In the September 2008 issue of "The New Yorker," the mobile accessories company Jawbone had this two-page advertisement. In it, they are advertising a bluetooth headset and the text says, "Jawbone," and mirrored onto the next page, "People will talk." It has a doctor, dressed in pale blue, on one page, staring in the direction of the facing page. The woman on the other page has obviously had loads of plastic surgery done with her larger-than-normal lips and breasts. If anyone saw her casually walking in the streets, there would be a commotion and "talk" about her. This advertisement seems to be comparing the reaction to the woman to the reaction someone would have to the bluetooth headset.
The advertisement uses many different design concepts to get the message across as well. As mentioned, the doctor page has a pale palette of different tones of blues while the opposite page has the complementing color of shades of red. The two pages together create a symmetrical advertisement with a balanced mirror effect, and either page contrasts one another with the color choice, textures, and the differences between a man and woman.
I am on the fence with how well the metaphor got the message across. The images and concept drew me in very quickly and were interesting, which is definitely a high goal for any advertisement. Once you examine it closer, it is a wonder whether it is a good thing that the headset should stand out like the woman with the made-up body. It caught the audience's attention and had a catchy and well-used text, but the metaphor could have been more precise, perhaps with a drab person vs. a well-maintained individual.
No comments:
Post a Comment