Ad Presentation Outline

A.      Introduction

a.       Introduce ourselves

b.      Introduce Advertisement

                                                               i.      MAC; Viva Glam Line

                                                             ii.      Proceeds benefit HIV/AIDS

                                                            iii.      Spokesperson: Rihanna

B.      Analysis

a.       Who is this intended for?

                                                               i.      People who wear makeup, mostly women, young girls, boyfriends looking for gift, People who support good causes, Rihanna fans

b.      How does it sell you the product?

                                                               i.      Celebrity endorsement, emotional/ethical appeal, consumers will feel good that their money is going to a good cause

                                                             ii.      Rihanna is main focus of advertisement, aesthetically pleasing, “artsy” look but also uses sex appeal

                                                            iii.      Shows a powerful woman, and though she is naked, she looks in control which represents the cause.  It conveys strength to those fighting HIV/AIDS.

C.      Analyzing the Design:

a.       What does it mean?

                                                               i.      Rihanna is really big, and is clearly the main focus of the ad.  Around her photo, everything else is black, which highlights her strength. 

                                                             ii.      Charity obviously comes second to everything in the Ad, as the text showing the charity is smaller and in a circle around Rihanna.  It’s hard to read, and definitely takes a backseat to the celebrity endorsement and the brand’s name.

D.      How effective is this ad? (In our opinion)

a.       Our opinions

                                                               i.      You feel good about buying the product because your money is going to a good cause.

                                                             ii.      We agree that her being naked is appropriate in the context of the ad, which highlights her strength rather than degrading her.  This is a strong selling point for us.

                                                            iii.      Rihanna is a fashion icon and an idol for many; Want to try product because of her look

                                                           iv.      The Ad is edgy

MAC Viva Glam Ad Summary

Our advertisement is for MAC cosmetics, and it’s advertising their Viva Glam line.  The ad states that, “Every cent from the sale of Viva Glam lipstick and lip gloss goes toward helping women, men and children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.”  It features Rihanna, as the main part of the ad, and celebrity endorsement.  She is wearing the makeup, and promoting the company and its charitable acts.  She is the main focus of the ad, and it is apparent because everything is dwarfed by her picture.  This shows that MAC is using sex appeal to sell their products, rather than advertising the charity more.  Although she is naked, it isn’t in a degrading way.   She is naked in a powerful way to show her strength as a human, which ties in with conquering HIV/AIDS.

Mad Men: Stillbirth of the American Dream Summary

In Mad Men: Stillbirth of the American Dream, Heather Havrilesky examines the discontent of the American public due to our insatiable desire for the next best thing created by the advertising industry. She uses the television show Mad Men and its characters as an example, claiming that it “captures this ultra-mediated, postmodern moment, underscoring the disconnect between the American dream and reality by distilling our deep-seated frustrations as a nation into painfully palpable vignettes” (171).  Havrilesky gives the audience a brief description of each character, their personalities, actions, etc. to set up her analysis and draw parallels between them and the American public. Their determined, yet disordered pursuit of the dream is what makes them relatable and a perfect illustration of this problem in America.  The show itself is an advertisement, just like the ads they create on the show for that time period with “Bourbon [glistening] among ice cubes in immaculate glasses, fire engine red lipstick [framing] heartbreakingly white teeth, fingers [tapping] perkily on typewriters as young men amble by, their slumped shoulders hidden behind the heroic cut of their tailored suits” (174).  Havrilesky closes with the idea that the birth of advertising created a dream for Americans and essentially force-fed it to them until they lost any idea of what they actually want.

                                                                                        

Ad Analysis