Reflection Post 8

(Disclaimer: The ad shown above is strictly for exercise and academic purpose only.)

In this week's tutorial, we have learnt about how to write a good product packaging copy based on the team discussions in class. It was a group activity, first we choose our product and then we were given a piece of paper (above) where we need to state down our product's front and back information and along with the visual sketch. 

Most consumers judge a product by its packaging, the packing itself can cost even more than the product itself. In the end what I found on the internet, is that almost any mediocre product that packed in a fancy packaging would win against the best product in a lame packaging. This shows that us as a consumers would definitely grab the most attractive product on a supermarket shelf, but not the one with the best characteristic of the product, wouldn't you? But when you look closer and read the label copy of those fancy packaging products, it doesn't often tell the customers much beyond the ingredients and where the product is made from. 

Therefore, we came out with our product packaging for the information part is that we highlighted the benefits of our product. For example, with this blackberry jam you can spread it out on anything you like. We don't want to mess up the front of a label design because that's what pulls consumers into our product, and so we used the back side of the product showing examples of food that people could spread with this blackberry jam.  

In this tutorial class, we also learnt that a good product packaging copy must stand out from the crowd. Which means your packaging must be total different from your competitors, we also do not want our consumers to confuse our product with others. Besides that, good product packaging must be designed to promote the benefits of the product. When consumers are deciding on which product brand to choose, most of us will use the packaging to make our decision. That's the reason why the product packaging must highlights the product's benefits especially unique benefits that cannot be found in other competitor products. 

In conclusion, when consumers is in a supermarket scanning through all products on the shelf, packaging is usually the only thing that can persuade them to buy our product. The decision to buy is usually a split second impulse decision, and our product packaging needs to prompt that impulse. It's easy to come up with informations and visual sketch of a product, but to make sure if your packaging is exciting and eye catching catches attention with the right words and a mind blowing concept is not as easy as it seems. 

By: Michelle Liew

Most Intriguing Outdoor Ads: Connecting Hearts With Music

Media:Creative Print
Type: Outdoor Ad

This is a sketch of a creative outdoor ad for a music sharing application, Rhythmix, produced by our agency. This ad is to be displayed on the doors of an elevator in the campus grounds to attract students' attention. The message of the ad is sharing music and connecting people together.

I think this ad would be effective in passing it's message because the visuals are simple and relatable to our target audience. As our target audience would be young adults, from ages 18 to 22, that are also trendy and tech-savvy, they would be able to understand the intention of the visuals used in the ad. The visuals are meant to reflect them enjoying the benefit of using the product. Hence, it is not only simple and relatable to target audience, but also shows the main benefit customers can get by using the product.

The headline used in the ad also enhances the visuals as it explains the objective of our ad. The headline "Connecting Hearts With Music" also explains the visuals used, where the phones held by the two characters respectively in the ad "connects" when the elevator door closes and the girl's eyes would meet the boy's. The headline used in the ad is simple and easy to remember. Therefore, it leaves an impact on the target audiences.

Besides that, the location of the ad gives it a great advantage for grabbing attention. As the elevator is placed at an obvious position where students are bound to pass by it, the strong visuals would make it easily noticeable. Students take the elevator to go to their classes everyday. Even if they take the stairs instead, they would still have to pass by the elevator.

Finally, I think this is an intriguing outdoor ad because it contains effective visuals and an attention grabbing headline that is easily relatable and understandable. Also, it sells the product by showing it's unique selling point in the ad.

By: Ng Yee Peng

Most Intriguing Outdoor Ads : Tailgating isn't worth it

Source: http://neversocial.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/creative-outdoor-ads/
Media: Internet
Type: Outdoor Ad

I chose this outdoor ad as the most intriguing outdoor billboard advertisement I have ever seen because the visual already speaks for itself. Also, it is attention grabbing even from a distance and it is placed a strategic place where viewers especially drivers who are able to view it. It is simple and straight to the point.

The visual shows the aftermath of tailgating, with that impactful visual of a car hitting a truck from behind shows that tailgating will bring you that outcome if drivers do not stop doing so. So, with this visual the message is convey to all drivers. One straightforward headline and a 3D visual of what could happen conveys the message to viewers on what would be the outcome if they tailgate especially with trucks.

Furthermore, the headline also states it all. "Tailgating isn't worth it" with that viewers would know tailgating is not worth sacrificing their own life and also their love ones. I find this billboard outdoor advertisement extremely eye catching and it also impacts on how you look at the situation on tailgating. Thus this is why I find this billboard outdoor advertisement most intriguing amongst all I have seen.

By, Wong Mei Yee

Reflection Post 7

In this week's tutorial, we have learned about making an effective 4 second ad on YouTube. The main objective of a 4 second ad is to grab the audience attention and convey the message of the ad successfully.

