My Commodity-Self

Gender in advertisement.

2008 Cadillac CTS commercial.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlIu1a1Vieg&feature=related
I think it is quite obvious that attractive female with well tuned sexy voice is going to leave a lasting impression among males. The lady in the ad is basically setting up the "standard of coolness", the message was clear; If this sexy lady with heels and suggestive vocabulary thinks this $45,000 cadillac is cool, you, as men, probably should think is cool too.

Shocking Images?

As far as advertising goes, shocking images have a tendency to leave a lasting impression on the audience. To me, shocking images provoke thinking, which makes it prime tool for advertising. If one looks around today,  advertisements for non-profit organizations are among the most shocking images. If one assumes non-profit organizations serves a positive role in the society, than it would be logical to say that shocking images are serves a positive role in the society.

The image above has a strong reference to the 9-11 attack, which, to many americans, is a very shocking event, and the ad reads "the Tsunami killed 100 times more people than 9-11" Although many are angered by this ad, as people usually do by shocking advertisements, message is clear.