Why is it that every time I see Taco Bell’s Cheesy Beefy Melt commercial, I want a Cheesy Beefy Melt? I don’t even like Taco Bell. Images have the ability to connect with individuals in ways that words can’t always do. Images are usually the first element of advertising to engage us, as well as the last element we remember. It is what peaks our interest to make us want to engage in watching or reading about something. When you advertise, you don’t have a lot of time to get your message across to consumers. It only takes a few seconds to click the remote, switch to a different station, change websites or turn pages. So many ads compete for consumers’ attention that it can be hard for a message to stand out from all the rest.
To be more noticeable, advertisers can use different editing tricks to manipulate images in vivid and exciting ways. An example of this would be the cheesy strands that hang from people’s mouths in the Cheesy Beefy Melt commercials. It is odd an unexpected but I can’t help wanting to try the cheesy goodness to see if the cheese hangs the same way for me. Another strategy used is image-oriented advertising. Image-oriented advertising is used to create a positive association between a product and idealized imagery or lifestyles. Many beer, fast food and credit card commercials use happy imagery to relate to their products, that way people do not associate negative aspects to their product. Advertisers want consumers to connect the brand with an ideal lifestyle.
A good example of image-oriented advertising is American Express’s “My life. My card.” campaign that was launched in 2004. The campaign included print and TV ads featuring astonishing individuals from different backgrounds. The commercials featured celebrities, such as Robert DeNiro, Kate Winslet, M Knight Shyamalan and Ellen DeGeneres. One of my favorite commercials was the Ellen DeGeneres commercial that begins with her waking up in the morning and then ends with her dancing at her talk show. You see her go about her day different spots, such as her home, in a park doing yoga, in an elevator, walking down the street and then in the studio for her talk show. At the close of her commercial, you see her celebrity signature without the credit card. Then the American Express logo appears next to the signature and the final image implies that it is the back of a credit card. By showing the back of the card, they have not linked a specific card to the commercial. No card means that any person can get any number of the various types of American Express cards, and any person can have that lifestyle.
I have always thought of the American Express credit card as a wealthy person’s credit card or a credit card that business’s use. Also, I noticed no sign of credit card debt, percentage rates or any other negative aspects related to credit cards in the campaign. I think with the “My Life. My Card.” campaign American Express was trying to get away from that wealthy person or business stereotype and appeal to people like me, and others who may want a credit card that works with their every day lives. They didn’t want you to think about the negative, they wanted you to be intrigued by the imagery so you would want their card and their lifestyle.
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