Lesson 7

For lesson 5 of EGD, we learnt about controversial print advertising.

What do we mean by 'controversial'? 

 Controversial refers to something that touches on a sensitive topic, something that is debatable. It evokes emotions in the viewer.

What is the purpose of a controversial advert for a product?

 The purpose is to make noise and attract audiences/attention to the product, and to exaggerate factual information about the product.

Analysis of controversial ads

Shock: 3

Disgusting: 4

Funny: 1

Buy: 1

It is disgusting because of the expression he has on his face. This ad would probably be more effective at conveying its message if a woman (as a motherly figure) was smelling children's garments. I'd buy it because of its jasmine scent.

Shock: 4 

Disgusting: 2

Funny: 0

Buy: 5

It's shocking because of the gore involved, but I feel that this is a smart way to evoke emotion and raise awareness, and that it gets the message across. I feel it is impactful because of the violence and the use of a baby. 

Shock: 3

Disgusting: 4

Funny: 0

Buy: 0

It is shocking because of the abundant amount of cockroaches on the image. It is disgusting due to the fact that there are cockroaches, on its own. I probably would not get the message if it wasn't for the little bit of text at the bottom. 

Shock: 3

Disgusting: 2

Funny: 1

Buy: 2

It's shocking and might not be appropriate for children and sensitive people. It might not involve any blood, but it still is pretty gory. The message is not easy to figure out, but it's a smart approach to advertising.

Some things that I would not expect to see in print advertising, as it reaches out to a large number of people, include: nudity, vulgarities, racism, violence, etc.

The most controversial ad

I feel that this ad is extremely controversial as it spiked up a big debate amongst audiences and employees of the company, and that, essentially is the purpose of a controversial ad. The message that is being conveyed in this ad is hard to grasp, and I personally had a hard time trying to figure it out. At first glance, this might look like an ad (raising awareness) for domestic violence or abuse, but in actuality, it is an ad for support bras from the company Running Free. What it is trying to show is the consequence of running with your breasts free, without support bras. It also received negative feedback from feminist organisations. But I feel that this ad gets the message across.