Masters of Desire: The Culture of American Advertising

by: John Solomon

Always Real: Coke chillin in the Hood

By: Scott Charles

How would these two guys analyze an advertisement?

Evidently, these two guys know how to sell something. When I see an advertisement, I see them like Solomon and Charles did. They are like businessmen trying to sell a product. The advertisements aren t just selling a product to Americans, but rather the advertisements are directed towards a targeted market. For example; a commercial that wants to sell a regular beer will show normal guys hanging out. They could be at a bar, fishing, or having a picnic. The people will be having a fun time. The targeted market would be mostly men because in the commercials it s mostly men with the exception of a beautiful woman here and there.

Other commercials, according to Solomon, thrive on fitting in. The Chevrolet commercials have a slogan that makes one feel to be American, one must by American. Chevrolet s slogan is The Heartbeat of America. Car commercials also have targeted markets also. For a truck commercial, they will show a truck getting all dirty and going through an obstacle. This is targeted towards men because most men find these things appealing. For a luxury car commercial the mood or the commercial is nice and pleasant, the car is on a country road (representing one driving to there country home). These cars were once targeted towards upper class people, but now they are targeted towards everyone according to Solomon. A commercial strives on the ever so enduring drive for Americans to have better things and climb up the social status ladder. Marketers know this, so they place normal, average, everyday looking people in their commercials to let middle class people know that they can have the car, too.

Solomon and Charles know that an advertisement should be aired when the targeted market is watching. A commercial for Bud Light would be worthless to Anhuiser Bush if they aired it on a Saturday morning during cartoon time.

The last thing that Solomon and Charles would analyze, would be the fear of not fitting in. So, some commercials try to make people feel like they have to buy a product just to fit in.