So What's the Message?

Levi's Go Forth

The content of the ad shows four different people of different ethnicities around their late 20's getting dressed in Levi's clothing and going out into the world.  There are several short clips of them being exposed - the men and their chests and women with their hips.  Other clips show close ups of their faces.  Throughout the advertisement, a woman's voice narrates a spoken word.

This ad evokes a sense of empowerment in the viewers.  It is targeted towards those that live in urban settings, as shown throughout the ad's different locations - subway stations, buses, sidewalks, business meetings, etc.  The fast paced shots that match with the narration also ties into the fast paced lifestyle of those that live in the city.  It makes the viewer feel like dressing in Levi's clothing will help them achieve greatness out there in the world, not to just make money, but to make a difference.  There is one part of the ad where the narrator says "You're gonna be great" 3 times in a row, and each time it cuts to different people doing different things.  It implies that anyone can do something great in their sphere of influence.  The looks on each character's face in the ad shows determination and confidence.  With whatever they are doing, they know their identity and sense of worth.  It instills this image into the viewer's head that in order to be a great leader, you need to dress this way.  The title in itself is a bold statement.  "Go Forth" comes from a couple of biblical reference to "Go forth and multiply" or to "Go forth and preach to the nations".  The statement implies to go out into the world and fulfill your mission.  In this case,  Levi's is implying that if you wear their clothes, you'd be able to fulfill your life's calling and conquer the world.

Gold Lion's Crisis Relief Effort

The photo print ad was taken in black and white.  It features a solemn African toddler laying in a crib with an amputated leg staring right at the viewer. Surrounding the child is a circle of hands giving up a thumbs up sign followed by a quote "Liking isn't helping".

Because this ad is in black in white, it takes a serious tone.  The thumbs up of the people around the child is a reference to facebook's "like" picture, inferring that if this campaign were seen on facebook, people would look at it, press the like button, and continue on with their lives.  Gold Lion is saying that merely liking a picture does not show enough support to the cause of helping these children who are experiencing suffering and cruelty.  This ad really appeals to pathos because the child is looking straight at the viewer with wide yet solemn eyes.  The fact that there are no other faces in the picture shows that this child feels alone in their battle to recovery.

Clue

This advertisement is a type of guerilla advertising.  It encorporates everyday objects within public settings to get a message across.  In this Clue ad, a soap dispenser in a public restroom lets out red hand soap, simulating blood.  On the mirror, a quote "Everyone's a suspect" makes the consumer what that means.  As soon as they pump the soap into their hands, they are able to make that connection between the quote and the soap.  When a consumer is directly interacting with an ad, it leaves a more lasting impression.  This is my favorite type of advertising because it more challenging to create something consumers can interact with.  It has to be discrete enough to ponder at first glance, but also bold enough to leave a lasting impression on the brand/product being sold.