In everyday life we are constantly bombarded with advertisements. They come at us from all directions—on television, in magazines, and on the computer screen. Every company claims that their product is the one you should choose. They claim their product is the cheapest, the best. Because we always have so many advertisements thrown our way, I thought it would be interesting to analyze how companies effectively advertise their products in one of the busiest commercial intersections—Times Square.
When you visit Times Square you are blinded by all of the lights, bombarded by advertisements, maybe even taken aback by all of the commotion. The ads in Times Square are lit up and full of color. Approximately 500,000 people travel through the area each day, and more than 10 million people see live shots of Times Square on daily television shows. This shows that the advertisements in Times Square must be eye-popping and unique. But what makes an ad stand out?
Some companies like American Eagle Outfitters feel one of the best ways to appeal to the public is by being the largest and tallest. Its LED signs stretch over 15,000 square feet and cover 4 levels. American Eagle uses bright colors and their popular slogan, “Live your Life” in order to appeal to the potential customers bustling through this busy section of New York. MTV, on the other hand, may not have the tallest advertisement, but it definitely has the widest. Its HD video screen is the largest available to advertisers in Times Square. This huge screen is sure to catch your attention as it advertises concerts, special events, or the “next big thing”.
Other companies, like Forever 21, always find ways to stop the crowd. Every day onscreen models interact with the crowd in order draw the audience in. Models on the 60 foot screen take photos of passersby and display them on the screen or shout to people as they walk by. This allows the public to become a part of the ad instead of just looking at it.
Clearly these companies have found unique ways to appeal to their target audiences. They have taken the idea of advertisement to a new level and modified their uses of rhetorical devices to appeal to a new generation. They have taken advantage of the technology available to them and used it as a tool to catch the attention of viewers in more way than one.
When you visit Times Square you are blinded by all of the lights, bombarded by advertisements, maybe even taken aback by all of the commotion. The ads in Times Square are lit up and full of color. Approximately 500,000 people travel through the area each day, and more than 10 million people see live shots of Times Square on daily television shows. This shows that the advertisements in Times Square must be eye-popping and unique. But what makes an ad stand out?
Some companies like American Eagle Outfitters feel one of the best ways to appeal to the public is by being the largest and tallest. Its LED signs stretch over 15,000 square feet and cover 4 levels. American Eagle uses bright colors and their popular slogan, “Live your Life” in order to appeal to the potential customers bustling through this busy section of New York. MTV, on the other hand, may not have the tallest advertisement, but it definitely has the widest. Its HD video screen is the largest available to advertisers in Times Square. This huge screen is sure to catch your attention as it advertises concerts, special events, or the “next big thing”.
Other companies, like Forever 21, always find ways to stop the crowd. Every day onscreen models interact with the crowd in order draw the audience in. Models on the 60 foot screen take photos of passersby and display them on the screen or shout to people as they walk by. This allows the public to become a part of the ad instead of just looking at it.
Clearly these companies have found unique ways to appeal to their target audiences. They have taken the idea of advertisement to a new level and modified their uses of rhetorical devices to appeal to a new generation. They have taken advantage of the technology available to them and used it as a tool to catch the attention of viewers in more way than one.
Every time I am in Times Square, the ads never cease to entertain me. I personally love the Coke Ad. It changes colors and often looks like it is shattering, with little people putting it back together. It also brings in different holiday aspects depending on the time of year.
ReplyDeleteI think that the people who make these ads are absolutely genius, because I could never do anything as cool as what they think of.
As someone from Philadelphia, I have never been to NYC. I still know some of the things that you are talking about though. That HD screen that MTV had was shown on TRL a lot, back when it was on. They had big windows in their building so that you were able to see the videos as they played. They managed to get double their money from the screen. Both from the advertisements that you talked about and that it was used for the show. I've also seen the Coke Ad that Tessa is talking about, and it seems like Times Square is the Super Bowl of advertising for locations.
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