Visual Communication Techniques - Essay Example

The analysis of visual advertisement Introduction: Advertisements are the most powerful tools for selling a product. The advertisers use the visual communication techniques to motivate the potential customer into taking action. The images and words in the visuals are designed in such a way that it influences the unconscious associations in human being and makes him to buy a product (Smith 499). The visual of the ‘Almond Breeze’ has adopted the imagery technique very successfully by appealing to the ‘need’ of healthy life that Americans dream of today. It is a strong example of a powerful visual communication. Some of the powerful aspects of the visual are discussed below. The Guarantee and the ‘refund’ option If a company asks a potential customer to buy its product by saying that if the customer does not like the product they will refund his money, the chances of the customer buying the product increases by multiple times. In psychological term, this technique of advertising is called ‘suggestion’. According to Kuna (1976), psychologist Scott’s theory of advertising suggests that potential customer is a “ non-rational, suggestible creature”, who gets hypnotized by the words displayed in the advertisement and believes in it without thinking twice (Benjamin 101). Scott (1903) observed that even though man is an intelligent being and had reasoning power, he is immensely vulnerable to suggestions provided to him through visual medium (Benjamin 101). Hence, he is also vulnerable to the idea of ‘refund’ in the advertisements. The word ‘refund’ used in the Almond Breeze advertisement works as a strong ‘suggestion’ for a customer to buy a product. The potential buyer thinks that when a company is offering an option of refund, the product must be definitely good. Subconsciously, he agrees to the suggestion of ‘greatness’ of the product and buys it. Almond Breeze has utilized the ‘suggestion’ psychology very well in the advertisement. Moreover, the sentence ‘we guarantee it!’ emphasizes and strengthens the suggestion that the product is a good. Hence, the sentences ‘we will refund your money!’ and ‘we guarantee it!’ are strong punch lines used in the advertisement. Moreover, the exclamations used after these sentences makes it more ‘human’ and hence, believable. Targeting the people who are averse to dairy products How can you sell a milk product to people suffering from dairy allergy and lactose intolerance? By luring their senses strongly or by giving them a chance of winning a million dollar if they buy it? After all, selling a milk product to people who develop infections and physical problems after having it is not an easy job. But the Almond Breeze advertisement has done this impossible thing by showing the potential customers that the Almond Breeze people know what they are selling and that they ‘care’. American children are expected to drink milk daily to remain healthy and strong (Wangen 89). However, many American children and adults are allergic to dairy products. Because of the symptoms like ear infection, headache, anxiety and fatigue, people suffering from dairy allergy have to control their urge to drink milk (Wangen 89). This makes it difficult for them to consume milk. Not only that but they cannot consume other interesting food items like cereals which are consumed by adding milk to it. Hence, there are many people who do not drink milk. However, Almond Breeze advertisement has done an excellent job by targeting this special customer population by telling them that the Almond Breeze is a dairy free product. This not only attracts the customers suffering from dairy allergy but also those customers who refuse to buy dairy products as they are unsure about their body’s ability to handle dairy products. Also, the words ‘try’, ‘blow’ and ‘refund’ creates a strong impact on the mind of the customer and ‘suggests’ him to act into buying it. Moreover, the Almond Breeze advertisement has made a smart move by displaying two similar sounding ideas together in their advertisement, namely ‘lactose free’ and ‘dairy free’. The reason being that many American people confuse ‘lactose intolerance’ with dairy allergy (Wangen 90). The fact is ‘lactose intolerance’ and ‘dairy allergy’ are two different things (Wangen 90). By using both the words describing the problems related to dairy product in the visual, the advertisement has been successful in sending a message that the company who has made the product is very well aware about the health problems related to the dairy products. Not only that but the advertisement also generates a feeling that the company that made Almond Breeze have a deep knowledge about the health issues related to the product and care about the customers. This idea has a potential to win the hearts of the customers who are suffering from dairy allergy and lactose intolerance and can make them feel that Almond Breeze is made by a company whose knowledge about the health is more than the common people. It develops a feeling of trust in the heart of a people and hence, they do not hesitate to buy the product. The visual of the food item Psychologist Walter Scott observed that when the advertisement of a product is done in such a way that along with the product it also makes the customer experience the senses related to it, the product has more chances of being sold (Benjamin 102). In short, the visual should not only make the product look good but also should stimulate the sensory organ associated with that product. For example, the food ads should be made in such a way that it stimulates the taste buds of the consumer and makes him taste it (Benjamin 102). The Almond Breeze visual has achieved the feat of appealing to the senses of customer in an excellent way. The visual of huge amount of milk getting poured gives a feeling of being bathed in milk. At the same, the word Breeze written in orange color over the white color of the milk creates a soothing effect in the mind of a consumer. The word ‘Breeze’ adds to the soothing and fresh feel of the visual. The health conscious suggestions The Almond Breeze advertisement has displayed the carton of Almond Breeze in such a way that it easily attracts the attention of a consumer to three important health related aspects. They are ‘Rich in antioxidant and vitamin E’, ‘excellent source of calcium’ and ‘no saturated fat or cholesterol’. These aspects of the products are sure to attract the attention of people as American people have become very conscious about their diet and health. They are aware of the ingredients which supply the vital vitamins and minerals to their body and choose only those products that provide them with those vital vitamins and minerals. Hence, the indication towards the presence of vitamin E, calcium and antioxidant becomes a strong suggestion to the customer. Moreover, the ad does not offend people’s feeling or thoughts in any way. The use of words ‘blows away soymilk’ are little aggressive but at the same time, they are not offensive. Conclusion The visual effect of the Almond Breeze advertisement is very profound. The pastel colors used in the visual are very soothing to the eyes. Also, the visual of pouring of the milk seems so ‘real’ that one can actually hear it being poured. Plus, the impact of the words ‘rich’ (in ‘rich in antioxidant and vitamin E’) and ‘excellent’ (in ‘excellent source of calcium’) gives the feeling of abundance. Overall, the whole visual gives the feeling of ‘nature’ and ‘abundance’. And hence, it appeals to all the senses of the body. Almond Breeze advertisement is an excellent example of powerful visual and creates a great impact on the mind of the customer. Work Cited Ludy, Benjamin. A brief history of modern psychology. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2007. Print. Smith, Kenneth. Handbook of visual communication: theory, methods, and media. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005. Print. Wangen, Stephen. The irritable bowel syndrome solution. Seattle: Innate Health Publishing, 2006. Print. Read More