that idea is the large sweeping curve of the arm on the chair that resembles the sweep of a wave.

The woman sitting on the chair is wearing friendly earth tones of green and brown and the shape of the light bulb she’s holding in her hand is repeated several times throughout the image – in the beads on her necklace and in the large circles on the pillow behind her particularly. Finally, a standing lamp in the background serves to suggest the need for a light bulb of some kind while that side of the image is filled with light-colored objects, mimicking light. The language of the add focuses on a play on words that suggests it is intended for an educated, socially aware audience.

An example of this is found in the tagline for the ad, “Simplicity is a simple switch that helps you and the environment.” Because it is talking about a light bulb, the play on words is found in the use of the word ‘switch’ that implies the use of the product as well as a change in consumer patterns that is in keeping with a change in social attitudes. Excitement for the product is generated with the use of words like ‘excitement’ and ‘discover’ as the ad indicates how an ordinary woman, ‘Ashley’, is able to make a worldwide ‘difference’ for the benefit of the ‘environment’ as well as serving her own needs by reducing her bill.

Finally, the ad calls consumers to action by indicating that a difference can be made ‘today’ with as little effort as simply visiting a provided website, appropriately titled ‘asimpleswitch.com’. Several propaganda devices are used in the ad including glittering generality and band wagon appeals. Glittering generality sets the light bulb up as a preferred method of reducing energy use and conserving the environment without sacrificing personal comfort. However, very little information about this light bulb or the technology behind it is actually shared.

Instead, consumers are directed to visit a website that presumably gives them this information. Band wagon appeals are made when the suggestion is inferred that everyone is making the switch, such as Ashley, who is pictured in the ad as being just an ordinary woman with a satisfying solution to a difficult problem. I am actually relatively neutral about the ad. Initially, I found it very attractive because of its use of color. The light blues and greens pulled at me and made me feel comfortable and at home.

The friendly look on the woman’s face and her desire to share her new discovery with me appealed to my emotions and made me want to like the ad itself. However, as I looked over it in greater detail, I learned that it was offering an energy efficient halogen bulb, which, in my personal experience, generates a high level of ambient heat and is therefore not a good option. I also felt resentful that the ad provided me with no real information about the product and manipulated when I found myself going to the website.

Thus, cognitively, I did not like the ad and would probably not buy the product.