Critical Consumer: Ultra Broadband - Waiting is Over (Essay Sample)

Critical Consumer
Name
Institution of affiliation
Date
Critical Consumer
Introduction
In 2015, advertisers are expected to spend an estimated $189.06 billion on advertisements before the end of the year. The figure represents about 319% of the total global spending in advertisements. The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and the UK are the lead nations in advertising. The nations lead in all advertising categories from digital to mobile, TV and print etc. An estimated $ 600 is expected to be spent by the end of 2015. The figure represents a 6% increase in advertising spending compared to 2014 CITATION Sta15 \l 1033 (Statista, 2015). It indicates that the advertising market is growing despite increasing worries on the status of the global economy CITATION eMa14 \l 1033 (eMarketer, 2014).
The figures above indicate the trend in advertising. It means that consumers globally and particularly in US will continue to be bombarded by adverts everywhere. It necessitates that consumers develop a critical approach twards advertisements. The average consumers should be able to analyse sales messages to determine their message, apparent and sublime, purpose, audience and effectiveness. A consumer who is incapable of critical evaluation of advertisements will make purchase decisions without adequate information. Thus, putting the consumer at risk of purchasing wrong products, in institutional scenarios, purchasing large quantities of commodities that are not needed. The paper thus, attempts to evaluate advertisements to determine their product/ service offering, intended audience, visual and non-visual codes, purpose of the audience and the strengths and weaknesses of the advertisement. The paper will consider 5 advertisements and subject them to the appropriate analysis.
Ultra Broadband - Waiting is over
Ultra Broadband partners with Saatchi & Saatchi to create a remarkably simple advert. It delivers the message in an easy to understand and empathize manner. It shows different scenes where internet users are subjected to buffering and slow internet. Ultra Broadband quite rightly declares, waiting is over.
The service of the ad is the Internet Solution that Ultra Broadband provides to client that is fast and reliable. I saw the advert on the internet, it features both audio and visual elements. The audio element is in the form of a soundtrack with no spoken words. The intended audience are homes and businesses that require fast internet connectivity. The advert adheres to the ethical guidelines. It does not in any way attempt to manipulate consumers through the use of movie scenes within the advert. The visual and non-verbal codes, the dramatic movies scenes which seem to be paused symbolize the buffering of games. The goal of the advert is to draw consumers towards their service offering by covertly alluding to faster internet speeds. The confluence of the movie scenes and audio soundtrack captures the mood exceptionally well. The lack of a voiceover however, could result in consumers no understanding the message that is alluded to. The ad is well executed and the use of the dramatic scenes from movies captures the result of buffering.
General Electric: Brilliant Machines
General Electric (GE) partners with Framestore to create the advert to create its Brilliant machines concept. The advert takes on the Hollywood blockbuster spy concept. It utilizes 3 movie franchises to create the advert, these movies are; The Matrix, Back to the Future and Star Trek.
The product in the advert are the machines General Electric is creating. The advert focuses on how these machines are futuristic, offering innovative solutions to today’s problems. Part one of the Brilliant machines concept revolves around GE machines being used in hospitals. The ad can be found on the internet, though General electric has run the ad on TV through cable networks. The ad on TV runs in the evening, the time period is convenient as GE can access the corporate individuals who are typically at home after work. The intended audience are middle to upper level managers. These are typically the hospital officials who are in a position to make decisions with regard to purchase decisions. The ad adheres to ethical standards, it provides crucial information succinctly and does not make unrealistic promises. The visual and non-visuals codes match the message e.g. the sounds in the advert are what one would expect to hear in a hospital, blipping machines, thus reinforcing the message. The goal of the advert is to increase sales of the hospital machines designed by GE. The synthesis of the movie concept with the Brilliant machines concept allows the ad to appeal to a wider audience. However, the extensive use of machines in the ad, might alienate people without an affinity for machines. The ad is executed and the use of movie characters and their integration into the advert makes it exceptional.
Honda: Inner Beauty
Smith & Foulkes' collaboration with W+K London in creating the Honda ad is exceptional. The advert features beautiful visual work that is stunning, very attractive and can capture the average consumer’s attention. The advert is set in an outdoor setting and seeks to create a relationship between the Honda and the outdoors.
The advert’s product is the Honda vehicle, the ad sells it as an experience rather than just a vehicle. The ad was run on TV in the evening, the timing is due to the fact that most families sit down for dinner at that particular time. The target audience is the average family that requires a car that can be used for multi purposes. It is spacious for carrying luggage and can carry a number of people. The advert adheres to ethical standard of persuasion. However, the advert is not initially clear on what exactly it is about. The consumer can be confused by the initial images. The visual and non-visual images do not match e.g. the sound bites seem to direct the consumer to a different school of thought i.e. camera clicking, child laughing, gaming machines. The advert utilizes an exceptional plethora of visual cues, colors, textures and is visually stimulating to watch. The goal of the advert is to drive sales of the Honda. In attempting to sell the outdoors, the creators of the ad seem to forget what exactly the advert is selling, the Honda. It concentrates on creating the setting. The ad is below par for me, due to the lack of clear direction in the advert.
Red Bull: Transforming Formula 1
Red Bull partners with Aixsponza to create an advert to introduce their new formula Daniel Ricciardo who is Sebastian Vettel’s teammate. The ad uses technology in creating the 3D animation which it utilizes to reveal the new improvements on the car. The advert seems realistic ad is told in a narrative sequence as the drivers explain how the car has be...