Opsm Contact Lenses - Advertising Analysis

AMB220 Advertising Theory and Practice

ASSESMENT 1 Advertising analysis

By Adrian Barrett

Student Number N4792327

The message of the Ad

Background

The ad campaign by OPSM is selling contact lenses, but more so informing potential customers of the ability to have a free comfort trial. The magazine ad (appendix A) is 1/3 page size placed on consecutive pages creating a flowing story style. The TV ad (Appendix C) plays for 56 seconds and would be shown in prime time slots. There is also a mail brochure Appendix B); this would be sent to existing contact lenses customers that are on file. The campaign also consisted of a large poster (Appendix D) that was hung in the front window of its stores.

Target Audience

This advertisement is intended mainly for persons whom wear glasses but feel that glasses are not to be worn at all time and want to show themselves off with out them. From viewing the ads it can be discerned that it is being targeted towards younger professional women in the ages of early 20s to mid 30s, with poorer eyesight that most, women who place high importance on their looks and appearance and are possibly single or like getting attention from the opposite sex. These women are highly social and spend many of their non working hours in social environments.

Hook and story

The ad uses a mix of allure and comedy to get our attention, the TV ad shows a very attractive younger professional woman entering into an upper class bar with a pair of glasses on. As she arrives at the bar she removes the glasses and scans the room seeing a gentleman to her right. She then proceeds to flirt heavily with the man, and he reciprocates. The woman however can not see that the man she is flirting with is a very unusual looking man with a non fashionable suit and a strange hairstyle, a man that would be classically associated with nerds. Typically not the sort of man this type of woman would actually be interested in. The magazine ad and the mail brochure show the same key scene. The store poster is a simple picture grabbing our attention by the freshness and happiness of the attractive girl shown in it.

Primary informational message

The ads do not primarily give any actual information about the product OPSM is providing. They do have a small amount of text accompanying them however. The TV ad has a caption at the end saying “Need contact lenses?” followed with another caption alerting the viewer to a free comfort trial of contact lenses. The print and mail brochure ads have more captions but allure to the same point.

Secondary Messages (techniques of structure)

The ad makes associations to the product by lightheartedly showing what could go wrong if the intended target took their glasses off and did not have contact lenses on to correct their vision. The ad seduces them by saying they will be able to show off the way they want to look and still have the ability to see everything happening around. Whereas the store poster is simply just showing the delight of showing off themselves.

Advertising Claims (techniques of language)

The ads claim that “Things can get ugly when you’re not wearing glasses”. The magazine ad and mail brochure also go on to elaborate you can use contacts for sport, which you can not wear glasses whilst doing. The claim is alerting the viewer to the fact that if you’re not wearing your glasses your vision is compromised and could lead to less than wanted outcomes. The ad really does not go into a safety aspect but it may be trying to push this point in a very non direct way. There is no real weakness in the claim, but it is clearly pushing to increase sales of contact lenses. The ad in my opinion is saying you will look better with out your glasses, but will need a way of still being able to see.

Composition of Pictorial and Ad copy (techno effects)

Characters

The Store window uses only one character, the attractive female in her mid to late 20s, in a close up. The TV ad uses three main characters in it. There is a female, very attractive in her mid to late 20s, an attractive male in lis late 20s and an unattractive male in his late 20s. The female is used as the main viewpoint for the viewer