Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Persuasive Essay: Evaluating Advertisements




 



 


Where to get Extra Respect?


“Why is the hotel attendant acting like that?” would be the first question that came through readers’ head when they first saw the advertisement of Mercedes card. Two big photographs side by side, showing some differences between them. One photograph had a hotel attendant who was bowing only the head to a man, while another photograph shows the same hotel attendant bowing to a man more than 90 degrees, where his head almost touch his feet. And there is a phase “with Mercedes Card, you receive extra respect” with the picture of Mercedes card under the second photograph. The advertisement was designed to make the service known to public and it’s targeted to business people who travel a lot.  This advertisement suggested that consumers could receive extra respect, however the negative aspect of this advertisement are omission and diversion.


This advertisement has used the composition technique to persuade readers to use their service. As readers look at the advertisement, their eyes will focus on two large pictures which the advertisers cleverly placed on both side of magazine. The red color of the hotel attendant will catch their attention from all dark toned background. Also the logo of the company is placed on the bottom right corner, where readers could look while they flip the page. The advertisement also uses effective languages like extra respect, which will attract readers who want proper respect and service.
To persuade the readers effectively, the advertisement has used association, which links the service or product that is advertised with familiar things with readers. The two big pictures with luxury hotel background and hotel attendant bowing more than 90 degrees evokes the readers’ emotional response to want extra respect from where they go, and to have desirable lifestyle with the service, which cleverly shows that advertisement uses snob appeal. The advertisement also uses transfer, with the positive words like “receive extra respect” allow the consumers or readers to have positive feeling that they can get extra respect from others everywhere.

Although the advertisement will give readers positive feelings, it’s bad that the advertisement omits about any information about the service. The advertisement doesn’t indicate the maximum amount of money that consumer can use every time they use the card. Also it doesn’t say anything about the locations that consumer can use the service and what can they do with the service. Which will allow consumer to use the service without knowing where or what could they do with service.
Also the advertisement used diversion, in which the advertisement shift the readers’ attention to the point that consumers will receive extra respect from the negative affects that the consumer or readers have to have enough money to create the card.

This advertisement suggests the readers with effective language like extra respect to promote readers to use the card. However, the negative aspects of this advertisement, which are omission and diversion, may give readers the wrong choices.
For the reason that the advertisement didn’t indicate information about the service, and the color of the advertisement is dark toned, the advertisement wasn't persuasive to readers. This advertisement could be improved by emphasizing more on credit card, giving positive facts compared to other services, and providing more information and benefit that consumers will get when they use this card.

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