As each group presented their 4 second ad based on their product, several propositions have been used to create an effective commercial. This includes Direct Benefit, Slice of Life ad, KISS principle, straightforward message, strong visuals and audio, and humour. From my observation, every group has used the Direct Benefit proposition. Therefore, after a few discussions with my fellow classmates in tutorial, I think the best proposition for a 4 second ad on Youtube is Direct Benefit.

Direct Benefit shows what customers can get by using the product. It is important to show the Unique Selling Point of a product and the advantage the product offers to customers. This way of advertising can be very straightforward. It also helps audience to understand the ad and product better in just 4 seconds.

Besides that, I also think the K.I.S.S principle in advertising is very useful for a 4 second ad. Keep it simple, stupid. By keeping the ad simple, advertisers can avoid audience misunderstanding the message. It also prevents audience from getting confused by the function and benefit of the product.

In all, advertisers need to keep in mind that it is important to include the Unique Selling Point of the product in an ad regardless of it's length or propositions used. Including and highlighting important elements of an ad can make the message and product stand out, hence, creating an effective commercial.

By: Ng Yee Peng

Most Effective Internet Advertisement: McDonald's Garden Wrap Banner Ad

Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/31525266113155790/
Media: Internet
Type: Banner Ad

There are a few reasons I find this McDonald's Garden Wrap one of the most effective internet advertisement. One of it being that the information being produced in the ad is informative, clear , concise and interesting. In this ad, they show the ingredients of the Fresh Garden Wraps in a graphical sense which are quite interesting and may lead the customers to sales or build brand awareness of the new product.

Also, the use of attention-grabbing headlines of the ad makes it effective. In this ad, the headline used was the list of ingredients of the product and in the end, it used compelling words which were "...think of it as a robust banquet of grande-sized Italian flavor". Those words gets the message across to the reader fast and it is transmitted in a way that engages the reader, making them think.

Other than that, this ad stated the benefits upfront. Unlike normal ads that offers discount, this ad offers flavors that normally McDonald's wouldn't offer, which are garlic aioli and Roma Pesto Sauce and these information were shown at the beginning of the banner ad.

The last reason I find this banner ad one of the most effective internet advertisement is the use of call to action statements. Just giving some information is not enough, you need to get the user to take action, and in this case, is to lead the users to more information of the product other than the flavors of it, which leads the users to the website (See the Full Line).

Thus, it is concluded that this ad is effective as it uses a few tips or factors that are needed in creating an effective internet advertisement ad.

By: Renvin Kaur Sidhu

Most effective internet advertisement that I discovered.

Source: Youtube
Media: Online

I find this internet advertisement effective is because the advertisement has both a banner and a video ad together which is to me, very effective.

This banner advertisement on  the youtube page caught my attention because of the "attention-grabbing headline" It's simple and straight forward. "Want Maximised Power?"  keeping the message short with simple simple wording. Key words were used like MAXIMISED and POWER which is usually associated with cars and engine. The headline comes in a question form which creates curiosity for viewers.

Also, the visual in the banner ad caught my eye because it compares the two exact same car but it is split into two different message being convey. One half shows a dull environment with the car slightly left behind and small which indicates that it is at slower speed in comparison to the other half of the visual which has a more brighter colour car and environment, it also shows that the car is slightly bigger indicating that the car goes smooth and fast.

It also has a call to action statement which is also the headline. If viewers are interested they can click the HERE button and it will then proceed to bringing them into the main website for the product. Furthermore, attached to the banner ad is also a video of the advertisement and so viewers can easily click and watch it without fuss on finding the related video ad.

By: Wong Mei Yee

Best TV Commercial: Greetings (directed by Yasmin Ahmad)

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIJ0DcfaoDE
Media: Television

"Greetings" was an advertisement directed by Yasmin Ahmad for Petronas' annual Chinese New Year TV season greetings.

This advertisement was particularly good for its simple story and good use of suspense to hammer home a point, wherein viewers are reminded to treasure the families they have and to be home for reunion dinner (if they can), which ties in quite nicely to Petronas' message of automobile travel.

The story is earthy and straightforward, yet viewers have more or less no idea of what the advertisement really is about until the last few teary seconds, when they find that the boy who is outwardly chirpy and friendly in school cannot write an essay about family reunions simply because he has no family.

Poignant and resonant with imagery familiar to all Malaysians, "Greetings" is a soft yet sharp form of advertising that helps Petronas' public image greatly and brings it down to Malaysian ground level. People ordinarily expect a more direct form of communication with advertisements; Yasmin Ahmad eschews that method entirely and with her feature short chooses rather to slip the needle in gently, but effectively.