Introduction
For this analysis, I have chosen an advertisement campaign for the 7Up soft drink. The company released a series of advertisements meant to present the product in positive light effectively making the viewers interested enough to try it out. The particular advertisement in review presents the image of a child, drinking from a 7Up bottle, assisted by his mother (presumably).
The accompanying description indicates that the baby in the picture is only 11 months old, and that there are younger babies than him who consume the drink on regular basis. From the description, the viewer is informed that the ingredients and process used in making the drink are perfectly safe for babies, and that it can even be mixed with milk for a more wholesome diet.
Analysis
Symbol
The advertisement tries to capture the attention of the target audience by using a symbol that most people would be interested in. The creators of the advertisement definitely understood that most people regard soft drinks as unhealthy, whose consumption leads to sicknesses.
By suggesting that the drink is perfectly safe for children under 11 years old, the creators of the advertisement seek to show members of their purchasing-audience that their product is a healthier choice compared to what their competitors offer. The child in the photograph has been symbolically used to represent the least immune individual, who would be adversely affected by taking any kind of soft drink.
Meaning
The advertisement primary seeks to appeal to the emotions of the audiences. Most people find children adorable, primarily because of their helpless state. A look at the poster draws one to the cuteness of the baby and one finds it interesting that he is taking a soft-drink, something that for a long-time has been known to have adverse effects on the health of babies.
However, reading through the accompanying description, the viewer is relieved to know that the company that made the product considered its impact on the health of the child before promoting it. The child in the photo is not holding up the bottle on his own-there is a hand with painted nails supporting it at one end, which the viewer is led to believe is the mother’s.
In society, mothers are considered gentle and always in support of their children’s welfare. The agreement across the board is that anything that a mother gives to her child cannot be harmful.
Individuals become emotionally-interested in the product because the advertisement makes them think that if the mother finds it healthy for her baby, it cannot cause any harm on grown individuals.
In addition to these graphic elements, the text coming alongside the advertisement confirms that 7-up is the only drink that has ingredients well-printed on the back of the bottle. This is as strategy to appeal to the emotion of the consumers, who are drawn to the genuineness of the manufacturers of the product, while at the same time, questioning the contents of rival products.
Conclusion
The power of the advertisement comes from the fact that it draws critical reflection to the quality of the product. Most people when buying drinks are more drawn to products they can confirm is not harmful to them. This is generally a deep-rooted desire and the 7Up advertisement cleverly plays with the inherent interest in safe foods to draw attention to their product.